Category Archives: Culture

A Life Well Embellished

Culture, Religion

 

heavens-gates-opening_248004The Summer 2016 issue of the George Washington University magazine includes an article titled “About Death.”  It shares retiring psychology professor Pamela Woodruff’s perspective on the end of life.  When asked about an afterlife, Woodruff responded “I don’t believe in it absolutely.  I simply hope that it’s there.”

The article reminded me of my own views on dying and an afterlife which I shared with students, faculty and friends as part of my final lecture at Miami University.  I fall into Dr. Woodruff’s camp in that I, too, do not believe in an afterlife.  I differ from her perspective in that I do not care if eternal life is a myth.  Coming from that perspective, I keep asking myself, “Why do so many people need to believe there is something else after we have completed our time on this earth?”

But, as Arlo Guthrie rifts in his classic Alice’s Restaurant, “That’s not what I came here to talk to you about.”  The previous two paragraphs are merely a preamble to a topic I have struggled with for a couple of weeks.  Why do people with successful careers feel the need to exaggerate and embellish their life stories?  And questioning the need for an afterlife was the segue I was missing.

In that last lecture on December 5, 2011, I said, “I hope it doesn’t happen, but if I were to die tomorrow I would have no regrets.  I’ve lived a full life and had more than my share of great experiences.  I wish the same for each of you.”  Were there more opportunities of which I could have taken advantage?  Of course.  Were there times I could have been a better person? Quite likely.  Regardless of these and other shortcomings, I can honestly say my life has been “good enough.”

Here lies a potential link between the need for an afterlife and the topic du jour, embellishing one’s accomplishments.  False additions to one’s life narrative suggest some underlying fear or dissatisfaction that your life has not been good enough.  Let’s look at some recent examples when individuals have felt the need to inflate their achievements.

NBC Night News anchor Brian Williams lost his job for claiming, among other things, he had been riding in a helicopter under attack in Iraq.  For him, the challenge and potential danger of reporting from a war zone was NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Bill O’Reilly claimed he was “on the scene” when Lee Harvey Oswald’s friend George de Mohrenschildt committed suicide in Florida in 1977, eliminating a potential source of information about Oswald’s motives and associations.  The claim is debunked by O’Reilly’s own phone calls back to Fox News at the time of the incident.  Being the lead investigative reporter into JFK’s assassination for a major news organization was NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Donald Trump claims to be worth 10 billion dollars.  Most independent sources suggest the true figure is more likely somewhere between 500 million and 2.5 billion dollars.  I know I would be more than happy at the 500 million figure.  But for Trump, it is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Hillary Clinton claims to have been subject to sniper fire after landing in Bosnia in 1996 when she was First Lady.  One would think being First Lady, a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State alone qualifies as an impressive resume.  But for her, it was NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

A candidate for local office includes membership in the local Rotary Club on her bio.  She pays her dues with campaign funds, but never attends a meeting or participates in Rotary sponsored events.  “Resume padding” is something we warn students against as future employers are often more interested in the quality of community service than the quantity of activities.  The candidate must think that her other community engagements are NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

It makes me wonder if the hope of an afterlife is somehow related to a feeling that one’s life has not been good enough.

I understand belief in an afterlife is of comfort to many people.  And I empathize that, for people who have lost a family member or friend way before their time, the idea of seeing them again in heaven is a source of inner peace.  But if one’s belief in heaven or eternal life is viewed as a reward or a second chance, I am reminded of what Pixar founder John Lasseter said about the process by which he and his team developed the animated movie Cars.  “The reward in life in not the destination, it is the journey.”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

 

Where Have You Gone “Joe” de Tocqueville?

Culture, Politics

In 1831, the French Government commissioned Alexis de  Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaument to study the United States prison system.  Their journey resulted in de Tocqueville’s much broader treatise Democracy in American, an analysis of the religious, political and economic nature of American society.  The American experience became much clearer through the eyes of a foreigner.

Last night, Trevor Noah, the South African-born host of The Daily Show, opened his program with an analysis of the shooting by police of black citizens in Louisiana and Minnesota.  (NOTE: His commentary was taped prior to the police ambush in Dallas, Texas but could just as easily been delivered unchanged except to reference the most recent incident.)

“You know, the hardest part of having a conversation surrounding police shootings in America, it always feels like in America, it’s like if you take a stand for something, you automatically are against something else.”

