David McElroy

making sense of a dysfunctional culture

In a saner world, we would never hear a word about Jussie Smollett

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Until last month, I had never heard of Jussie Smollett. (I don’t watch television.)

I was vaguely aware of a television show called Empire, but I couldn’t have told you whether it was still on the air or not. And I certainly couldn’t have told you anything about an obscure gay actor on the show.

All of that changed last month when Smollett claimed he had been attacked by Trump-supporting white people in red MAGA hats. I quickly got sick of the story when progressives were screaming about the alleged attack, calling it a “modern-day lynching” and all sorts of nonsense that people say when their biases are confirmed.

For the last week, the tables have turned and Smollett has been arrested for making the whole thing up. Now I’m sick of conservatives screaming about the hoax. Their overreaction is just as insane as the reaction from the left was last month.

I just want to know why we allow media to fill our minds — and take our attention — with stories about nobodies such as Jussie Smollett.

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Man’s unconscious night after stroke leaves me uneasy about living alone

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The last couple of weeks have been terrible for Brian. His wife was diagnosed with cancer and it had already spread to other organs by the time it was found. She’s been in a Birmingham hospital getting treatment and Brian has spent much of his time at the hospital with her.

Late Monday afternoon, he returned home from the hospital, but he never made it into the house. Based on what was put together the next day, he had a stroke as he walked from his car to his house. He fell and laid unconscious in his yard — for almost a full day.

When Brian didn’t show up for work Tuesday, everybody noticed, but nobody panicked until late that afternoon. They knew his wife was in a hospital, so they thought something might have gotten worse for her. But when nobody could get it touch with him — and his wife knew nothing — someone from work called and asked police to check on him.

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Just give us fake, happy smiles; who wants to hear your feelings?

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When I saw Alissa two weeks ago, she told me she was dating a new guy and that everything was going well. Tonight, I saw her again and she gave me an update. He had ditched her.

I was frustrated to hear this. Alissa is bright, articulate and funny. She’s ambitious and interesting. She’s also an extremely attractive 20-year-old. But this guy had decided he wasn’t interested in her. Why?

“He said I talk about my feelings too much,” she said. “He didn’t want to hear about the problems with my family. He just wasn’t interested.”

Although I was outraged at my friend being treated this way, I can’t say I was really surprised. The culture is becoming more and more shallow, so why wouldn’t people immersed in that culture want to pretend that real people don’t have problems?

Most of the automatons who mindlessly absorb modern culture don’t want to know the real you. If you want those people to like you — the ones who surround you at work or at school or at play — hide your feelings and pretend to be happy.

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