we’re #1!

I was talking with my son recently and we were discussing the new “Avengers: Endgame” movie- the “top-grossing” movie of all time. Since I haven’t seen it and have no plans to, it was that lofty status I was trying to understand. I mean, it’s a movie about comic book characters. Certainly it is entertaining, and as my son explained, it is the last in a series that has ALL the super-heroes- but the top movie of all time?

“Was it better than Star Wars?” Not the first ones. “Lords of the Rings?” No.

So how does a movie about comic books- which is not even the best movie of its genre- become #1 all-time? I remembered a conversation I had on an airplane more than thirty years ago.

I was flying from Los Angeles to Houston, and found myself seated next to a young fellow that worked for Billboard magazine. He explained he was a “grunt-level” executive on a trip back East. He liked to cash in his business class tickets and pocket the difference.

He opened his briefcase and handed me a copy of Billboard and pointed out it was next week’s edition. I didn’t really read Billboard, but I thumbed through it interestedly. As I arrived at the charts, as I perused the list, I must have indicated by some sound or gesture my disagreement with some of the rankings.

He asked what was wrong, and I said I just didn’t understand how some of these songs were popular. He asked which ones and when I pointed to one, he said “Nobody likes that crap!” I pointed to another one and he agreed again that the song is no good.

Now I was confused. “Well, I guess enough people like it? For it to be on the list?”

He then pointed at the number one song, which was Madonna’s Crazy for You. “How do you think that song got number one?” he asked.

“Record sales.” (everybody knew that) “Nope”, he replied.

“Radio airplay?” “What is that?” he asked. “The number of times a song gets played on the radio” I said. “Nobody knows that” he said. “If anybody knows that, they don’t tell us.”

Seeing I was out of guesses, he said “That is a Geffen Records song. Geffen spent $85,000 on advertising in Billboard this month. If you got 85 g’s- you can have the number one song in the country, Jack.- With a bullet!” (an old phrase for a fast-rising song on the charts).

That little tidbit was an epiphany for me. When you see a proclamation that something is the #1 automobile, restaurant, or NY Times bestseller- that’s how it works.

When my dad was in that dread hospital- the one that “cured” his heart-valve but screwed everything else up- you will see just inside the entrance, several blue-ribbon wall insignias indicating #1 excellence in several categories.

And then you might notice these are awards from US News & World Report. I wonder how much advertising CHI St. Luke’s buys in US News & World Report?

Buyer beware. Remember…

4 out of 5 dentists surveyed said that stuff is the best. That should be all you need to know.

toxic masculinity

One of the current assaults on our society is the attempt to portray the Western male as a brutish, sexually depraved, abusive thug. Unbearable oafs polluting the world with “toxic masculinity”.

Maybe you’ve seen the controversial Gillette ad that presents men as a veritable lineup of miscreants and inevitable rapists:

Gillette’s toxic lineup- “boys will be boys”

Gillette’s social justice warrior stance is puzzling- since the audience they are chastising happens to be their only customers- but we know by now that logic is of secondary importance to a committed Leftist cause. At least, with Gillette, we have a voice that has long been an advocate for equality in gender roles:

Gillette’s moral authority on display- “girls will be…”

Maybe I don’t fully understand what this “toxic masculinity” entails. We once spoke of uncivilized men as “boorish”, “crude”, or “jackass.” And, anyone that behaved that way, was shooting themselves in the foot. They didn’t get women, they didn’t have friends, they were not considered for promotions. We let the free market decide, so to speak.

Now it is some sort of ’cause.’ I have determined that the “toxic masculinity” movement has two main purposes: to convince men (specifically White, Christian men) that their natural inherent behavior is “toxic”- thereby making them a flawed individual in need of behavior modification AND to convince everyone else that men are inherently toxic in need of behavior modification. Once a significant segment of society believes this, the results will be significant discord and conflict in society.

Followed by significant behavior modification.

I personally can think of examples of toxic masculinity that make a mockery of Gillette’s lineup of grillmasters.

Everybody’s favorite religion- the one no one is allowed to criticize lest they be revealed to be a “phobe”- is completely infused with toxic masculinity. Yes, that “religion of peace”, Islam. (Name me a famous, prominent Muslim leader that has called for peace and reconciliation?)

While we worry that some of the things men say to women may be “toxic”- Islamic clerics teach men that “immodestly dressed” women are like “uncovered meat” and it is ok to rape them, or how to beat their wives without leaving detectable marks. While we argue over gender roles in the home- there is no argument in the Muslim home. The man may have up to four wives, and he can purchase them. The women have no say in this.

While Western women worry about equal pay and the right to choose, many Islamic areas sell women as sex slaves and others get the “female circumcision”- female genital mutilation whereby the clitoris and sometimes part of the outer labia are removed.

Women have no rights in Islamic countries. They cannot leave the house unchaperoned. Until very recently in Saudi Arabia, they could not drive a car. Taking brides as young as six years old is allowed.

Did you know that the following famous toxic masculines had strong Muslim influence:

Napoleon converted to Islam and instituted Sharia Law in France. Look it up. Except for family law, the French legal system is based upon Islamic legal codes.

Carlos the Jackal, the famous Venezuelan terrorist, converted to Islam and wrote a book about it. In it, the “professional revolutionary” praises bin Laden and the 9/11 attacks, and claims that only a coalition of Islamic and Marxist revolutionaries can bring down America the imperialist oppressor, a pursuit Carlos describes as “the highest goal of humanity.”

John Brennan, Obama’s CIA front-man and current CNN propagandist, is a Wahabbi Muslim convert, a particularly extreme sect of Saudi Islam. He was instrumental in bringing the parade of Muslim Brotherhood members into the Obama administration.

Adolph Hitler never converted to Islam, but he held it in high regard: “The peoples of Islam will always be closer to us than, for example, France”. (the enemy of my Jew is my friend)

It’s just more of the dissonant propaganda that we are bombarded with today. America has led the way in every category for human rights, especially the rights of women. Yes, we have marks on our history- everybody does- but most are much worse than ours.

They do not allow criticism of Islam in Europe. Look it up. It is coming here, and it is already beginning. In fact it is well underway. You won’t go to jail like in Europe- yet- but you can be damn sure if you say anything negative, you are a phobe, bud. A low-down, dirty racist Islamophobe.

It is said that you know who rules you, by who you are not allowed to criticize.

I do NOT submit.