The Billionaire Who Wants to De-Woke Disney & Why Gen Z Doesn't Want to Go to College
Sadly, Bullies Do Prosper Later in Life, A Simple Gesture of Kindness, "Dune: Part Two" Looks Better Than it Tastes, Al Green Sings
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Why picking your heroes is so important.
Disney’s Billionaire Foe Blasts Company for ‘Woke’ Films Like Black Panther: Take a look at some of the silliest (also racist and misogynist) opinions about movies you can imagine. Rich people can be such bad thinkers.
Gen Z is the new threat to the American college experience: College isn’t for everybody, but it’s still the best way to better earnings and greater happiness.
Playground bullies do prosper – and go on to earn more in middle age: To old adage that “bullies never prosper” isn’t necessarily so.
Kareem’s Video Break: This simple act of kindness is touching and inspiring.
What I’m Watching: Dune: Part Two is gorgeous to look at, but otherwise just fancy clothing on a mannequin.
What I’m Reading: Between Riverside and Crazy is a dynamic and funny play that is as engaging as a novel. It’s like overhearing a fascinating conversation.
Al Green Sings “Let's Stay Together”: Hop on the Soul Train for this classic love song.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
Don't let hollow heroes distract you from saving yourself.
Nikki Rowe, Author
Life is an endless series of making decisions, some easy and some difficult. But each of them causes some level of anxiety. Therefore, life is an endless series of anxiety, some mild and some severely debilitating. The anxiety comes from never being sure whether we’re making the decision that will produce the best outcome. Good intentions can often lead to bad results.
That is why people turn to heroes and saviors to make their decisions for them. If we choose to follow someone else’s teachings, we abdicate responsibility for the outcome of following those teachings. “I was just following (insert hero savior here)’s teachings.” Or, the old Nuremberg trails excuse: “I was just following orders.”
You see the problem. How do you know you’re following a hero and not a villain? How do you distinguish between Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. whose followers fought for civil rights and Rev. Jim Jones whose 909 followers committed mass murder-suicide in 1978? To the followers, there is no difference because they are always positive they are choosing a hero to follow.
I have had many heroes in my life: Dr. King, Malcolm X, Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Gloria Steinem, and more. However, the difference between heroes and the cult of personality is that I accept the flaws in my heroes. What made them heroes is that they were just ordinary people who were willing to risk personal comfort to make the world a better place. They didn’t have to be saints. They didn’t always have to be right.
Today’s social media can churn out “heroes” like Twinkies on a conveyor belt. And would-be heroes have become so PR savvy that they can promote whatever image they want to captivate those in desperate need of someone to follow. The same is true in politics. Any objective analysis of the life decisions of Donald Trump would conclude he’s a delusional narcissist who has committed numerous crimes and has done severe damage to the country. Yet, millions choose to ignore those facts to follow him.
Look around. I bet we can all make a list of “hollow heroes” that people follow because of their desire to rid themselves of the anxiety of choosing and because accepting the responsibility for those choices is too overwhelming. They just want to be told what to do, whether it’s by a religion, a politician, a spouse, or a media star. They are followers without consciousness or a conscience. They feel cleansed of blame, baptized into a faceless mob. They are saved.
That’s what the quote warns us against. We must choose our heroes carefully and not blindly rely on them to make all the decisions about what is best. The inability of many Americans to distinguish between heroes and villains is what has caused so much harm. Some think the person feeding them candy all day is their hero while the person offering balanced meals is the villain. They have Pied Piper Syndrome, willing to follow an intoxicating tune no matter where it leads them.
We are our own saviors in that we make rational choices based on our best knowledge. We can’t ever be sure of the outcome when we make a decision, but if that decision is based on solid moral values and solid rational thinking, then it is the right decision regardless of the outcome. Sure, there will be anxiety. But that’s life. Anxiety lets us know we care about our decisions and forces us to evaluate before choosing. Makes us better people. Yes, sometimes anxiety can shut a person down and they need help to cope. They need counseling, meditation, and perhaps even medication. But they don’t need to become blind followers of hollow heroes because the anxiety of having caused so much devastation by following them is even worse.
Disney’s Billionaire Foe Blasts Company for ‘Woke’ Films Like Black Panther (The Daily Beast)
SUMMARY: Nelson Peltz, the billionaire activist investor trying to pressure his way into a seat on Disney’s board, assailed the company’s “woke” messaging and corporate strategy in an interview with The Financial Times. “People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained,” he said, lambasting the company’s increasing emphasis on diverse content. “They don’t go to get a message.” Peltz singled out CEO Bob Iger and Marvel Studios Kevin Feige for their creative leadership. “Why do I have to have a Marvel that’s all women? Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?” he added. Disney has been working feverishly to deny Peltz a board seat, as shareholders prepare to vote on the matter next month. “What sense is being a billionaire if you’re not a bully?” the company wrote to investors this week. “Imagine the damage Peltz would do to Disney’s boardroom with these perspectives.”
