Friday, August 21, 2020

Representative

People who are trying to make the news are almost by definition an unrepresentative sample of humanity. One can chip away at the edges of that statement, because if you are trying to sell something, or you are an entertainer, or you have a cause you are supporting, those are normal activities we should not write off hastily, even if the folks are a bit different. But the idea still holds, and it is important to remember in these parlous times of argumentation.  Black people should probably pay less attention to whatever white people are making the news, and more to the people they see in real life. Ditto whites, Asians, whatevers. Those people who got themselves on camera may be more like each other than they are like the groups they purport to represent, even by implication or suggestion. The rest of us not on camera may be more like each other, too.

Even as an oversimplification it may be worth keeping in mind when following popular culture or the news (but I repeat myself), even when applied to the people from "your" group.  There are two races in America:  Those who like to get on national camera and those who don't. There is likely a parallel division WRT power rather than fame, and the two interpenetrate.  But stick with the visibility piece for the moment.

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