Beyoncé singing:
“Baby boy, not a day goes by
Without my fantasies
I think about you all the time
I see you in my dreams,”
Yup. That was sixteen years ago.
Men in Black 2, Two Weeks Notice, The Hot Chick, Mr. Deeds – these movies were SIXTEEN YEARS AGO. In 2002: there was no Taylor Swift, and there was no Grey’s Anatomy (and we’re at season 14).
2002 was 16 years ago. Back in 2002, the oldest 90’s baby was only hitting puberty. Today, they’re 28 years old. You were 29 in 2002? Ag shame, tannie.
If you don’t remember 2002, don’t worry you weren’t drunk, George W. Bush was. It makes sense. (According to theguardian.com, Bush caused more harm to America, than Trump. But you can be the judge of that.) P!nk, real name Alecia Beth Moore, wrote a song for Bush… called Dear Mr. President – I still think it’s relevant today. It’s not just for Bush. It’s for a specific president out there… and other people too.
Lyrics:
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me
Let’s pretend we’re just two people
And you’re not better than me
I’d like to ask you some questions
If we can speak honestly
What do you feel when you see
All the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night
Before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
And tell me why?
Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say, no child is left behind?
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind
They’re all sitting in your Selves
When you pave the road to hell
What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
What kind of father might hate his own daugther if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way, from whiskey and cocaine
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
Let me tell you about hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you about hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you about hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you about hard work
Hard work, hard work, you don’t know nothing about hard work
Hard work, hard work
How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You’ll never take a walk with me…
Songwriters: Alecia Moore / Billy Mann
Dear Mr. President lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
In case you have forgotten the good things in life, here: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the movie, was released in 2002. The tracks: ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem, and ‘Complicated’ by Avril Lavigne was released in 2002. OH MY GAS, WE SO OLD. My brother was born in 2002, he’s turning 16 next month. Ima go jump off a cliff hanger, fanks.
An article published by timesofindia.com, in 2002, shared some info behind newspapers. Back then, and proceeding many years prior, the newspaper was of great importance. Pretty much like a cellphone today. Today, we are on our phones in a doctor’s waiting room to distract ourselves from awkward eye contact with strangers. Over a decade ago, yes more than a decade, people were reading newspapers in waiting rooms.
So accordingly, here are seven reasons why people read the newspaper:
《》To relax from routine.
《》 Entertainment. Even though DStv was launched in 1995, it wasn’t as a threat to newspapers the way digital media is. Currently, the digital way of things is a major threat to print media, forcing print media offices into smaller ones. And it just keeps going.
《》 Social status. It helped people appear more informed at social gatherings. It’s still relevant today, but how many of you actually read the newspaper?
《》 To feel assured of one‘s existence. Who needs existentialism? Just read the newspaper, bro. It’s got you covered.
《》 To pass time. It’s kind of funny if you think about it. We say time flies, but then there are times where time feels like it stopped, or slowed down. And that’s when we want it to fly. But a good way to get time out of the way, as I believe, is as follows: want time to fly? Read the newspaper. If your life is boring and you want to stop time and feel like you travelled? Read a book. Want time to slow down? Get detention. Want to kill off print media industry time? Get sucked into digital media news, that’s fine, we’re not hurt. *wipes tears with ‘job vacancy advertisement* Anyway – just want to take a break and get those stress levels in check? Take part in the ‘Do Not Laugh Challenge’ on facebook or YouTube. That saves you from unnecessary stress. Stress is like unwanted fat. A healthy diet is like deep breaths and positivity. Laughter is like exercise for that stress. I challenge you – do you accept?
Back to the list of reasons why people read the newspaper:
《》 To be part of a selective group. You can’t sit with us, if you don’t even know the front story of this week’s paper when it’s not even out yet. It’s like mean girls. And people want to fit in. It’s just one of those things.
《》 To avoid conversation. It’s like today, if I have my earphones in… do not talk to me. The same goes with the paper. Today, when we are in public all alone — we pretend we are texting someone to avoid looking like a loner… do you think 20+ years ago, the youth of then read the newspaper to look like the total opposite of a loner? I can just imagine: it’s 1996… you’re a 17 year old, you’re waiting for your dad to come pick you up, he told you to wait in front of mug and bean, in front of the mall entrance. Now what? People are staring. Probably talking about how lonely you look. It’s a good thing you shoved yesterday’s newspaper in your bag, you take it out and start reading it. Yes, perfect. I‘m not a loner – you think to yourself. I look smart, and I don‘t want to talk to anyone – so smart, you whisper to yourself and give yourself a rewarding smile. Hm, yes. High five to me.
Do you read the newspaper? Why, or why not? Let me know in the comment section! Or send me an e-mail: cadesiadebruyn@gmail.com
Thank you for reading.
It’s time to head back to 2018.
come back soo-
Ranting is a hobby right? 