Here is a sign of the times. When a young women comes to you, at some event, or party, and says, " I'll do anything to get into "show biz" can you help me?" Some, not all, but some of us old timers know that this can only end badly. It will end badly for you soon, (law suits, wife leaving you, reputation smashed, did I mention law suit) and for the young women, later. All kinds of alarms go off in your head, and actually for a few seconds your brain goes to red, and then stops working. Time stops and the Devil comes into the room and says, "Who will know?". Tonight nobody, tomorrow everybody, and a few years from now, when you are broke, thrown away, and living on pork and beans, nobody again. You will still be trying to convince people that you were only trying to help, which no one will even try to believe.
But anyway, and this is something I don't do often, I explain that there is really very few, if any, short cuts to success in life. I didn't mention luck, because I believe if you win a million dollars on a scratch card thats luck, to fulfil your ambition it's messy. More work than you thought you could do. More things than you thought you could learn. More anger, and sadness, than you thought you could suck up, and keep going, trough the tears. You want to quit, and then, you want to quit again, and then you want to quit again. People love you, who, you will miss treat. You will make mistakes and then more mistakes, and then one day things will start to fall into place. You will start to feel like you know what you're doing.
Now the real fun begins. This is when your ambitions bumps up against everyone else's. This is when you wonder why everyone is blocking you from, what you believe, is yours.
This is when she stopped me with, " Uuuug, I just was hoping you could set me up with your agent or get me a movie role. You know a step up. Can you help me?
I said, "I just did."
As I said before, I usually don't explain, for this very reason, but old age lends itself to excepting flattery as a due. No, I can't, is my usual and truthful answer. I have to except the fact, that for most, being an Actor doesn't mean the same now, as it once did. Yes, there was the expectation of fame and riches, but because of the work, not just a "get over". Everyone couldn't just walk around saying they were an Actor unless they were working, or had worked as an Actor. They couldn't just say, "I know I can do it, if someone would just give me a chance." But this is the battle cry of a lot of the young black people today. This is why Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, are in jail right now. He didn't want to be a Congressman. They wanted to live like a rich Hip Hop Star.
He and his wife fell into the "trap". Yes, other Congress members are stealing campaign money, but it's you the FED's are watching, so they can bust you and say, "See there!" Yes, those Wall Street guys are walking around with a ounce of coke in their pocket but it's not them who are being stopped and searched. Don't you dare think, oh but thats not fair. Whats not fair is, we make it so easy for them to do it to us, because " I'll do anything to......", .fill in the blank
My generation has done some really dumb shit, no question, but we have always worked to make a living. Make a living, support a family, for the most part. Two parent black families are still in the majority despite what you hear, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, sportcasters, entertainers, Sidney, Harry, the Pips, all were supporting there families and the fame came with it. Now it's just about the fame, and my status is, how much money can I just fuck up, for my fans entertainment.
What reasonable human being thought it was a good idea to "rain money" on a pole dancer? What reasonable human being gave status to this behavior?
The President of Howard University wonders aloud why Dr. Dre, would give money to USC and not to his University. Then that same black University wants to stop P Diddy, who might want to give the school some bucks for this honor, from getting a honorary degree, because he dropped out, to make himself, one of the riches son's of bitches in this country, without his Howard Degree.
My point is, what the young girl asked at the party, and Howard's short sightiness is the same form of "give me". She, didn't know any better because this sort of thing was already in place by this and other, very large Black Institution. How do you get caught honoring a Bigot, and not Magic Johnson, as the NAACP recently have. We know Donald gave them a big check, but do they now expect Magic ever will. What's the value of an Honor un-earned. For sale? "I'll do any thing to......."
It always ends badly.
