So much of the entertainment industry is reminiscent of us boys fighting during recess when we were kids, isn’t it? Rap beefs, top of the charts beefs, mixed martial arts beefs, yada yada beefs, all played out so somebody can be “The Man” of the hour for at least an hour.
But Mr. Miyagi was always right. In a fight, so much of “Being a Man” is childish. And yet, in a fight, so much of being mature looks cowardice. Maturity then, growing up into a real man, is about learning to live with the boys and girls who goad you all of your life with “Be a Man” forever thinking you’re a coward. For even when they know karate, real men learn how to not fight, how not to beef. But I guess you can’t ever make money off of that. Yeah, you can’t make money off of that. From that capitalistic point of view it starts to make sense, entertainment I mean.
The entertainment industry starts making a lot more sense when you realize just how many people have a vested interest in raising professional children. When you realize just how much money there is to be made off of the entertainment that is two boys fighting during recess. Too bad our child labour laws can’t protect our celebrities from the people who’ll stunt their inner growth eternally to fill their bank accounts. Too bad we live in a world where the children too mature to fight childishly for a fraction of what others are making off of them get skipped over and go back to class (and bed) hungry.
Such a world we live in. All these Peter Pans on our screens happily crying, “Look! Look at all this money I’m making fighting instead of growing up. Look at how much they’re paying me to stay young, foolish, and entertaining. Look at how much you’re paying me! Such a wonderful trade. Such a wonderful trade. I finally have enough to eat.”
Do you think the boys who wouldn’t grow up ended up being happy? Or sad? I don’t know, but there’s this children’s fairytale in the anime ‘Monster’ that finally makes sense now. Now, how’d it go again? Oh, yes:
“Let’s trade. Let’s make a trade!” said the monster.
“No. I won’t!” said the person with the big eyes.
“That’s fine. Let’s trade!” said the person with the big mouth.
The flower garden of the person with the big mouth blossomed.
The person with the big eyes was so poor that he was constantly hungry.
The person with the big mouth was endlessly happy.
His stomach was full of ripe fruit every day.
But the person with the big mouth didn’t realize that his flower garden was withering.
When his garden wouldn’t bloom again, the person with the big mouth opened his mouth and cried.
“I wish I never made a trade with that demon.”
The person with the big eyes was so hungry, he was about to die.
Large tears poured from his big eyes.
“I wish I had made the trade with the demon.”
“Let’s trade. Let’s make a trade.” said the monster.
Oh, Lost Boys of La La Land, I do hope you’re happy with your choice, whatever it is.