MY TAKE: First, let’s take a closer look at some of Peltz’s statements (my comments in bold):
“People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained,” he said, lambasting the company’s increasing emphasis on diverse content. “They don’t go to get a message.” [Why do rich people think they also know what “people” want? As capitalists, they should be promoting the idea of letting the marketplace decide what people want through their spending. For example, further down he questions having an all-Black cast. The fact that Black Panther made $1.3 billion might be an answer. As to the idea that they don’t go to get a message, all movies have a message, whether it’s implied or more straightforward. Rom-coms have a message. Oppenheimer and Barbie had messages. His statement is nonsensical.
Peltz singled out CEO Bob Iger and Marvel Studios Kevin Feige for their creative leadership. “Why do I have to have a Marvel that’s all women? Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?” [Unknown to him, his questions reveal the depth of his bias. The real question is why not have an all-women or all-Black cast? His lack of understanding of the entertainment business and art is in wanting to blame a movie’s failure on having an inclusive cast rather than a bad script. Notice he has no objections to an all-male cast.]
Peltz is the kind of arrogant person who thinks his taste is what all people want. Under such leadership, Disney will be forced to create photocopies of whatever movies he thinks convey his monochromatic bland taste. Perhaps a requirement of being on the Disney board should be taking a film course.
Gen Z is the new threat to the American college experience (Business Insider)
SUMMARY: …Business Insider, in collaboration with YouGov, conducted a survey in July of more than 1,800 Americans across five generations, with more than 600 respondents belonging to Generation Z and above the age of 18.
According to the results, just 39% of Gen Z said advancing their education is important to them, and 46% of them said they don't think college is worth the cost.
With millions of Americans holding student debt, along with a growing number of jobs no longer requiring a college degree, universities will likely need to adjust the costs of their programs — along with the types of programs they offer — to keep pace with the changing sentiment of younger generations toward the value of higher education.
If they don't, they risk losing out on young people's enrollment — like Shaw. She enrolled in Utah State University in 2019, and she began to take courses in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. But as she was taking those classes, she said she was also making money off of reselling clothes online, and she "didn't see the point of paying money to learn things she already knew" through her online business.
So two months after starting school, Shaw dropped out — and she doesn't have a single regret. Currently making money as a TikTok creator and selling fitness plans online, along with working as a store manager at Plato's Closet — a shop that resells gently used clothing — she said she earns more than enough to fully support herself financially.
"It has been amazing for me to not be in debt," Shaw said. "I have no student loans, like so many of my friends are in $100,000 in debt and student loans just to get a job that pays $60,000 a year."
MY TAKE: Lately, there’s been a lot of bad-mouthing of higher education. A 2023 Gallup poll found that confidence in higher education stood at just 36%, a serious fall from 2018 (48%) and 2015 (57%).
The main problem with college education is that it’s too expensive. The mistake many people make is believing that a college education is not worth the money because it doesn’t translate for some people directly into career earnings. For some people. But for the majority, the undeniable fact is that a degree does boost their earnings:
Currently, California workers with a bachelor’s degree earn a median annual wage of $81,000. In contrast, only 6 percent of workers with less than a high school diploma earn that much (12% of those with at most a high school diploma). Over time, the higher incomes of college graduates accumulate into much higher levels of wealth, with graduates having more than three times as much wealth as households with less-educated adults.
Some non-degree professionals earn as much if not more money than most college majors. But (1) those are statistical exceptions (as shown above) and (2) college is not all about how much money you make from your education. There are college degrees that result in earning much less than the median, but that doesn’t make it less valuable to the student who sought that degree. They may have chosen a course of study that they have a deep passion for even though it is not a career path to wealth, but to happiness in job satisfaction. Teachers, for example.
Yes, college is not for everyone and those with no interest or academic skills shouldn’t be forced to go. That’s setting them up for failure. The anecdote given in the news article above about Shaw is misleading. Shaw is interested in making money as quickly as possible. She has no intellectual curiosity, and no passion to immerse herself in an educational atmosphere. She definitely shouldn’t go to college.
College isn’t just about preparing for a career. It’s also a place where students are forced to develop a higher level of critical thinking, learn how to better articulate their ideas both verbally and in writing, and be exposed to fields of study that they ordinarily might not experience, including art, poetry, history, anatomy, music, etc. The goal isn’t just to produce a one-trick pony who can do their job, it’s also to produce well-rounded citizens able to think for themselves and to enjoy more aspects of life than they otherwise might have. College is building a foundation for them to make better life choices, not just financial decisions. It’s helping them enjoy the lifestyle that their earnings provide.
It’s worth noting that studies show that “people with college degrees are, on average, happier, healthier and more prosperous than those with less education.” “What we do see with education is you have fewer chronic worries, lower rates of depression and suicide and lower neuroticism,” said Aaron Richmond, Ph.D., professor of Psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Some research shows that the relationship between having a degree and happiness comes between the ages of 30 and 40 because that is when the fruits of their labor are more apparent. Researchers also point out that the degree isn’t what brings happiness, it’s having learned the tools to create a happier and more fulfilling life. It’s up to the individual to use the tools.
