During the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the nation was divided by the accusations leveled against him. Accusations of sexual assault, drunken debauchery, and toxic masculinity filled the airwaves. His defenders railed against the rush to judgment without facts, insisting that, absent any substantial evidence, the accusations against Kavanaugh were meaningless. Sitting defiantly in the center of this contentious debate, watching the proceedings and making her voice heard, was a woman of unparalleled insight and wisdom. No, it wasn't Condoleeza Rice, who holds a PhD in political science and was the first African American Secretary of State. It wasn't Tulsi Gabbard, who volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the Army and also served in Congress. No. The woman who took center stage in this pivotal moment in American History was none other than Alyssa Milano.
You heard that right. Alyssa Milano, who rose to prominence by portraying Tony Danza's sitcom daughter, and later distinguished herself in such films as "Poison Ivy II" and "Embrace of the Vampire" suddenly became the face of aggrieved women everywhere.
It would be easy to criticize Alyssa Milano or the many others that wanted to make their opinions heard. Many of the celebrities had made up their minds on the character of an individual that was vetted before becoming a federal judge. The real problem here isn't Alyssa Milano, or Madonna, or Robert DeNiro, or Sean Penn, or any of the other celebrities that hand their wisdom down from on high to the grubby, unwashed masses who desperately need it. This is America, and in America, even the star of "Embrace of the Vampire" has a right to speak.
The problem is that we listen.
Our tendency to hold celebrities in such high regard isn't a reflection of them. It's evidence that our society has unhealthy, even dangerous priorities. Sports figures, musicians, and actors occupy the highest social strata, rubbing shoulders with other rich and powerful people. They are given an inordinate amount of time and attention, regardless of whether they have demonstrated any knowledge or ability that might benefit society.
Would the news networks have given any airtime to Alyssa Milano, part-time insurance adjuster? Would people gather to listen to Robert DeNiro, General Contractor? No. The people who toil day in and day out, sweating in the heat and braving the cold, the people who keep the water running and the lights on and the shelves stocked, the men and women who keep our cars on the road, the people who do the problem solving and the healing and the teaching should never expect to stand at the center of a national debate on anything. That's because our society has placed more value on a guy who can dunk a basketball than the guy who braves sub-zero temperatures at 2AM to repair a downed electrical line so that people don't freeze to death.
Imagine a society that placed the same value on those whose skills provide real, tangible benefits as those who provide entertainment. Imagine a society where a miner or a petroleum engineer who has distinguished himself as a master of his profession is given the same approbation as a guy who dangles in front of a green screen and says words that someone else wrote in a film that someone else directed. Imagine a society where an ingenious solution to a difficult problem was celebrated like a Steph Curry buzzer-beater, a world where hard work, intelligence, integrity, and kindness were sought after as avidly as Jennifer Aniston's latest hairstyle. I have a feeling that such a society would be strong, resilient, and prosperous.
We must differentiate between the people that influence us and the people that entertain us. The people that influence me are the hard-working people that keep our country going and keep our country safe. Thank you to everyone that positively contributes to our society.