Elitism – lessons not learned Part One

You may think the following three parts are not connected and are rather disparate. I suggest they have one thing in common. It is as if the Brexit referendum and the US election had not happened. One thing we learned from those is that people are fed up with being told what to do by groups and individuals that they perceive to consider themselves elite.

In this part I look at the latest banal utterances by the nonentity John Lydon, who is quoted as saying ‘The X Factor it’s not music anymore. They are training them to be part-timers on a cruise ship. I despise the wickedness they put those people through. It’s a serious painful endurance course that they could all do without. It’s hard enough to be a singer in the first place but then to have to go through that judgmental sarcasm is quite appalling. Usually from people who aren’t up to the top notch they expect the participants to be in and introducing that vile element of competition in music.’

Well let’s take a look at this. First, instead of sneering at the notion of working on cruise ships, Lydon needs to realise that may be a pinnacle of some peoples’ hopes and dreams. Of course, if you are a rather wealthy middle class individual, you will be very out of touch with the aspirations of ordinary people.

No one forces contestants to go through this ‘wickedness’, ‘painful endurance’, ‘sarcasm, and apparently, the worst sin of all ‘competition’. How dreadful for the poor lambs!

In his personal life Lydon is far from the anarchist some people may have labelled him. In fact he himself has denied being an anarchist. He lives a conventional upper middle class and affluent lifestyle. He is married to Nora Forster, a publishing heiress. Lydon and Forster primarily live in Los Angeles, but also keep a residence in London. Lydon became a naturalized American citizen in 2013.

Lydon, at age 60, is clearly someone who mistakenly thinks he is down with the street kids. Actually old mate they don’t even know who you are. Let’s face it, why should they? You contributed very little and have managed a great life out of it.

He comes from a working class background and is heavily opposed to the class system, describing how private schools ‘tend to turn out little snobs. They're taught a sense of superiority, which is the kiss of death. They're absolutely screwed up for life. He is critical of the upper classes, stating that they ‘parasite off the population as their friends help them along’.

He foolishly still identifies himself as working class. He really appears not to get the fact that he is now seen to be acting exactly as the elite that he has criticised.

With his uncalled for remarks he has sweepingly criticised all the X-Factor contestants and the six million viewers that watch the programme each week. A real man of the people.

Of course, all of this may have had the tiniest tad more credibility had he not participated in 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' Pots and kettles? The people on X-Factor want and need to change their lives. What's Lydon's excuse? A bit more dosh? Ah yes - that's ok for him but not for the plebs.

Lydon, give it a rest dear. Take your pills and relax in your luxury homes.

#Opinion #All