#673 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Tuesday May 30)
#673 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Tuesday May 30)
Good morning,
CAN ONE PHRASE ENCAPSULATE MUCH OF THE WISDOM ONE NEEDS IN LIFE?
A little over a week ago, Andrea and I were walking along Fifth Avenue in New York and saw this verse from the book of Micah, carved on the facade of one of the buildings of Temple Emanu-el:
“Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with thy god.”
I feel like this is a good start to summarizing what is important in life. To strive to do what is right, to be understanding and forgiving, and to exercise humility along one’s journey are three essential facets of a life well-lived. This quotation appears on a plaque my grandfather gave me on the occasion of my Bar Mitzvah. It is a commentary I carry with me and remember often.
BRADLEY SONNENBERG SCHOLARSHIP
Last month, Andrea and I attended the deToledo High School Shabbaton. It is held at a rustic campsite in the West Valley. As the name implies, this is a weekend activity that includes a retreat, campfire, learning opportunities, and end-of-year speeches.
At the before-dinner assembly, two seniors present speeches that relate to their personal journey, the lessons they’ve learned, biblical references, and messages to the class. If these two represent the future, I have hope. After these talks, two scholarships are presented. One of them is the Bradley Sonnenberg Scholarship. It is given to a graduating senior who has elected to go to a four-year college, who is a good student, who is community-minded, and who has a skill in the arts that he or she hopes to pursue.
This is the fifth year of this scholarship. I am told the faculty has a hard time each year narrowing down the potential recipients to the winner. In past years, it has been awarded to a musical theatre star, a photographer, a pianist, and an artist. This year, it was given to a kid who is focused on the art of bringing events to life—lighting, sound, stage management, which “set the stage” upon which actors perform. I think it was a great choice. Too often, we focus on the person “in front of the camera.” But I can’t help but note that the staging of a play can be as important to the immersive experience as the writing or the acting. It’s good to note the folks who make the magic behind the camera as well.
NEPO BABIES UNITE!
Much has been said about how “connections” can make or break a career. Certainly, there has been a lot of newsprint (or its equivalent in on-line writing!) devoted to “legacy admittances” in colleges. Many colleges are reducing or eliminating the effect of having wealthy or connected parents, or even loyal alumni, as parents. I’m not convinced some of this isn’t acceptable in order to maintain the financial viability and the ethos of many of these institutions. I just don’t think this should be the norm, but the exception. We can live in a world where athletic scholarships, legacy admits, and diversity admissions can all exist, each for their purpose. We just need to acknowledge the advantages they have and be clear to those who don’t fit into those groups what their odds of admission actually are.
NEPOTISM AND CONNECTIONS MORE BROADLY
If it’s good enough for colleges, how about other businesses? Should we prohibit family businesses from hiring relatives? Regulate insurance agents who appeal to college friends? How much can we or should we “level the playing field”?
In no arena does it seem more prevalent a practice than in Hollywood. Having attended more than my fair share of professional, community, college, and high school productions of plays, I can attest to the vast amount of talent evidenced in each of these venues. And I don’t know about you, but I continue to marvel at the talent playing at weddings or piano bars. I’m not diminishing the difficulty of getting to a certain level of performance. To the contrary, I revel in the number of people who have put in the hard work to make it to the professional level.
While I certainly think there are gradations of performance ability, there is a lot of talent. So how do people in Hollywood make these decisions? I think it fair to say that a lot of the “nepo babies” (i.e., products of industry nepotism) who get parts above others without such connections. Perhaps we should wade in there as well.
But perhaps, just maybe, getting a “known quantity” is of value to employers. Perhaps pedigree has value. Regardless of how you come out, it was heartening to hear Jamie Leigh Curtis on Oscar night thanking her famous parents and indicating she couldn’t have gotten where she got without them.
Meanwhile, Bronny James is working hard to be recognized for his ability in sports. As opposed to these other industries, it doesn’t matter whether LeBron is his father. He has to make the cut. The same is true for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., who is lighting it up in baseball in much the same way as his storied Hall of Fame father.
Have a good day,
Glenn
From the archives: