You only have power over people so long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything, he’s no longer in your power – he’s free again. ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
During the course of careers in entertainment and politics, both of which are centered around high name recognition individuals, I’ve become fascinated by the question of inherent human value, of why some people are treated like they matter more than others.
In a tabloid culture, an inordinate premium is placed on anyone rich or popular, the antics of celebrities and millionaires receiving more attention than the mortal struggles of innocent women and children.
The gap between fame and obscurity, wealth and poverty, power and powerlessness manifests itself most starkly in places like Washington, Los Angeles and New York, where jockeying for ‘importance’ and influence is a round-the-clock endeavor. Being invited to the right party, getting the right seat at the right restaurant, getting name-checked in the right publication or seen with the right person is of paramount significance. Tinted windows and bodyguards and flashing lights are a tip-off that someone "matters."
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