“But with police shootings, it shouldn’t have to work that way. For instance, if you’re pro Black Lives Matter you’re assumed to be anti-police, and if you’re pro-police, then you surely hate black people.”

“When in reality, you can be pro-cop and pro-black, which is what we should all be!”

Sometimes it takes an “outsider” to look within the soul of America.  As I watched Noah, I realized he was debunking a myth which may be the cause of many of our social and economic conflicts: the zero-sum game.

I personally experienced this phenomenon during my time as  policy director for economic development and commerce at the National Governors Association.  Several governors asked us to address the latest “war between the states,” instances where one state would offer incentives to lure companies from another state.  This happens only if you believe the American economic pie is of finite size.  Your energies are then focused on getting a bigger slice.  We learned from that effort all states could benefit if our goal became increasing the overall size of the pie.  The result was a shift in public policy which promoted entrepreneurship, the start-up and growth of more businesses, rather than incentives which only shifted the location of already existing economic activity.

The zero sum mindset plays out around other topics which dominate our national dialogue.  One example is immigration reform.  One  can only assume that immigrants are taking American jobs if you believe the number of jobs remains constant.  Another example is LGBT rights.  Opposition to marriage equality requires an assumption the right of gay individuals to marry somehow lessens traditional marriage for those who choose that path.  However, since the Supreme Court ruling, there does not seem to be a decline in heterosexual wedding or engagement announcements in our local newspaper.

I am not ready to declare Trevor Noah is the new de Toqueville.  But I applaud him for reminding us we sometimes need to see ourselves as others see us.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

Hollywood Abhors a Vacuum

Culture, Uncategorized

Or why multiplex theaters may be the death of quality cinema.

When I was growing up in Richmond, Virginia there were four old-style, single-screen movie theaters (Byrd, Capitol, Lowe’s and Willow Lawn Shopping Center).  Although I cursed the fact that Sound of Music played for almost a year at the only one within walking distance, the other three offered movies which generally received Academy Award nominations or critical acclaim.  Sometimes you had to wait for a movie to come to town, but the anticipation was worth it.

Today we have multiplex theaters with as many as 30 screens.  The trend began in 1979 with the first 18 screen multiplex, soon followed by a 25-screen version which became known as a megaplex. There are advantages to this trend.  Even though screens have shrunk in size, improvements in sound and digital projection add to the viewing experience.  Blockbuster hits playing on multiple screens ensure available seats (though this never seemed to be a problem in classical theaters with as many 1500 seats compared to the average 300 seats in multiplex theaters).  Multiple showings do have the advantage of more flexible starting times.

Unfortunately, each benefit derived from multiplex theaters comes with a cost, the most obvious being the need to fill each screen with content regardless of quality.  Take a look at the movies with the ten highest box office receipts this past weekend (Source: Box Office Mojo).  Only four of the ten received a majority of positive reviews according to Rotten Tomatoes.  Take a closer look and you shouldn’t be surprised.

Six of the ten are sequels: Find Dory, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Conjuring 2, Now You See Me 2,  X-Men Apocalypse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

The Shallows is a Jaws derivative.

Central Intelligence is one more buddy movie drawing on the star power of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart.

Warcraft (the lowest rated at 30 percent) is a spin-off of a popular video game.

Free State of Jones, an adaptation of the book of the same name, is the only “fresh face” on the top ten.  According to the critics, while the film had huge potential “it is not enough to make up for its stilted treatment of a fascinating real-life story.”  (NOTE: I have not seen it, but wonder if there is a scene in which Matthew McConaughey encourages former slaves to seek freedom by beating on his chest and shouting, “All right!  All right!”)

When you have so much space to fill, the priority becomes marketing instead of quality cinema.  Look at the 2015 films with the three highest box office receipts: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World & Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Star Wars  is a special case, but alone spent over $66 million on TV advertising.  And it paid off pulling in over $2 billion in box office receipts not to mention the residuals from Star Wars toys and other paraphernalia. Can you imagine what a studio would do with Gone With The Wind today?  Would we see Scarlett and Rhett Barbie Dolls? Or Ashley Wilkes action figures?

