Celebrity Foolishness
Have you ever wondered what made stupid people tick? Unlike an amigo of mine, whose angst glands swell in the presence of stupid people, requiring immediate medical attention, stupid people typically don’t bother me too much. They’re stupid and I don’t worry about them. Until now…
It should come as no surprise to you, my intelligent readership, that high-profile people (read celebrities) tend to think more of themselves that they ought to. It’s one thing for a commoner, like me, to say something stupid. Even my aforementioned amigo has been known to make the occasional gaffe. We understand this and give some measure of allowance to those around us for saying something stupid once and awhile. We all do it. We all know it. But celebrities are above reproach – at least that’s what they would like to believe. So why not hold them to that standard?
While looking for information on the new Transformers movie I stumbled across an interview with one of the actors which included a quote that was, to say the least, rather foolish. I would try to give you a synopsis, but just can’t do it justice so here it is:
From Megan Fox:
The “Transformers” bombshell-cum-uninhibited philosophizer also contemplates — reluctantly — what she would say to Megatron to keep him from destroying the world. “I’d barter with him,” she muses to the July issue Total Film UK, “and say instead of the entire planet, can you just take out all of the white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super bible-beating people in Middle America?”
What’s wrong with that statement? Let’s continue the little thought experiment, assuming Megatron is real, to see what the problem is.
I would like to avoid commenting on the multitude of noun-made-adjective-cum-explicatives that were used in her uninhibited statement. Instead, I would like to comment on complete lack of respect for the Transformer Universe which the celebrity seems to not have: in essence negotiating with Megatron.
Here is a brief recap for those not well versed in the Transformer Universe. Megatron, in the story, is the personification of evil: a leader who was absolutely corrupted by his pursuit of absolute power. Opposing him is Optimus Prime who plays the part of the reluctant soldier who had leadership hoisted onto his shoulders due to Megatron’s oppression of Cybertron.
At no time in the story did Megatron ever negotiate anything. At times, he would agree to a truce, but only when his demise was imminent and as an effort to save his own life at the expense of his own people (the Transformers). He showed no loyalty to his own kin (the Decepticons) nor did he ever show any inclination to associate with those who were not his equal – which was to say, no one. Even his own Decepticons were viewed as merely tools to be used, not seen as comrades who held his ideals who were to be taken care of, led, and protected.
Even the most evil people in our own history, for which there are numerous examples, were capable of showing loyalty to those around them. And even those people, despite their ability to reciprocate feelings of love, loyalty and friendship are not to be negotiated with.
So, in our little thought experiment, why on Earth would someone attempt to negotiate with someone like Megatron? And then trade a third of our culture and people in an attempt to placate someone who will not stop at that one concession but will seek to take more.
Sounds an awful lot like the attitude that allowed a despot in the last century to take over a majority of Europe and kill over 6 million people.
Thank goodness Megatron isn’t real and Ms. Fox isn’t a world leader. Or we’d be in a world of hurt.