Round like a circle in a spiral, Like a wheel within a wheel.
PDF Version
Never ending nor beginning, On an ever spinning reel... Like a snowball down a mountain, Or a carnival balloon. Like a carousel that's turning, Running rings around the moon. Like a clock whose hands are sweeping, Past the minutes of its face. And the world is like an apple, Whirling silently in space.
Like the circles that you find - In the windmills of your mind.
Perception management as a substitute for self development has come to define the entire human race. Judging by the out of control ideology which saturates all popular media, humanity has reached a critical mass in terms of flimsy belief structures.
Today many popular news articles celebrate multi millionaire Willard Carroll Smith II slapping Christopher Julius Rock after a supposed slur on the good name of Willard's significant other - Jada Koren Pinkett Smith. The slur came in the form of a joke comparing her Alopecia condition with the shaved head sported by Demi Moore in the 1997 production of GI Jane.
As insignificant as this multimedia stunt is in the vast majority of human lives, somehow it creates enough of a public reaction to constitute a valid piece of improvised theatre. Headlines are posted, clickbait thumbnails are created and the views come rolling in. Consequently revenue is generated according to an insane algorithmic process which defies any concept of value in terms of service or product.
In defence of this half baked greasepaint claptrap, both Smith and Rock have just enough formal theatrical training to make for a passable attempt at illusion. Unfortunately this type of event is far from an original concept. The cocaine fueled ego fest known as 'The Oscars' is hardly the most credible platform, yet somehow comment threads across the known world are alive with various knee jerk reactions. From visceral attacks on the infidelity perpetrated by Pinkett Smith with August Alsina, to enthusiastic diatribes condemning any form of violence as barbarism. The vast majority of these virtue signalling individuals have scrolled past various news articles featuring warfare coverage from the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine. Apparently devoid of anything even approximating rationale, this self propelled, soapbox rabble have already generated hundred of millions of views and consequently created a substantial carbon footprint in the process.
Perceiving this colossal fiasco through an exo-political lens leads inevitably to a comparison with the Jussie Smollett incident in 2019. The original story was about as compelling a narrative as an insect flying into the preposterous beard of a fixie wheel riding hipster. According to the details reported in the media as legitimate, Smollett was targeted by 'MAGA bigots' who assaulted him with a violent ambush outside his home and put a noose around his neck. As the various flaws in the narrative emerged, there appeared to be some extensive meddling by various interest groups in the manipulation of public opinion. After the various political footballs got kicked around, Smollett was found guilty (two years later) on five charges of disorderly conduct. Media outlets rebranded disorderly conduct as a 'Hate Crime Hoax' and the court of public opinion was once again depicted as the Marsupial menagerie that it truly is.
In the aforementioned media frenzy surrounding the Smith / Rock debacle, there has been very little emphasis on the legality of the assault. Walking onto a stage during an internationally syndicated, live television broadcast and slapping the presenter seems to be entirely a matter of emotion and morality. Were any member of the public to engage in similar behaviour, they could well expect to be the subject of punitive measures by the police and or the judiciary. The extensive litigious attitude among US citizens would also make civil proceedings a tangible reality.
Further comparison of these two events brings into question what exactly is motivating this Afro-Amero-centric celebrity campaign of public opinion manipulation. Even Denzel Washington (the reigning Emperor of virtue signalling Afro-American actors) joined in with the mainstream media's mission to get any reaction at all from anyone even remotely famous. Generally Denzel has opted for a more discreet approach in similar scenarios, which outside of his acting abilities, is undoubtedly the main factor contributing to his vaunted status. Nonetheless, the Oscars 2022 will forever be remembered for this god awful stunt which was dominated by black actors and their collective entourage. The cynical pundit would allude to external interest in line with the intangible goals of the BLM movement or the financiers of the hip hop / gang banger celebrity culture. Often cited as an oppressive vehicle to disrupt civil rights and equality, the cost of promoting acts such as NWA and Public Enemy generally traces back to some old-white-money sources.
Are we to expect a PR inspired self condemnation statement from Willard Carrol Smith II in the forthcoming punditry which will undoubtedly dominate media output over the forthcoming weeks? But more pertinently; who in their right mind would ever consider this meaningless twaddle as anything to get emotional about? The answer is startlingly obvious and outlines the fact that there are literally millions and millions of people who think that this type of LARP nonsense is somehow worthy of real world consideration and analysis.
The entire thing leaves a decidedly familiar, yet consistently acrid taste in the mouth.