Why does it seem like it’s always rich college grads telling us that college isn’t important? There’s an implied reverse elitism involved: I’m successful and have a degree, so my opinion is important. So, if you don’t go, your opinion will be less valuable? That’s what they’re saying because they’re not basing their opinions on facts or statistics.
Instead of complaining about higher education, support politicians with plans to make colleges cheaper and to provide more financial aid. Make it easier for those who wish to attend college and not bully those who don’t want to go into going.
Playground bullies do prosper – and go on to earn more in middle age (The Guardian)
SUMMARY: Children who displayed aggressive behaviour at school, such as bullying or temper outbursts, are likely to earn more money in middle age, according to a five-decade study that upends the maxim that bullies do not prosper.
They are also more likely to have higher job satisfaction and be in more desirable jobs, say researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.
The paper, published today, used data about almost 7,000 people born in 1970 whose lives have been tracked by the British Cohort Study. The research team examined data from primary school teachers who assessed the children’s social and emotional skills when they were 10 years old in 1980, and matched it to their lives at the age of 46 in 2016.
“We found that those children who teachers felt had problems with attention, peer relationships and emotional instability did end up earning less in the future, as we expected, but we were surprised to find a strong link between aggressive behaviour at school and higher earnings in later life,” said Prof Emilia Del Bono, one of the study’s authors.
MY TAKE: We love movies about the bullied kid who goes on to earn millions and comes back to rub it in the faces of all the bullies who never amounted to anything. Justice prevails! Unfortunately, that may not be the case for many of the bullies. Instead of descending into a booze-soaked future sweeping up at the bowling alley, the qualities of bullying may serve them well as earners.
Aggression can lead to lifetime bullying, violence, and the belief that they are more deserving than others because they are inherently more valuable. But that doesn’t have to be the path one takes. Just because one is a bully in school doesn’t mean they continue their bullying ways throughout life. They may become ashamed of their behavior and that shame inspires them to treat people better in their adult years. Aggression in itself isn’t necessarily a bad trait. It can help propel people to go after their dreams, to push themselves to be better competitors and to dare go where others fear to tread.
Teachers and parents have to teach their aggressive children how to channel that trait without abusing it. Too often, we dismiss the behavior as “kids being kids” when in fact they are “kids preparing to be adults.”
Kareem’s Video Break
I love how natural and unforced this gesture of kindness was. His friend was in need—and he gave him a shoulder.
I like to think of this newsletter like a shoulder you can lean on. As long as you stay awake.
What I’m Reading: Play
Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis
I enjoy plays but can’t always get to the theater. So, when I get the chance, I like to read them. To me, they can be as riveting as a novel. Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and I can see why. This gritty story of a middle-class Black family in New York City is compelling and funny. “Pops” Washington is a retired ex-cop living with his son and his son’s girlfriend. Everyone in the play is a grifter of some sort, looking to exploit each other. Where does love come into it all? That’s what they’re all struggling to find out. The dialogue is crisp and witty and the characters are both predatory and vulnerable. Memorable.
What I’m Watching: Movies
Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two is by all measures hugely successful. It’s been getting strong reviews and it’s made a lot of money ($574 million globally). Steven Spielberg called it “One of the most brilliant science-fiction films I’ve ever seen.” I agree that visually, this is one of the most gorgeous and impressive movies I’ve ever seen. However, when it comes to everything else, it’s pretty mediocre. First, the story is a bit confusing, partly because there’s a lot of information dumping and partly because the transitions between scenes are often clumsy as if they cut something out. Second, the characterization is so thin and stereotypical that we know what everyone is going to say and do before it happens. I was especially disappointed in Zendaya’s character, whose main characteristic throughout the movie is scowling. Third, there’s no one to root for. The religious fanatics that we’re supposed to care about are portrayed as a scary hive mind without any apparent humanity. Gorgeous but forgettable.
Kareem’s Jukebox Playlist
Al Green: “Let's Stay Together” (1972)
Al Green was the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Soul in the seventies. He’s won 11 Grammys and ranks 65 on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. But Green’s life interfered with his artistry sending him in a different direction. In 1974, his girlfriend got so mad at Green for not wanting to marry her that she threw a pot of boiling grits on him, causing second-degree burns that required skin grafts. Green didn’t know at the time that she was already married and had three kids. After the altercation, she committed suicide by shooting herself. In 1976, he founded the Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Memphis and a few years later shifted his performing career to gospel music for several years before returning to secular music.
This song and “I’m Still in Love with You” are my favorite Al Green songs. They epitomize the essence of soul music’s heart-wrenching lyrics and melodies. This is such a classic that in 2010 it was selected by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” I agree.
In the past, did Dopey the billionaire complain about all-white movies or nearly all-male movies with tiny subsidiary roles for women? It's odd that these right-wing rich people don't realize that corporations aren't woke, they're simply trying to appeal to customers. It's called capitalism.
What a lovely video of Al Green so up close and personal. Thank you,Kareem, for finding such treasures for us. And glad you mentioned Gloria as one of your heroes. She just celebrated her birthday and is now 90 and still inspiring us. Definitely let’s stay together in saving democracy.