Hedonistic Historians

13 December 2009

– by Mike Murray

Wealthy, pampered, self-congratulating, academically unaccomplished celebrities explaining American history — on a cable network owned by the BBC. What could go wrong?

From michellemalkin.com:

On Sunday, December 13, the History Channel will air “The People Speak” – a documentary based on Marxist academic Howard Zinn’s capitalism-bashing, America-dissing, grievance-mongering history textbook, “A People’s History of the United States.” The film was co-produced/written/bankrolled by Zinn’s Boston neighbor and mentee Matt Damon. An all-star cast of Bush-bashing liberals including Danny Glover, Josh Brolin, Bruce Springsteen, Marisa Tomei, and Eddie Vedder, will appear. Zinn’s work is a self-proclaimed “biased account” of American history that rails against white oppressors, the free market, and the military.

What, exactly, qualifies this collection of intellectual lightweights to lecture the rest of us about his-to-ry? Oh, yeah: they all hew to a leftist world-view. They all subscribe to a socialistic, “capitalism is evil,” mindset. Or at least, they claim to.

But I can’t help noticing: None of the celebs who profess to be incensed by (supposedly) out-of-control commercialism and its resultant “oppression” of common folks is himself or herself begging for alms in the street. Rather, most live in swanky mansions, fly in private jets, dine in the finest restaurants, stay in five-star hotels, and vacation in exotic places. They earn millions doing relatively frivolous things — such as acting in movies, recording music, and playing sports.

The very capitalist system that they so sanctimoniously condemn, it seems, has been very, very good to them.

I recall a laughably hypocritical comment made by John Mellencamp some years ago: “I hate commerce,” he told a reporter. Really? I wish I had had the opportunity to ask him (since his interviewer chose not to): “So, you aren’t represented by an agent who negotiates the best possible deals for you? And you decline to cash those humongous royalty checks subsequently sent to you?”

I must have missed it: John (Cougar) Mellencamp, out there on train-station platforms, serenading commuters for nickels and dimes. Poor guy.

Then there is Joan Baez, another favorite of liberal activists. I vividly remember her years-ago guest appearance on the Tonight Show (then hosted by Johnny Carson). Baez went on a leftist rant, bemoaning all things “capitalistic.” Carson was not amused. He pointedly reminded Baez that her primary purpose in visiting his program was to hawk her latest album. It was a deliciously tense confrontation.

Finally, there is the matter of scholarly achievement. Or, more accurately, the glaring lack of it on the part of celebrity blowhards. Most of these academic ne’er-do-wells were wholly undistinguished in the classroom. A disproportionately high percentage of them — comedians, especially — dropped out of high school. Yet they feel uniquely qualified to ‘splain things.

And they take self-indulgence to spectacular levels. Your average hedonist has nothing on Hollywood swells and aging rock stars, who deny themselves little in the way of earthly pleasure. Which, of course, makes them uniquely qualified to lecture the rest of us about our shortcomings.

Berea Pundit