I, like many of us, made the obligatory trip to the cinema to see “Wicked” in early December 2024. It did not disappoint. All of the hype was spot on, and I found myself singing silently to myself many of the musical numbers. I had seen the Broadway musical twice and found that my enjoyment increased with each exposure.
Elphaba and Glinda in WICKED
Yet, there was one number that I found myself very uncomfortable with. “What is this Feeling?” is sung by Glinda and Elphaba about their respective new roommates, Elphaba and Glinda. While it was meant to be a light ditty about their rooming situation, I found it problematic that I was caught up in music that emphasized loathing about someone that was different. “I felt the moment/ I laid my eyes on you/ my pulse is rushing/ my head is reeling/ my face is flushing/ What is this feeling?/ fervid as a flame/ does it have a name?/ Yes!/ Loathing/ unadulterated loathing/ for your face/ your voice/ your clothing/ let’s just say I loathe it all!”
It is so easy to loathe someone or something.1,2 It leads so seamlessly to the next level – “There’s a strange exhilaration/ in such total detestation/ so pure, so strong!/ so strong!/ though I do admit it came on so fast/ still I do believe that it can last all/ and I will be loathing/ for, forever loathing/ truly, deeply loathing you loathing you/ my whole life long!” The process can start innocently but soon cascades into a full-blown process that turns people against others in a mindless exchange of epithets and often threats.
As I noted in the previous posts, the toxicity of hate can be so pervasive. A simple “I hate this or that” releases more venom that is not easily modulated or even slightly controlled. It becomes a visceral response that cannot be tamped down. Violence can easily follow, and our all-too-ubiquitous presence of guns makes deadly consequences too common.
Why do I bring up this topic? In my three-quarters of a century here on the planet, I have never experienced the corrosive divisiveness of today in America. Granted, I have not experienced the persecution of a non-white ethnicity, but I have seen it and seen the ravages of it in my lifetime. Some current manifestations include –
- The loathing of being woke. Defined as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them,” I find it hard to argue against being woke and trying to be aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, including racial and social justice.3 It is a pernicious idea to argue that being woke is trying to heap guilt on folks for something that their ancestors did. Quite the contrary, to ignore history and not seek to better the lives of all of our fellow citizens is to live a life contrary to the spirit of a democracy.
- The demonization of folks seeking a better life (referring to them as scum or similar vile terms) denies our common humanity and mimics past scourges. The rounding up of Native Americans during our “development” of the West, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany all point to the harm of loathing others.3 It becomes “a strange exhilaration to have such total detestation” to cite the lyrics above. The separation of children (as pawns in this disgusting process) becomes acceptable to some since they buy into the idea that these immigrants are less than human, and their families do not matter.
- The demonization of people with alternate lifestyles allows for loathing and outright violence. One need only remember the tragic life of Matthew Shepard as an example.4 Additionally, the use of transgender issues as a polarizing political rallying cry in 2024 was a purposeful use of loathing to incite the passions of some folks.
I have had some discussions with folks recently that accuse me of intolerance for the incoming administration. My intolerance is aimed at the methods of promoting their agenda. I would argue that fear and loathing were at the heart of the 2024 presidential campaign, just like they were for the 2016 presidential campaign. This is the same person that refused to conduct a peaceful transfer of power in 2021. I distinctly remember this person promoting the outright lie that Barack Obama was not a US citizen and often referred to his middle name (Hussein) to invoke fear. Using fear, loathing and lies to advance one’s political fortunes is antithetical to a free and pluralistic society.5
Serious disagreements are a strength in our society, but those disagreements leading to loathing (“forever loathing [unadulterated loathing] my whole life long”) will only erode our bonds not solidify them. Loathing seems to work to get the passions of folks aroused enough to vote or be incited to act in a way that goes against the spirit of a society that seeks to improve their lives, the lives of their families and the life of their communities. And loathing is easily passed from generation to generation when it is so freely expressed.
We have to resist such an insidious negative influence. Let’s be willing to recognize what we do well and where we need to improve. Only then can we truly live out the American Dream.
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/the-toxicity-of-hate/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/fueled-by-hate-the-list-goes-on-and-on/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/woke-im-in/
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/caste-inaction-is-action-part-ii/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/the-cost-of-lies-2/