Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Sexy Sadie in the land of denial
Legend has it the song “Sexy Sadie” was written as a response to what the Beatles experienced while getting Zenny with their one-time guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Accusations of sexual indiscretion led to John Lennon and George Harrison dismissing the Maharishi as a fraud. Subsequently, Lennon wrote “Sexy Sadie,” originally called, “Maharishi, Maharishi What Have You Done.” Harrison, so the story goes, convinced Lennon to change the title...and years later, there is still much dispute over the veracity of the Beatles’ charges against Maharishi.
The tragic human need for a guru did not diminish after the Beatles’ dalliance or the release of “Sexy Sadie.” Today, in fact, guru-mania has reached epidemic proportions. Check out the “self-help” section in any bookstore if you don’t believe me.
How privileged are we? How self-centered is the American consumer? The world’s 587 billionaires are worth $1.9 trillion--a total higher than the gross domestic product of the 170 poorest countries combined--yet our bookshelves are creaking under the weight of innumerable books about selfishly dwelling in denial: if we all simply stayed positive...everything would be fine.
Tell it to the little Thai girl...sold into slavery by her own dirt-poor parents so they could afford a television. Their flesh and blood raped and beaten into a life of heroin addiction and prostitution for Japanese and Western tourists...until she is diagnosed as HIV-positive, gets kicked out of the brothel, and dies on the streets.
If we were to believe the meditation mafia...all that poor misguided Thai girl needed was a positive attitude. Maybe if she just read Anthony Robbins or went to Madonna’s Kabbalah class, she’d also be able to connect with her inner child and develop enough self-esteem to sign a petition to free Tibet on her way to Pilates class in the goddamned West Village.
Self-help authors are raking in millions by capitalizing on capitalism’s consequences while every two seconds, a child starves to death somewhere on Planet Earth. When all is said and done...I’ll take Tupac over Deepak any day of the week.
Copyright © 2005-2007 Mickey Z.
