But a Jape

“I can’t believe the guy from ______ is a major political voice in the discourse nowadays.”

– a phrase that is way too applicable to way too many people

I have a rule for myself when it comes to placing real life people on a pedestal. Well, technically two rules – the first being “DON’T,” but the second is, “if you absolutely have to (subrule: you probably don’t) then don’t do so until that person has been dead for at least 10 years and absolutely nothing horrible has come out about them in the years since to disqualify them.”

I have seen way too many people have their worldviews shattered after finding out someone they idolized are actually pretty shitty people. And even if they haven’t proven to be shitty people now, well, they’ve still got the rest of their lives left to prove otherwise. So I don’t care how amiable Keanu Reeves seems to be, or how many children’s dreams Dolly Parton has helped make a reality, let me know when they’re dead and I’ll start the 10 year timer to see if their legacy holds up.

So far, I’ve only got Mr. Rogers on my personal list. Perhaps there are other qualifying candidates, but I’m not exactly on the hunt for historical figures to idolize.

– James