Have you ever had to let go of your idol because of their political opinions? Throughout the ongoing circus on Twitter regarding the farmer’s protest I encountered a whole lot of people who were very sad to see their idols or people they look up to fall on the opposite side of the spectrum. I saw people falling out of love with cricketers they once admired. Look at the tweets below.
While it could feel like a stab in the back, it is only because you have let it become one. We must admire cricketers for their cricketing prowess, actors for their acting and politicians for their policies. In a culture that makes gods out of everything, we have overdone our fondness for skilful individuals. We love cricketers for their looks, actors for their bad behaviours and politicians for their chest sizes. We put these guys on such high pedestals that only gods could manage, and these guys are no gods. These are mere mortals who are good at one thing and monetize their fame for the most part.
Sachin Tendulkar has no knowledge of farmers in this country. He has never been in a field, has never had problems with inflation, has never slept without food. He does not know the plight fo a common man. It’s not that he hasn’t had the opportunity to understand the common Indian man either. He is a nominated MP in the Rajya Sabha but hardly ever does his job. He has been among the most absent of the MP since 2012. He has never taken part in any debate in the Rajya Sabha in his 6-year tenure as an MP and had an attendance of just 8%. It is foolish to be bothered by the opinions of people like these who hardly have any knowledge of the average Indian family.
This does not however mean that you cannot love Sachin Tendulkar or Salman Khan. You absolutely can, but only for their batting and acting, because that’s what they’re good in. Sachin having a different opinion on the farmer’s protest does not erase the moments of joy he has given me throughout my childhood. I understand that the celebrities that I like could have less knowledge of certain issues than me. This saves me from a potential heartbreak when I see their poor take on some average guy issues. I do not put them on such high pedestal that they are eventually going to fall down from. Has worked so far for me!
