I met Will Smith once … sort of; depending on your definition of “met.” It was at the 2010 TED conference and I saw him glide through the door on a wave of fawning humans that seemed to swirl around him at waist-height, two or three layers thick. He was perfect: smooth skin, brilliant smile, and he shone, he sparkled like a
Marian, yours is a very wise and forgiving take. Will, like all of us, is flawed. But he has been buoyed by overwhelming success and fame, which has to warp one’s mind and any recognition of your actual place in the world. He reacted on impulse. A misguided, immature, unnatural impulse. It was perverse and unbalanced.
WIll Smith is untethered from what most of us would call reality and any understanding of a humble place in that reality. His Oscar speech was an attempt to explain away his detachment. But he nakedly revealed how little he understands. Fame is a drug and its side effects are a grave loss of self and perspective. I’m uncertain there is a path to recovery from that.
Thank you. And you know what? I’ve had a very small taste of “fame” in a much smaller arena than Will Smith’s, but I was *shocked* by how quickly it went to my head, and very aware how it could take over completely. Fortunately, sadly, my star faded and I returned to being a normal person quite quickly.
Compelling insights, Marian!
Really interesting take that I haven't read anywhere else.
Marian, yours is a very wise and forgiving take. Will, like all of us, is flawed. But he has been buoyed by overwhelming success and fame, which has to warp one’s mind and any recognition of your actual place in the world. He reacted on impulse. A misguided, immature, unnatural impulse. It was perverse and unbalanced.
WIll Smith is untethered from what most of us would call reality and any understanding of a humble place in that reality. His Oscar speech was an attempt to explain away his detachment. But he nakedly revealed how little he understands. Fame is a drug and its side effects are a grave loss of self and perspective. I’m uncertain there is a path to recovery from that.
Thank you. And you know what? I’ve had a very small taste of “fame” in a much smaller arena than Will Smith’s, but I was *shocked* by how quickly it went to my head, and very aware how it could take over completely. Fortunately, sadly, my star faded and I returned to being a normal person quite quickly.
Me and my buddy Mark Kingsley (and many others who practice what we do) still think of you as a star. Albeit the humble, non-blinding sort.