And they wouldn't let ME into Harvard...
I don't even know what to say here: http://www.hbo.com/alig/harvard.html.
Okay, I happenned upon this story last night as I was waiting for adult swim. Here it is, Ali G, of HBO fame, gave the commencement speach at Harvard University. Ali G.
Not Jimmy Carter. Not Gorbachev. Not Hillary or Bill Clinton. This is Harvard. They want to Harvard for four years. They paid the tuition of $24,000 each semester. And now they are graduating. How about some parting words for the best and brightest (and richest) of our country. Hell, in 1838 in Cambridge, they let R.W.E. have a go at it. He didn't do too bad. How bad could Ali G be?
Can you imagine for a moment what that must have been like for the guy in the audience who'd never heard of Ali G--how Fellini-esque that moment must have been? I mean, you're graduating from Harvard. You expect Maya Angelou to take the stage, or General Schwartzkopf, or Bill Gates. Somebody of that caliber. Instead, clad in a yellow jogging suit, gold chains, and a beanie, Ali G takes the stage and begins to talk about bitches and hoes. Maybe you've seen Malibu's Most Wanted. Maybe you haven't. In any case, you get the idea that this guy snuck in and that at any moment, one of these secret service guys will emerge to escort this protester from the grounds. But then...no one steps up. What's more, those around you are showing their approval of this wannabe gangsta. Your feminist friend laughs when he says that feminists in Brittain are called, "lezzes." You contemplate the dream like quality of this event. You may even look down to see if you have on any pants. Later, when you say, "who was that guy?" someone tells you that it was Ali G, that he has a show on HBO, that he's a comedian living the rewards of these fifteen minutes of fame. You wonder if this is some strange Harvard tradition. Did MC Hammer ever give a Harvard commencement address? Vanilla Ice? Dolph Lundgrin? You realize with some horror that the parting words your administrators felt would yield you wisdom and guidance as you take your place as part of the American power structure were, "black, white, brown or pakistani we all come from de same place - de punani." Flash in da pan. True dat.
It isn't that they essentially hired a stand up comedian to give the commencement address instead of someone, oh I don't know, inspirational that bothers me. And oh by the way, believe you me, I'm sure they would have had no problem getting anybody they wanted to give the commencement at Harvard. It isn't like they chose Ali G because there were no other takers. Kings, queens, presidents, Kennedys, poet laureates and nobel prize winners will drop whatever they are doing to give the speach. And it's not like they need another line on their C.V.. They do it because here is a chance to talk to the new power brokers of American politics, American economics, American publishing. Essentially the big whigs of America minus the techno people--they're over at M.I.T..
Okay, work with me. Imagine for a moment that you are giving the commencement speach. Your audience consists of: a future president of the united states, four future senators, Allen Greenspan's replacement, a future CEO of an advertising company responsible for 34% of the commercials that America will see in the next twenty years, the next head of B of A, a secretary of the Interior, an astronaught thrown in for good measure, a future CEO of GE, a future editor of the Wall Street Journal, a Chief of Staff, three state governors, sixteen heads of universitys (including Harvard), a supreme court judge, and numerous other power brokers. They are still young. Their potential is still unrealized. What do you say to them to send them off into the world?
You could make your speach about restoring honor to the oval office (it's had some pretty big hits in the last decade or so). You could make your speach about leading the world ethically into this new era of global politics. You could discuss the dangers of greed and arrogance (just as R.W.E. did those so many years ago). Of course, you could discuss hope. You could discuss the U.S.'s responsability on the global stage. You could urge that a panacea be given to waylay the fears of the world concerning the future.
In truth, you would not be talking to the wrong people, as happens far too often. You would be talking to the very people who could make a difference. The future leaders. The future market setters and policy makers. You would have them as your audience whether you wanted to talk social reform or geo-political-economic policy. In fact, you might feel that you had a duty to give your speach the necessary gravity due to a situation of this importance.
Well, Harvard went with Ali G instead. This is what bothers me. In actively avoiding an inspirational speaker, it's almost as if they believed that any attempt to inspire these leaders of tommorrow would be a waste of time and effort. Believe me people, the commencement speach at Harvard is a temperature gauge, and if Harvard believes that our leaders won't listen to words of gravity, won't suffer arguments concerning the future of our nation--if Harvard believes that the best thing we can do for the power elite who will guide our country is to keep them entertained by a clown, then we are in for some dire times indeed.
Peace, me out.
Okay, I happenned upon this story last night as I was waiting for adult swim. Here it is, Ali G, of HBO fame, gave the commencement speach at Harvard University. Ali G.
