What makes me the ultimate voice on, well, anything? Why should you even care about my opinion? Here’s my answer: you don’t have to. We all have different views, beliefs, ideas and morals and that’s what makes opinions so exciting ‘- they aren’t the same. Where I find value in witty celebrity criticism and its impact on our view of American society as a whole, you may find it a complete waste of time. That’s fine. Write about it, talk about it, sing about it, draw it, whatever, the point is to engage in discussion. You could start with Lady GaGa and end with the First Lady, yet this kind of randomness is what happens when we share the things we are passionate about.
My passion lays primarily in entertainment writing because I am using my chosen art form (writing) as a venue of thought and opinion on other art forms (music, film, fashion, food and style). Of course art is entertainment, it’s fun, but for me, there’s more to it than that. If I can help a musician translate his message to a broader audience through my words, I feel as though I have contributed substantially to an exchange of artistic ideas. I’ve used my words to provide his listeners with a literary view of his sounds. All senses covered.
On Monday, I walked by Tufts Medical Center and saw a cohort of scrub-wearing doctors and nurses filing through the streets. I stopped and told my friend how much respect I had for their profession, how amazing I thought it was that these men and women were giving back and using their passion to help others. She asked me if I wanted to be a doctor. I told her I hated science.
‘You know,’ she said as I walked away, ‘you’re doing that, too.” ‘ ‘ I stopped and looked stared blankly at her.
‘Seriously,’ she said, ‘you’re informing people, you’re bringing them information, you’re helping them understand.’
Helping them? I wasn’t sure I bought it. Yeah, maybe if I were reporting in Iraq or on the floor of the NYSE tracking the economic meltdown then I’d be helping people understand. I’m certainly not thwarting death when I interview an actress on her latest role, but does the substance of a good piece of writing rest solely in its the risk factor? We escape through art, we express our opinions and then we talk about them. I am shining a light on our society and its passion. I’m the one in the middle. I bring these ideas to the table so we can talk. Now . . . tell me how you really feel.
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