About Me

My name is Jonathan, and I am a 24 year old sociology student from Chicago, IL. This blog will be discussing politics to every extreme, and covering many other topics including race, religion, and all social issues that are happening right now. Well known by my friends and foes, I am very liberal and an atheist. This blog serves as a resistance to the enslavement of our generation. Does anyone have the heart to stand with me?

Monday, April 25, 2011

The Royal Wedding: Event of the Century? Really...

Get ready everyone, the royal wedding of Prince William is Thursday, and there will be live coverage all over the TV!  Give me a fucking break...

In a world that is currently on the brink of collapse, where so many different things are going on at once, why are people so infatuated with the marriage of a pretend prince?  Channels such as TLC are calling this the "event of the century."  Well, I think I might disagree with that statement just a little bit.  Do you mean the last 100 years?  Or do you mean the century of 2000-2100?  Either way, I can think of a few things that are more significant than some wedding that has nothing to do with anyone outside of England; WWI, The Great Depression, WWII, The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam War, JFK's assassination, MLK Jr. assassination, the creation of Star Wars, Y2K, first black president, even the creation of the snuggie - these are more important than a royal wedding.

Before I go any further, I would like to explain to people that England's system of King/Queen (royal family) really doesn't matter much anymore.  This isn't medieval times, where the king rules the land.  Today, England's system really doesn't grant the king or queen much special power - the royal family are merely figureheads for the government.

But this global coverage for a single wedding really just shows, especially in America, how people completely idolize the stars of the world.  Our citizens care more about who wins American Idol, than who wins local political elections.  Our citizens care more about who gets voted off of Survivor, than what policies and legislation is being created, voted on, and passed in Congress.  Or what about people like Brittney Spears, Eminem, and Lindsey Lohan?  We care more about their personal lives than our own!  Why are these people role models?  Last I checked they are entertainers, and their personal life has nothing to do with me.  They didn't sign a contract, or any kind of document stating they would be the role models for our youth.  It's not their job!  For decades, Americans have fallen deeper and deeper into this mindset that the "stars" of the world are more important than average people.  Why?  Because they have a good voice?  Because they are talented in a sport or in acting?  Maybe.  I think the real reason is that these stars represent the "American Dream," something that is non-existent for the average American, and extremely unrealistic in this day and age. 

Let's face it, this country is slowly transforming itself day by day.  The middle class is slowly disappearing, and the class gap from lower to upper class is increasing drastically - with more and more people slipping below the poverty line.  I think Americans are living in a fantasy world, where they think that everyone has the same chances to become wealthy.  I was speaking with a conservative friend of mine the other day, and he stated that "everybody in America has an equal opportunity to succeed."  Well, he's obviously wrong, like the majority of republicans, but this is the problem.  Too many people refuse to look at how things really are.  They see a poor neighborhood or homeless person and call them lazy, because they don't have jobs or homes.  If you honestly think that every American has an equal opportunity with equal rights, you are sadly mistaken...

So maybe we should start caring a little more about the things that effect us personally or collectively as a people.  A royal wedding of two people that don't really matter does not constitute global coverage on all major networks.  Stars are meant for entertainment, not for complete obsession.  There's nothing wrong with following a star's life for personal interest, but when it becomes more than that, there is a problem - which is exactly what we have in America.

PS. the only reasonable entertainment to be obsessed with is Star Wars.

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