Escapism...

The Dictionary defines "escapism" as:

     "The tendency to seek distraction from complex conditions or situations, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy." 

Remember when you took the kids to the Saturday afternoon matinee?  To see a cartoon or two, and then the main feature?  Usually a rip-roaring, Indiana Jones-styles adventure than left you glued to your seat?  Or a Jurassic Park sequel?  Or maybe Goodfellas, perchance?

Yeah, when was the last time they made a movie that caused you to have that reaction?   Most of the stuff they pump out today, in The Chuckmeister's humble opinion (What?  you didn't know I'm a movie critic?), is pure dreck.  I get the opinion most of the movies today are made to make the Chinese happy.  I cannot remember when a movie caused me to lift my admittedly-porky nether regions out of my Barcalounger and drive on down to the Bijou.  And pay $16.00 to get in.  And pay another $20.00 for some popcorn and a Coke.  For a couple of hours in a big, dark theater where I can forget who and what I am, and all of my manifold problems, and lose them in the Big Screen.  I can pretend to be James Bond for just a little bit.  I can even remember the night I stood in line to see the original "Star Wars" release.  Now that was Hollywood of yore... 

And then last Sunday night came and went.  

Like so many other Americans, I wasn't tuned in to last Sunday's academy Awards.

That's become a trend; not watching the Oscars, that is.  From a time long ago when the Nation stopped in its tracks so everyone could watch their favorite movie stars get a little golden statue from one of their peers.  50 Million of us sometimes.  When 50 million was a lot bigger percentage of our population than it is today.

But Oscar has shat in his nest as of late.  Last year the telecast drew an all-time low of just over 9 million viewers.  It was on track to do even worse this year until Will Smith rescued it; he "smacked the sh*t" out of Chris Rock, as he said.  Per his own description.  And then the entire world tuned in.  The viewership raced upward to more than 15 million in just over a minute.  "Rescuing" the telecast, if you want to look at it that way.    

Apparently Will Smith's wife has been cuckolding him all over Hollywierd for the past decade or so.  She has an "open marriage," she says.  I'm not so sure he does, but she does.  Chris Rock decided to pick on Jada Pinckett, Will's wife.  He made a joke about her baldness.  He's a comedian.  He tells jokes.  That's what he does.  That's why they hired him as the host.  And that's why people chose to attend.  But I guess he didn't know she contracted a relatively mild autoimmune disease called "alopecia," which causes one's hair to fall out.  You'll excuse me if I barf.  No biggie.  Not fatal.  Not even painful.  Except to your psyche, if you're a "B-List" movie star.  Like Jada Pinckett.*  

Or her husband, Mr. Will Smith.  Who took umbrage at the joke, walked up on the stage and assaulted Chris Rock.  As in, committed a felony.  In front of 15 million viewers.  Where wer the cops?

All this caused me to take a closer look at this here Academy that hands out the little golden statues.  Turns out there are more than 160,000 members!!!  Dues-paying members!!!  And from what we're told by those who know, less than 2% of all those "actors" make a living acting.  

Actually, we're told the number is closer to 2,400.  And thank God for the explosion in cable channels, or that number would be less than one-fourth of what it is.  Just those few folks are earning enough to keep the wolf from the door.  The others?  The dues-paying others?  They're all working at the local Beverly Hills restaurant.  Or building houses.  Or toiling at a theme park.  

But up to now we've held these few "stars" up as somehow special.  We've imbued them with our hopes and dreams, and dote on their every podcast.  We've believed they could do no wrong; that they were somehow sacrosanct.  Well, fellow Patriot, no longer.

The final stake in the heart of Hollywood Escapism occurred last Sunday night.  The Death of Escapism, I'm calling it.  That's the day that Will Smith "smacked the sh*t" out of America.  He poked a hole in the Hollywood balloon.  We now know who and what they are.  And we don't like it... 

*  Will Smith was offended over a joke about alopecia, an autoimmune disease.  A disease for which the only side effect is hair loss.  My wife of 37 years died of an autoimmune disease called "Aplastic Anemia."  Her side effect was far, far worse...