Luvvy Hype

Sir Patrick Stewart, the celebrated British actor of stage and screen, died on Wednesday at the age of 86. The news made the banner headline on the BBC, and was followed by the usual litany of overstated plaudits. One of them said that 'the world will be very much poorer' for his loss.

I will be the first to admit that Patrick Stewart was an exceptionally accomplished actor, but lots of people are exceptionally accomplished in their chosen fields and professions. So might I ask: 'In what way, exactly, will the world be 'very much poorer?' 

 

I accept that drama is an important part  of the culture because it presents aspects of life and the human condition which many of us would otherwise miss, but we shouldn't forget that the true drivers of drama are the writers. Actors and directors are interpreters, some of whom do a better job than others, but they still come a poor second in the field of influence. I'm reminded of the actor who said in a TV interview that there's no bigger adrenalin rush than appearing on live television. Oh no? Not standing in front of the tanks in Tienanmen Square, or being shipwrecked in a shark-infested sea?

And I think of people like Jane Goodall who gave their lives to work in difficult situations in the cause of helping humans understand animals better. And, of course, professionals working -- often risking their health or very lives -- trying to relieve the suffering of poor people in war and plague zones. The world would certainly be poorer without them. Good actors are simply doing a job to a high level working in safe and lucrative environments. So why should the world be so much poorer for their loss than a world deprived of a good doctor, social worker, or airline pilot?

And so I say to Sir Patrick: 'You were very good at your job. Congratulations on being granted a long life. Good luck in the undiscovered country.'

Having read and been irritated by the above, I switched to World News seeking to know the latest situation in the Israeli election, an internationally significant event involving the potential for much forced upheaval and suffering. I found nothing.