Not Jimmy Carter. Not Gorbachev. Not Hillary or Bill Clinton. This is Harvard. They want to Harvard for four years. They paid the tuition of $24,000 each semester. And now they are graduating. How about some parting words for the best and brightest (and richest) of our country. Hell, in 1838 in Cambridge, they let R.W.E. have a go at it. He didn't do too bad. How bad could Ali G be?
Can you imagine for a moment what that must have been like for the guy in the audience who'd never heard of Ali G--how Fellini-esque that moment must have been? I mean, you're graduating from Harvard. You expect Maya Angelou to take the stage, or General Schwartzkopf, or Bill Gates. Somebody of that caliber. Instead, clad in a yellow jogging suit, gold chains, and a beanie, Ali G takes the stage and begins to talk about bitches and hoes. Maybe you've seen Malibu's Most Wanted. Maybe you haven't. In any case, you get the idea that this guy snuck in and that at any moment, one of these secret service guys will emerge to escort this protester from the grounds. But then...no one steps up. What's more, those around you are showing their approval of this wannabe gangsta. Your feminist friend laughs when he says that feminists in Brittain are called, "lezzes." You contemplate the dream like quality of this event. You may even look down to see if you have on any pants. Later, when you say, "who was that guy?" someone tells you that it was Ali G, that he has a show on HBO, that he's a comedian living the rewards of these fifteen minutes of fame. You wonder if this is some strange Harvard tradition. Did MC Hammer ever give a Harvard commencement address? Vanilla Ice? Dolph Lundgrin? You realize with some horror that the parting words your administrators felt would yield you wisdom and guidance as you take your place as part of the American power structure were, "black, white, brown or pakistani we all come from de same place - de punani." Flash in da pan. True dat.
It isn't that they essentially hired a stand up comedian to give the commencement address instead of someone, oh I don't know, inspirational that bothers me. And oh by the way, believe you me, I'm sure they would have had no problem getting anybody they wanted to give the commencement at Harvard. It isn't like they chose Ali G because there were no other takers. Kings, queens, presidents, Kennedys, poet laureates and nobel prize winners will drop whatever they are doing to give the speach. And it's not like they need another line on their C.V.. They do it because here is a chance to talk to the new power brokers of American politics, American economics, American publishing. Essentially the big whigs of America minus the techno people--they're over at M.I.T..
Okay, work with me. Imagine for a moment that you are giving the commencement speach. Your audience consists of: a future president of the united states, four future senators, Allen Greenspan's replacement, a future CEO of an advertising company responsible for 34% of the commercials that America will see in the next twenty years, the next head of B of A, a secretary of the Interior, an astronaught thrown in for good measure, a future CEO of GE, a future editor of the Wall Street Journal, a Chief of Staff, three state governors, sixteen heads of universitys (including Harvard), a supreme court judge, and numerous other power brokers. They are still young. Their potential is still unrealized. What do you say to them to send them off into the world?
You could make your speach about restoring honor to the oval office (it's had some pretty big hits in the last decade or so). You could make your speach about leading the world ethically into this new era of global politics. You could discuss the dangers of greed and arrogance (just as R.W.E. did those so many years ago). Of course, you could discuss hope. You could discuss the U.S.'s responsability on the global stage. You could urge that a panacea be given to waylay the fears of the world concerning the future.
In truth, you would not be talking to the wrong people, as happens far too often. You would be talking to the very people who could make a difference. The future leaders. The future market setters and policy makers. You would have them as your audience whether you wanted to talk social reform or geo-political-economic policy. In fact, you might feel that you had a duty to give your speach the necessary gravity due to a situation of this importance.
Well, Harvard went with Ali G instead. This is what bothers me. In actively avoiding an inspirational speaker, it's almost as if they believed that any attempt to inspire these leaders of tommorrow would be a waste of time and effort. Believe me people, the commencement speach at Harvard is a temperature gauge, and if Harvard believes that our leaders won't listen to words of gravity, won't suffer arguments concerning the future of our nation--if Harvard believes that the best thing we can do for the power elite who will guide our country is to keep them entertained by a clown, then we are in for some dire times indeed.
Peace, me out.
posted by Monstro D. Whale at
9:06 AM
1 Comments:
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan gave the Harvard Commencement Speech the day after Ali G gave a speech for Class Day, the difference being that Class Day is a lighthearted affair where comedians are usually hired to entertain the students. Of course, the real Commencement Speech is much more serious. Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) is actually an Orthodox Jew from the UK who graduated with a history degree from Cambridge University. Ali G is just an alter ego of Cohen.
Your well written blog does not make sense anymore.
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