Shawn of a new day

At one point or another, most of us, during the course of a normal day, come across a situation where someone, or some group of people, is being judged. Social media and television practically survive on it. Fact is, human beings have been judging each other for, at least, all of recorded history, the most common manner being by class.

The class system is one that prevailed, and thrives today. It seems to me that being judgemental is deep in the human genome, but I can’t even begin to explain why, although there are experts who probably can. We judge even without realizing the fact. Of course, all things being relative, judging is so commonplace that some of those on the receiving end don’t even see it that way until someone points it out.

These days, with everybody connected to fast media, those who enjoy any amount of celebrity status are primary targets. That’s always been the case, only today everyone on the street seems ready to document anything that steers away from neutrality, and in some cases, a person’s life is unimaginably altered. People who bask in the limelight are judged for what they do and what they don’t. Our favourite Portuguese son, Shawn Mandes, has been doing his thing for quite a few years now, and for a number of those years, the media has been hounding him over whether he’s gay, or not. Actually, from what I’ve read in the past, it was more like the media was saying yes, and the poor guy hurling back the no’s. Why should this even be any sort of issue? Do we insight judgement solely for the purpose of selling headlines? Of course! If judging were cancelled there would be little else to talk about except that boring intelligent stuff that may actually help everyone’s lives. Although, it must be said that ‘cancel culture’ in itself is largely based on judging others in order to further one’s own interests and spread one’s own opinions. Now Shawn is finally caving and is slowly releasing the tension that has built up inside for who knows how long.

People are too dependent on being consoled or just plain entertained by the issues that plague others, issues that many times are just normal, natural, but twisted into something that creates doubt. But what’s the difference? Is he gay, straight, or any of the other numerous ways people see themselves?

We all know, for a fact, that the way you roll has nothing to do with who you are and has everything to do with who you are. What I mean is that You are who you are because of a lifetime of experiences and learning, not necessarily because your straight and not homosexual, or whatever. Yet, the person you believe yourself to be is obviously influenced by it. If Shawn Mendes decides to share his sexual orientation with the world, he’ll still be the same guy, but maybe he’s battled to keep it to himself all this time because, (obviously), it’s really no one’s business, and he also might be afraid it will have a negative bearing on his career. Why? Because we can be so ‘judgey’! We can’t just enjoy his music, we love the gossip and the hearsay, and those who exploit this in us are only too happy to provide those dopamine spikes that we’re all addicted to.

Then there are those who use this character flaw within us to incite division and hate. That’s taking it to an obscene level, a dirty trick commonly utilized to sway an ill-informed public in the days of old, and now resurrected in modern day fashion.

Bad things happen because we allow them to happen. Very true, except even the definition of ‘bad’ is being called into question.
Fiquem bem,
Raul Freitas

Raul Freitas/MS