#TheDayWeKilledTheFuture (My one and only rant)
As we examine our current state, we must ask ourselves: What are we putting into our minds? Who are we raising our children to be? It’s no one’s fault really, but we as a society have accepted current trends because they were something different. I know some of you are awaking up: every song sounds the same, everything on TV is the same, and you’re going through the motions, but you’re wising up. You’re over it.
There was a time when intelligence, skills and talents were revered and celebrated. You would hear inspiring stories about people persevering. We focused on the hope for technology in the future. We never could have imagined Apple, but one man did. We had singers with phenomenal talents: Whitney, Mariah, Patti, Darlene Love, Atlantis Morissette, Tina Turner, Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. We had amazing shows like Taxi, Mary Tyler Moore, Lucy, Roseanne, Ellen. (Respectfully, there are still great shows, artist, etc today). They were more than entertainers, they changed the world. It was a time in which talent did what it was supposed to do: create, provoke and change. There were so many revered artists, poets, philosophers, scientists, ground breakers, change makers. They made statements to the world and the world actually heard them. Did I take you back? Good.
What are we now putting into our minds, hearts and souls? So many reality shows that promote domestic violence, abusive relationships, backstabbing, sex tapes, vulgarity, and outright cheap entertainment are at the top of our watch lists. At what point will we value our minds and our futures? Are you living your life or are you living someone else’s, and just existing in yours? If you put trash into your mind then expect your actions to follow suit. “CelebGate” and countless situations like it prove that some people have lost touch with reality. People are being violated left and right and instead of people being shocked, they say horrible things. That is abusive. These women were victimize, humiliated and each of them deserve justice. Yet, we stand and do nothing? Think back to the Trayvon Martin case, those pictures were “leaked” from the crime scene, that should have never happened. When did anything that is taking place right now become socially acceptable? We are forgetting the value of each human life!
Social media has made celebrities out of everyday people. It seems like nowadays everyone wants to be Instafamous. We see girls posting sexually suggestive pictures of themselves. Twerking. Have you ever thought about what twerking is? Explain each step and if by the last step, you don’t see the problem then you are the problem. People are willing to do anything to be relevant and if that doesn’t scare you, then you need to wake up.
We are so tuned in to watching other people live, but have we ever considered the possibility that maybe we aren’t living our own lives? When did telling people to kill themselves on Twitter become acceptable? When did fans become bullies and monsters? To think that a “fan” would feel it necessary to send death threats to people who disagree with what they believe regarding their idol… These “fans” are the only ones losing because WHO IS FOR FOR THEM? The boundaries have been crossed. We have to take value in ourselves. For there to be a platform and it be socially acceptable to talk about other people’s children and their appearance. When did children falling down and getting seriously hurt, or children using profanity and dancing sexually become entertainment…?
Pictures of people of who society deems “unattractive” go viral? That girl is someone’s child, someone’s sister, someone’s daughter. People are like vultures, ready to tear each other apart for retweets, likes, and favorites. That is inhumane and barbaric. Where is the filtration? The world has become far too desensitizes at things that should shock us. When was the last time we stopped and actually thought about what you are doing?
There will be those who are negative because some people feed off of negativity. Of course, misery loves company. Do you really have positive feelings about watching people fight on TV? There is enough stress day to day. Why do you need more? Bring positivity into your life. I would never want to live in a life without Movie Stars, legends, philosophers and artists. Legends are part of history and young performers today would be so lucky to be called that 20 years from now.
There is a big difference between celebrities and movie stars. Great actors have trained and are brightly talented. Beyond Brilliance. The point is Movie Stars had a platform to be just that. We have to provide platforms for these young actors to become movie stars by protecting the craft of what it means to be one. We have to invest in education and bring music and arts back into the schools. Education has to be put at the same priority as stardom. Bringing the arts back into the schools will allow the youth to have a positive outlet and teach the art of entertainment. So every child has a CHANCE. We need to focus less on “trash media” and more on how we can make the world a better place. Stop watching other people live and put the phone down to live your life. It’s not all reality TV but the majority.
We aren’t spotlighting what once inspired us all as kids. We need those Maya’s, and Jobs etc. Those shows, that music, those movements, and our legends. We aren’t celebrating differences and diversity anymore; rather we are celebrating monotony and mediocrity. We are so caught up in fighting for strangers, we don’t realize we need to fight for ourselves…that we are worth investing in, that it is never too late or early to get an education. Education is freedom. Education is one of the only things that never expires.
We should worship God and ourselves in a way in which we fight for the best for us. So each child has an opportunity to be the next Maya Angelou or Steve Jobs. In order to do that we have to invest in our own lives, push education at the top of the agenda, be kind to others, to respect legends, respect history, respect ourselves and never lose sight of our future again.
This isn’t a personal attack on anyone because this rant is not about “anyone”, it’s about our kids.
We have all the power. You could just stop watching, speak life into your dreams, and focus on yourself. That’s power. We need to put the focus back into the future, because our children are our future. #TheDayWeKilledTheFuture
