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I get this guy's point although it feels a little mean-spirited. Then I read the letter about, "Imagine if you were a sculptor, spent years studying anatomy, etc. then suddenly anyone could be a sculptor." Well, that actually happened to a lot of people who studied harmony, melody, pithy verbal expression, being cool, and gave up everything to hit the road as musicians. People who were really serious (and really good) could make a decent living for a while. Then along came punk rock, and now Britney Spears. Any idiot in the world goes to the mall and buys an electric guitar and good, hard working musicians can't even get work. Maybe it's not as Ayn-Rand-ish as it seems for this guy to suggest people strive for a little more excellence and a little less feel-good consciousness aimed at the lowest common denominator. I've also run into this attitude at day jobs, where my fast typing speed, grammatical knowledge and efficiency, and at the same time, my desire to get the work done so I could go home and play music, didn't count for much if I didn't pitch in and decorate the kitchen every few days for someone's birthday.
Of course, being the president also used to mean being articulate, visionary and thoughtful enough to run a country, even if it also meant you had to be rich to get there. Now that mediocrity has pervaded every level of endeavor, maybe a reaction like this guy's -- or mine -- is natural. I am just barely getting back into a fitness program but I don't feel at all like it's "okay" to be fat and out of shape; I hate it!!
Americans used to be known for hard work and ingenuity. We had faults, i.e., racism, sexism, massive economic disparity -- but we (a lot of people anyway) worked hard to overcome these things, from wherever fate dealt them a hand, and by and large that was kind of happening until lately.
It's a good point, actually, to (now?) strive for more than just showing up, although it's also true that people arrive at a moment from different perspectives, and it can be unkind to judge. And not every great musician was highly trained, I'm not saying that either!!! Maybe I'm just talking about (and this writer is talking about) a return to true passion, as opposed to merely getting through it -- whatever it may be. Interesting discussion.
