Honestly, I had never even heard of Jussie Smollett before this story went down. Maybe that's because I've never watched an episode of "Empire". But Smollett has definitely made a name for himself now. They say that any publicity is good publicity. But the jury's still out on that one. Smollett, who is now charged with felony disorderly conduct, will have to do some serious spinning to come out of this one looking good.
Even with these latest developments, many on the left will still defend Smollett. I expect to hear how he fabricated his story to expose a bigger problem in our society. Many will view him as "sacrificing everything" for his cause (By the way, remember when Colin Kaepernick sacrificed "everything". That was, of course, before he got a reported $60 million pay-out from the NFL). This is just another example of how the political gears of our society turn. If it's your guy or your cause, the end ultimately justifies the means. In layman terms, this is known as throwing a bunch of shit against the wall to see what sticks.
What I find most ironic about Smollett's stunt is that is was intended to paint Trump supporters as racists and himself as the victim. But in reality, he screwed the pooch in more ways than one. First off, Trump is always reminding us of the "fake news". Well, Smollet just gift wrapped a perfect example for him. Before the media investigated anything, they immediately ran with their predictable narrative. It's similar to the way they pick and choose which cop-shooting stories to run. Secondly, if one has to actively seek out and fabricate a "hate-crime", is racism really as bad as the media wants us to believe? Was oppression so bad for Smollett that he had to hire two Nigerians to "oppress" him?
I am certainly not saying that racism does not exist. It does. And it's wrong. However, making up a story as Smollett did, serves no useful purpose in resolving anything. It only serves to set things back even further. As a result. Smollett's antics will now cast inevitable skepticism on any future "hate crimes". In essence, he sabotaged his own cause.
This whole thing was a powder keg that had the potential to explode at any moment. People could have gotten hurt or even killed over an incident that never actually happened. And for what? Apparently, Smollett was unhappy with the salary he was receiving as an actor on "Empire". So. he recklessly tried to fuel racial tensions in a lame attempt to boost his career. As a result, he is now facing three years in jail. Probably not the best move for career advancement.
A few additional things to note....
A year or so ago, Rosanne Barr was forced off of her show for an alleged racist tweet she made. Not only did Rosanne create the show, but it also happened to be the hottest show on TV at the time. So, she obviously paid a hefty price for her actions. So, will Smollett's racially motivated actions be as damaging to him?
Smollett's legal team recently said their client deserves the presumption of innocence. Fair enough. But it wasn't that long ago, according to reports, that Smollett had commented on how then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should not be granted presumption of innocence on charges of sexual misconduct. I guess things are different when the shoe is on the left foot?
If this incident was indeed staged, can Smollett himself be charged with a self-inflicted hate crime? Inquiring minds want to know...
The premeditation of this whole incident is what's most compelling to me. Knowing that the media salivates over stories like this, Smollett fed the beast and they ate it up. Thinking that he could actually get away with it seems kind of ludicrous at this point. But nice try....
kw
This whole thing was a powder keg that had the potential to explode at any moment. People could have gotten hurt or even killed over an incident that never actually happened. And for what? Apparently, Smollett was unhappy with the salary he was receiving as an actor on "Empire". So. he recklessly tried to fuel racial tensions in a lame attempt to boost his career. As a result, he is now facing three years in jail. Probably not the best move for career advancement.
A few additional things to note....
A year or so ago, Rosanne Barr was forced off of her show for an alleged racist tweet she made. Not only did Rosanne create the show, but it also happened to be the hottest show on TV at the time. So, she obviously paid a hefty price for her actions. So, will Smollett's racially motivated actions be as damaging to him?
Smollett's legal team recently said their client deserves the presumption of innocence. Fair enough. But it wasn't that long ago, according to reports, that Smollett had commented on how then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should not be granted presumption of innocence on charges of sexual misconduct. I guess things are different when the shoe is on the left foot?
If this incident was indeed staged, can Smollett himself be charged with a self-inflicted hate crime? Inquiring minds want to know...
The premeditation of this whole incident is what's most compelling to me. Knowing that the media salivates over stories like this, Smollett fed the beast and they ate it up. Thinking that he could actually get away with it seems kind of ludicrous at this point. But nice try....
kw
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