I discovered the popular singer Lizzo about a week ago – after my man had gone to bed at 9 p.m., better known as Florida’s midnight.
Her concert was headlining HBO Max, and I was looking for a break from our marathon watching of Yellowstone and the incredibly sexy character Rip. Also, my man would be upset if I watched an episode without him. We were late to the Yellowstone game but are big fans. Big fans.
Back to Lizzo. I have to admit I liked her from the start. What glam. What guts. And her female dancers – awesome!
I wasn’t crazy about some of the language. Forty years ago, when I was a reporter on deadline, I used the F-word with abandon. When my three stepchildren, ages 8, 5 and 3 moved in with us, I cleaned up my act.
My adult stepchildren have been known to – as we used to say — swear like sailors. But I have tried to remain demur in my use of language. Especially since my man, who is delightfully old-fashioned, gets offended when I toss around four-letter words.
But Lizzo’s language that night didn’t bother me that much, because I liked her comments about strong women and her take-charge attitude.
The next day I checked. My granddaughter and her mother also like Lizzo. Oh my gosh, I was back with the “in” crowd. Though probably not for long.
Today, when I read an article about Lizzo, I had to chuckle. She was complaining about how cancel culture has been appropriated from people who have a right to complain by people who don’t.
Ain’t that the truth, sister.
The number of whiners out there has grown exponentially over the last several years. It feels like you can’t say anything without offending someone. People who have serious gripes don’t stand a chance among all the self-righteous chatter.
Recently, I submitted my latest book, Deadly Winds, to a well-known review company who charges you to have a stranger critique your baby. Obviously, I thought my book was good but wasn’t particularly counting on a favorable or unfavorable review. I honestly wanted to know what a non-biased reviewer thought.
I’m feeling now that non-biased might be a problem in this review company where everyone lists their pronouns in their emails. I’m okay with them listing and sharing their pronouns; it just tells me something about how they think. In this case, not like me.
In my book, one of the central characters is an older millennial, who professes to be a vegan but eats chicken, lives off his daddy’s resources and is on the lam from Panama after two people involved in an ayahuasca ceremony he conducted are found dead.
Apparently, my characterization struck a nerve with the reviewer. He or she, not sure which, said my younger characters must have been included “so that the older characters can criticize ‘needy’ vegan millennials who don’t go to church.” Ouch!
Trust me, there are plenty of grumpy older folks, including church-goers, in Deadly Winds who can be criticized for all sorts of reasons. They were largely ignored by what appears to be an offended vegan millennial reviewer. Hey, it’s just a book.
Should I mention that the reviewer referred to my attractive 65-year-old murder victim as “elderly.” Never ever did I call her elderly. In fact, before her untimely death she was involved in a sexual relationship with a construction worker 10 years her junior. You go girl.
I thought about being offended for being “cancelled.” Instead, I’m going to view this review thing as a learning experience and listen to Lizzo.