Willie G. Moseley Posted January 20, 2015 Posted January 20, 2015 ‘The philosophy of rock stars’ = almost an oxymoronWhen it comes to entertainers, there is, obviously, a difference between “sanctimonious” and “philosophical,” and famous musicians generally get tagged with the first term more than the second.Paul “Bono” Hewson is straight-up about his commitment to certain charities and other benevolent works, so that’s to his credit, but he does seem to have gotten his share of lampooning over the decades (Q: “How many people does it take to help Bono screw in a light bulb? A: “None; he just holds it up, and the whole world revolves around him.”).The bottom line about Hewson and others of his ilk is that oftentimes, it’s just hard for average folks to relate to the pronouncements of someone who’s that affluent (Wikipedia describes Hewson as “…an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist.”).But the so-called “philosophical” pronouncements by entertainers and other persons who are “public figures” are an entirely different matter. Some individuals seem to think that their fame and/or notoriety automatically makes them (1) an expert commentator on almost any subject and/or (2) a spokesperson for a particular segment of the American population.It may be freedom of speech, but to what extent such public figures know what they’re talking about should be scrutinized closely. It’s always questionable when journalists go to a particular talkative personality for a comment about almost any subject—handy examples include moguls like Donald Trump or Ted Turner, or sports figures like Charles Barkley.And some musicians also beat their gums or pound a word processor keyboard in the same manner, with web sites and blogs making such declamations even easier.But every once in while, some pronouncements from rock stars actually make sense. The rare on-the-money comment usually seems to come from a veteran performer, who has the time in grade/experience to know what he/she’s talking about; i.e., he/she isn’t acting like a stereotypical rock star, which is refreshing.One guy in particular has come up with some (unpolished) gems, and perhaps not surprisingly, his actual quotes are chock full of obscenities, so here are some examples of his thoughts, which have been, er, paraphrased.1. Accidental events are the driving force of a lifetime. Whatever you’ve planned for the future doesn’t make as much of a difference as an unplanned encounter (good or bad).2. Why should average people adhere to a “don’t-speak-ill-of-the-dead” line of thinking? If somebody is a jerk, and he/she dies, he/she isn’t going to change, so now he/she is a dead jerk, and nothing more.3. The human species pays more attention to what stupid people have to say than it does to what intelligent people have to say.Blunt, but spot-on, for the most part. As to how average folks could relate to such statements, think about examples in your own life (in the same numerical order):1. How did you meet your spouse, and what most-likely-haphazard previous events, if any, led to such an important personal encounter?2. We’ve all known, or have known of, people who epitomized the term “jerk” (or even-less-flattering terms). They were bullies, serial philanderers, whatever. If an individual didn’t have any redeeming features and/or didn’t leave a decent legacy, he/she shouldn’t necessarily receive post-mortem accolades. Maybe silence would be golden, but it shouldn’t necessarily be mandatory, either.3. Publicizing stupid people validates why media pays too much attention to the pronouncements of celebrities rather than the pronouncements of experts—it’ll play better on TV, in newspapers and magazines, and online.The lifestyle of this particular musician has been pretty wild in the past, but these comments, as blunt as they are, really do reflect a bit of sensibility. He’s no role model, but he actually comes across like he knows what he’s talking about. Seems to be unusual in these days and times.
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