When I read the two rec list diaries complainting about what Susan Sarandon said on “All In with Chris Hayes” the other night, I couldn’t help but remember author Neil Gaiman’s post Entitlement issues…. Neil replied to a fan named Garth’s complaint that Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin had let him down by doing something other than working on his latest Song of Fire and Ice novel. Neil responded:
Yes, it's unrealistic of you to think George is "letting you down".
Look, this may not be palatable, Gareth, and I keep trying to come up with a better way to put it, but the simplicity of things, at least from my perspective is this:
George R.R. Martin is not your bitch.
This is a useful thing to know, perhaps a useful thing to point out when you find yourself thinking that possibly George is, indeed, your bitch, and should be out there typing what you want to read right now.
People are not machines. Writers and artists aren't machines. -
And Gareth, in the future, when you see other people complaining that George R.R. Martin has been spotted doing something other than writing the book they are waiting for, explain to them, more politely than I did the first time, the simple and unanswerable truth: George R. R. Martin is not working for you.
Hope that helps.
-See more at: journal.neilgaiman.com/...
In response to those two diaries, let me repeat what Neil said: Susan Sarandon is not your bitch. She gets to decide who she is going to vote for when the time comes. She isn’t some sort of “privilged fool.” The only self entitled folks I see are the ones complainting that an artist disagreed with them and dared to say the following:
HAYES: You just said on the right side of history, which is interesting to me. I think in certain quarters there`s growing concern that the folks that are into Bernie Sanders have come to despise Hillary Clinton or reject Hillary Clinton and that should she be the nominee, which is as yet undetermined, they will walk away.
SARANDON: That`s been a legitimate concern, because they`ve very passionate and very principled. And…
HAYES: But isn`t that crazy? If you believe in what he believes in.
SARANDON: Yeah, but she doesn`t. She`s accepted money for all of those people. She doesn`t want to fight for a $15 minimum wage. So, these are people that have not come out before. So, why would we think they would come out for her.
HAYES: You really that?
SARANDON: I think there`s a good possibility. I talk to people who either want to write – I talk to Republicans who have written him in already. And they just feel like she`s not authentic. That she`s a liar. That they don`t trust her so what difference does it make.
You know, if you`re a small farmer and you`re worried about fracking on your property. In Idaho they just passed a bill where they can frack on private land, and you know that she`s taken money from fracking, why would you think that that`s – she`s going to have your back?
HAYES: Well, because they make the argument that there are all kinds of politicians, Barack Obama is the one that Hillary Clinton cites all the time, who have done things to effectively reign in industries, or reform industries, that they have taken money from.
SARANDON: I`d like to see that…
HAYES: You don`t buy it at all.
SARANDON: No, I don`t buy it all, because she`s been selling fracking all over the world. There`s her talking about Monsanto and how clean not talking about Roundup or what they put in it or what it`s done to our economy. and they know that jobs are going out, you know, Bernie doesn`t - voted against NAFTA, you know, TPP, you know all these things coming up that know effect their jobs. And she`s not on the right side of that. She hasn`t voted right.
So, what would you make think that once she gets in she is going to suddenly go against the people that have given her millions and millions of dollars. I think that`s being incredibly naive and ecotistical to think suddenly she`s going to see the right, you know.
HAYES: Right, but isn`t the question always in an election about choices, right. I mean, I think a lot of people think to themselves well if it`s Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and I think Bernie Sanders probably would think this…
SARANDON: I think Bernie probably would encourage people because he doesn`t have any ego. I think a lot of people are sorry, I can`t bring myself to do that.
HAYES: How about you personally?
SARANDON: I don`t know. I`m going to see what happens.
HAYES: Really?
SARANDON: Really.
People want to think Sanders and Clinton are 99.99% the same? Fine. People want to ignore polls showing 33% of Sanders Supporters Will Not Vote for Clinton If She Wins Nomination? Go ahead. stick your head in the sand. That’s your right.
But don’t start shitting on artists who fail to march lock step with you in supporting your chosen candidate. Susan Sarandon isn’t your bitch. She isn’t working for you. She isn’t required to take a public oath of fealty to Hillary Clinton, on March 27, just to please you. Get over yourself.