So here’s my question?  If there were fewer multiplexes would more people have gone to see the following 2016 Oscar nominees (box office ranking):  Spotlight (62nd), The Big Short (44th), Brooklyn (70th) or Bridge of Spies (42nd)?  There is a more disturbing question.  Who is responsible for this trend in cinema quality?  Risk averse major movie studios who rely on movies which follow a tried and true box office formula or the audiences who keep paying to see them?  The answer is probably BOTH.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

Let’s Stop Calling Them Rifles

Culture, Politics

I know what a rifle looks like.  I learned to shoot a bolt action 22 caliber rifle at summer camp.  My father had the rifle he carried in India in World War II.  The Sig Sauer SIG MCX used in the Orlando massacre is NOT a rifle.sig_sauer_mcx_carbine

Just in case you don’t agree, ask Sig Sauer.  Go to the manufacturer’s website and look at the brochure for the SIG MCX. (http://www.sigevolution.com/_includes/SIG-MCX-Brochure.pdf).  The tag line in capital letters, “THE FIRST TRUE MISSION-ADAPTABLE WEAPON SYSTEM.”

What else does Sig Sauer tell us about this product.  “The SIG MCX eclipses everything that has come before it.”  It sure does.  It set a record for the number of deaths in a single mass murder using an assault weapon.

Don’t want to waste your time looking at the details of this killing machine.  Just go to their home page.  At the top is reads, “SIG SAUER…when it counts.”  This time the count was 49.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP

When You Hate Yourself

Culture, Media, Politics

When I started this blog, my stated purpose was to promote counter-intuitive thinking which forces us to challenge conventional wisdom. It encourages us to ask “what if,” opening our minds to new possibilities. Let me be clear. Contrarian approaches to events and issues does not necessarily lead you to truth, but it ensures you do not overlook alternative interpretations of the facts.

Today, I was watching the continuing coverage of the tragic events this weekend in Orlando. The intersection of possible ISIS influence and homophobia makes this a complex case. Was the shooter’s declaration of support for ISIS a cover for homophobia or was the selection of an LGBT nightclub as his target consistent with avowed ISIS persecution of individuals with alternative lifestyles?

There is, however, one other possibility. What if the anger which brought about Sunday morning’s massacre at the Pulse nightclub resulted from a need to disavow the shooter’s own sexual preferences? There are numerous instances in which the most anti-gay politicians and clergy have voluntarily admitted or been forced to confront their own homosexuality. These include George Reker, co-founder of the Family Resource Council; former conservative California State Senator Roy Ashburn; Pastor Ted Haggard, former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals and Glenn Murphy, Jr., former head of the Young Republicans.

My purpose is not to shame these individuals. In fact, I feel sorry for them. They were surrounded by people who believed they were unnatural and sinners. I can only imagine the personal hell they endured pretending to be something they were not. Which brings us back to Omar Mateen and a counter-intuitive explanation of his motives and actions. An alternative conclusion could be it was both a hate crime and influenced by ISIS, but not the way we normally think of these situations. Did Mateen hate himself? When, as his father reports, he railed at the site of two men kissing in Miami, did he hate these individuals or did he hate the fact that they were living the life he wanted but could not have? And to what extent was this self-hate confirmed and magnified by visits to ISIS websites which reminded him he was emblematic of the worst of western culture? Is it possible, sometime this past week, Mateen realized he could not live with himself, decided it was unfair others were able to pursue their preferred sexual orientation, purchased a handgun and assault rifle and planned the attack at the Pulse? I do not pretend to have unraveled the mystery which led to Sunday morning’s massacre. The eventual narrative will come from more rigorous due diligence by law enforcement and psychiatrists.

Earlier this evening I shared this hypothesis with my wife. I acknowledged it was far-fetched. However, it gained a bit more credibility when I turned on the news after dinner to learn several members of the Orlando LGBT community thought they recognized Mateen. Some said they had seen his photo posted on Grindr, the social networking app geared toward gay and bisexual men. A couple of people believed they had seen Mateen at the Pulse on previous occasions. And this makes sense. If there is any truth to this counter-intuitive perspective, Mateen would not frequent gay establishments near his home in Ft. Pierce where he might be recognized and outed. His secret existence would have to play out somewhere else.

Bottom line? Maybe Mateen did not hate America or Americans. Maybe he did not hate the fact there were gays and lesbians. Maybe, he was the victim of another kind of hate, hating oneself. And regardless of the source or target, hate too often manifests itself in violence. While we were shocked by the magnitude of bloodshed in this latest case, the number of dead and wounded should not matter. One life, cut short by hate, is one life too many.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP