So you want to be an influencer
It was Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point, who made the Yiddish word, maven, synonymous with experts, trend setters, and social influencers. Maven first entered our vernacular in the 1960’s via a radio advertisement. Upon the recommendation of the Vita Herring maven, people fled to their local delicatessens, “Tell them the beloved Maven sent you. It won’t save you any money: but you’ll get the best herring.” But one does not have to be Jewish to be a maven.
Authorities. connoisseurs, or k’nockers- also Yiddish- come and go. In the 1980’s it was Juan Valdez, the guy from the coffee commercial who became a household word. The world believed that only Alexa Hente himself could determine the authenticity of 100% Columbian coffee. El Exigente, the demanding one, his face and his donkey set the coffee gold standard. Or, remember how we held our breaths when Mikey’s brothers waited for three-year old Mikey, an Alexa Hente in his own right, to give his seal of approval for Life cereal. Everyone is a maven!
Mavens are the gold standard for information and knowledge. Once reserved for legitimate or self-proclaimed experts, the term is embedded in every aspect of our culture- names of software applications, company names for car sharing, healthcare, fashion, event planning, cannabis, or specialty deli sandwiches. Even a well-known comedian gave his daughter a head start and credibility when he named her Maven. But if one is a maven in one’s own mind, he must be prepared for sarcasm- What makes him a maven?
Once mavens, now social influencers, bloggers, celebrities, and entrepreneurs promote products and attract followers. Followers of top celebrity influencers in music, sports, fashion, food, and film, range from tens of millions to hundreds of millions. Since forty-five percent of the world uses social media, many influencers find their homes on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The calculus is simple- a famous name, photos or video-posts of products, and clicks on links, lead to enormous amounts of moolah. There is no shortage of reality influencers or followers.
Washington, DC is home to all kinds of influencers-lawmakers and lawbreakers. It is the intersection where courageous and spineless influencers meet. Some legislators represent the positive initiatives of the American experiment. They believe in the Constitution and their duty to serve every member of our diverse population. Science, healthcare, the environment, and children and parents together matter. The press is not our enemy. And COVID-19 is not a hoax.
Sadly, some of our lawmakers have lost their way. Short memories, hubris, and the need for power interfere with clear thinking. How quickly they forget- the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her staff. Or the shooting at an annual Congressional charity baseball game that led to the wounding of five representatives.
The oath all representatives take to support and defend the Constitution against foreign and domestic enemies is merely lip service for some. Ambition gives oxygen to lies, alternative facts, conspiracy theories, a stolen election, and delegitimating African Americans. Others choose to lead with a raised clenched fist taking followers down dark paths to insurrection and the invasion of the Capitol. We should not need razor wire, fencing, or troops to protect our democracy.
Many are the same pack of conspirators who refuse to wear masks, pass through metal detectors, or who want to carry guns onto the House floor. Representatives should not fear inherent threats and violence from colleagues under their own dome.
We mere mortals empty our pockets, take off our shoes at airports, or upon entering local courthouses. We isolate at home, do not socialize, and wear masks when we need to venture out. There are two sets of laws for those who make them and those who are expected to follow them. And for some, rules do not apply.
Perhaps the influencer who spread the most disinformation of all time was the twice impeached, almost ex-president. Finally, when online social media platforms such as Twitter dumped, suspended, and banned him and his allies from promoting election fraud, conversations containing misinformation dropped by seventy-three percent. Cyberspace feels fresher already!
Some of us have had enough being told what is cool, hot, in, out, right or wrong, It is time to rely on our inner voices, common sense, and self-agency. If we trust ourselves, our thoughts and beliefs, we might be our own best influencers. As Bob Dylan said, “if you trust yourself, you won’t be disappointed when vain people let you down.”
Influencers is not a new concept. According to Jewish mystical tradition, thirty-six righteous, unselfish, men have been walking the earth for thousands of years. Unnamed, unknown to themselves, one another, or to the world, they serve as protectors of good, preserving the world from ultimate doom. They must be exhausted by now!
It is time to update their profiles and recruit new candidates. Imagine the power of a multi-religious, cultural, racial, generational, and gender neutral caucus. Still maintaining their anonymity, the masked, physically distanced group might work together to create a plot to save America. The possibilities are endless!
