Biden's Wonky Immigration Order & 50 Cent's Diss of Black Men
GOP's Attack on Birth Control, Toyota Apologizes for Falsifying Tests, An Amazing Art Video, What I'm Reading, Cyndi Lauper Sings “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Every generation flushes away the old heroes in favor of new ones. Just as they should.
Biden's new immigration order restricts asylum claims along the border: Bad policy for bad reasons. But the GOP reaction is the pinnacle of hypocrisy.
50 Cent Says Black Men Are ‘Identifying With Trump’ Over Biden: Black celebrities who make political statements have a responsibility to be clear and accurate because the consequences can be destructive.
Conservative attacks on birth control could threaten access: Why are Republicans so adamant about restricting birth control? And why do they have to lie about the facts to accomplish it?
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models: Blah, blah, blah. Big Business is always apologizing for some sinister deed, yet they still try to get away with cutting corners that put our lives at risk.
Kareem’s Video Break: You are about to experience a work of art in a way you never have before.
What I’m Reading: Thomas Perry’s Murder Book features a PI who is cunning and resourceful in the tradition of Jack Reacher.
Cyndi Lauper Sings “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”: This 1983 song was a glorious meteor flashing across the sky announcing women had their own ideas about fun that didn’t depend on men. It still resonates.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.
Paul Simon, from “The Boy in the Bubble”
The pop chart in Simon’s song is a metaphor for how each generation needs to define itself by elevating its own chosen heroes and sidelining the heroes of past generations. Part of the reason is that youth are often unfamiliar with the deeds of those past heroes so they seem more like the boring friends of their parents or grandparents with exaggerated tales about past glories. But another part is that each generation needs people in its own age range to emulate and be inspired by to prove to themselves that they too have that spark of greatness to be fanned by the heroics—whether in the arts, sports, or politics—of people just like them.
Pop culture heroes ride a conveyor belt for a short time in front of a cheering audience before they are dumped off the end into the disposal bin of irrelevance. Basketball has its own conveyor belt: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić. All ride—all fall.
There’s a good reason for that. The new generational heroes represent future promises and the old heroes represent promises fulfilled. The OGs have already accomplished what they set out to do and, while that’s impressive, it’s also intimidating to be held to a standard already achieved. It’s more exciting and inspiring for the next generation to travel alongside their heroes on their journey to fulfill their promise.
As each generation ages, they carry their youthful heroes with them because they no longer feel the urgent need to identify themselves as separate and special from the previous generation. They have defined themselves by their own actions, their friends, and their families. Pop heroes were fun while they lasted, but now they’re pleasant nostalgic mementos of a past innocence.
Those who traveled with me on my ascent from a freshman at UCLA to rookie with the Bucks to glory with the Lakers feel part of my accomplishments. Honestly, they should. Their support inspired me just as I hope I inspired some of them. It’s a relief that the ride on the “pop charts” conveyor is temporary. Falling off is like changing from too-tight jeans into comfy fleece-lined sweatpants.
Oh, what a ride it was. But, oh, what a joy to sit in the audience and cheer on the next hero as they move along the conveyor belt of pop culture.