(This article represents the views of the author only and is not related to the position of the drivers.) ）
Everyone knows what American cars looked like before the 1973 oil crisis, with huge bodies and exaggerated tail fins that seem to be using their own existence to declare that the United States is the richest and most powerful country in the world.
Today, American cars are no longer real, and there is nothing so real in the United States.
A few days ago, the football summer transfer window was closed, Chelsea rushed to sign French centre-back Fafana before the deadline, and at the signing ceremony, the club's new boss, American Burley, came to the scene to take a photo with the new signing. After seeing this scene, Simon Jordan, who is also the former owner of the Crystal Palace team, commented:
"Americans are born actors. They're never behind the scenes, they're always standing in front of the stage."
▲ Player signing ceremonies are usually attended by club managers who operate transfers and take photos with players, and Berley and Falfana's group photo is a typical cross-| From getty images
Who would dare to say that Simon Jordan's assessment of Americans is mean. Vanity Fair originated in Europe, and the United States carried it forward to the civilian public. In the era of European center, Kim Kardashian would also be a socialite known to everyone in high society, but in today's America, she can become an idol of the world. In the world's most media-rich land, it's easier to be famous, and as Andy Warhol puts it, "Everyone has 15 minutes of fame." Also because of the development of the media, having fame means having everything including power, money, and satisfaction.
As a result, everyone has become a natural actor, hunting for a stage for performance, such as environmental protection, such as equal rights, such as charity.
And then......
At the end of July, Google hosts a three-day Google Camp in Sicily, Italy, requiring global dignitaries, entrepreneurs, and celebrities to attend to discuss global hot topics. The theme of the 2019 event is environmental protection, and the invited guests include about 300 celebrities such as Obama and Leonardo DiCaprio. Then, more than a hundred private planes landed at the airport, google prepared helicopter transfers for each person at the airport, and guests took private yachts and supercars to attend. Yes, these 300 celebrities, tonn by ton, emit carbon dioxide to explore environmental protection...
In October 2017, top American producer Harvey Weinstein was exposed to sexual assault and harassment scandals, and dozens of victims came forward alone. Scandals have been followed by secret stories about how righteous certain male stars are, such as Ben Affleck's warning to Weinstein "long ago" not to do that, and Brad Pitt's anger at Weinstein for his girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow, who was sexually harassed at the time: "If you make her uncomfortable again, I will kill you."
Yes, the two big stars knew of Weinstein's crimes early on, but remained silent. It has been at least 20 years since Weinstein's criminal history, and for more than 20 years, many film celebrities who talk about feminism and respect women are in fact collectively silent.
▲ Stand up and accuse Weinstein's victims | Image from the web
(To put it more, Weinstein is a well-known sex demon in celebrity circles with his close friend and financier Epstein, who even owns a private island to lure women or invite celebrities to visit, and it goes without saying what to do.) Among the celebrities was the "honorable" Prince Andrew, whose underage girl had since filed a lawsuit, but was suppressed by the "honorable" royal family. ）
▲ "Noble" Prince Andrew and the recently deceased "Noble" Elizabeth II, the royal family Oh | From getty images
On 21 June last year, Angelina Jolie visited the camp in Burkina Faso and said: "In 20 years, I have never been more worried about the fate of displaced people around the world than I am today. I admire refugees, and I'd rather be with you today." Yes, she probably did spend time with the refugees "today" because the next day she was photographed by reporters eating at the Los Angeles Opinion Restaurant. (But to be fair, Angelina Jolie is also doing charity, such as adopting three children from Cambodia, Vietnam and Ethiopia.)
The whole world became a big reality show for them...
Regarding philanthropy, recent horror film director Jordan Peel has a deeper dissection of Americans, and in US, he angrily and sarcastically quotes the "Hand in Hand for America" initiative. Launched in 1986 with a supposedly purpose to support starving civilians, the organizers did not really do anything tangible for those who endured hunger, but instead launched an action that had the illusion of being in vain and called it attention.
▲From the movie "US"
This philanthropic act also perfectly expresses the reality that "Americans are born actors": they always withdraw from practical interests and do something that "makes people pay attention", and because of this, they can act with a high profile.
So it's hard to tell if they're doing the right thing or just performing to gain fame. It's sad and infuriating that too many people are really performing.
Jordan Peele is a brilliant proof with his new work Nope (irrelevant spoilers, read with confidence):
—Asian-American Ricky experienced a tragedy in his childhood, and when he told him about that experience as an adult, he didn't tell it with his own memories, but instead adopted a short story section adapted from the ace variety show Saturday Night Live.
——The protagonist group found a "monster" and decided to film this monster, which can become famous after publication (becoming a guest of another ace variety show "Oprah Show"), in order to obtain reliable technical means, they found a director who said that they wanted to shoot a reality show, and after realizing that the director disdained the variety show form, he changed his mouth to say that the film was a documentary. After that, one of them pretended to be noble and said, "We are not just for fame and fortune, but also for human beings, for the safety of mankind, are we?"
▲From the movie "Nope"
Americans are obsessed with fame, and they do not hesitate to make their memories a popular variety show for the sake of fame, and are even willing to risk their lives for fame, but they are ashamed to admit that it is only for fame, so they give their actions meanings that do not exist, such as saving human beings, such as creating a more beautiful earth... The stage is set up and the performance begins immediately.
American cars are not real because Americans are performing.
Musk is constantly talking about creating a clean energy future, but he owns a gulfstream G650ER private jet that is clearly overly energy-intensive — even a kitchen and even two restrooms to not share with servicers — even for lame reasons like "to save more time to get things done." Another traditional American car company, in recent years, has repeatedly carried out various types of publicity to build the world's first EV, but it is not mentioned that more than 20 years ago, it was its own passive and even active spontaneous destruction of the existence of that model.
Of course, their performances penetrate into the car through words, actions, and ways of thinking, which are the product of performance.
Even so...
At a time when the American car is no longer real, black culture is the most real existence in the United States.
Fans who like hiphop must be glad that their parents do not know English, and those living music is full of barbaric and original content: fans must be glad that their parents do not understand English, and those living music is full of barbaric and original content: Lao Tzu is xxx's pimp, Lao Tzu likes to let XXXXXXXXX, Lao tzu xxx every day, Lao Tzu gives you XXXXxx at any time... Today's hiphops are more law-abiding, and more lyrics are about personal struggles, fighting injustice, and struggling with fate.
Black music and culture keep it real, but in fact it is constantly changing. The earliest black music was the spiritual song, the blues, and the jazz, the first two of which were a cry of their own tragic fate as slaves, and jazz was a means of parasitizing and pleasing white civilized society. Hiphop is a product of the affirmative action movement, they have too much anger to express, and the tune is no longer enough to release their emotions.
▲ The "Los Angeles police beat Rodney King" incident that triggered the black civil rights movement in 1992
When white people began to obsess over hipphop and therefore imitated blacks, more and more blacks entered mainstream society, hiphop became more mainstream and civilized, rappers also took off their fat pants and changed into slim, legging jeans.
The racial affirmative action movement is still far from over, but the resulting changes are also visible to outsiders. Even in performance, the act of "getting people to pay attention" – hypocritically or not – actually makes a difference in the world.
Even if Americans are born actors and Americans are not real, the more important fact is that they at least know what is right, and they must know what is right before they know what to perform. Even if it is so angry at the hypocrisy, it at least slowly pushes for some change.
After all, more clean energy has replaced thermal power, and more EVs have replaced fuel vehicles.
Cover image from pixabay
Wen | plums from Tiexi District
Figure | network