I was having a discussion with my boss regarding this Good Morning America interview. She says she agrees that no job is more important than any other. I halfway agree.
My boss says that all jobs are needed - therefore, there shouldn't be a reason to look down on any job. Yet, though she and Geoffrey feel we shouldn't covet jobs that pay more and look better on resumes, those jobs are better jobs to have. They move you further in life instead of keeping you stagnant. The man shouldn't have been shamed into quitting a job just because he used to be famous. We all have to pay bills. However, it's remarkable how this once famous guy was working a dead end job.
So then my boss says, "Let's say you need heart surgery. And you have a surgeon and the President of the United States to choose from to do the surgery. These jobs are both needed and they are both important. Therefore they are equal."
I know she was using this example to show me that I shouldn't look up to prestigious jobs because they are also needed positions, but I feel there's a reason experience and niche expertise is a thing. Yeah, the president is an important and coveted job, but he can't fix some random person heart.
Then there's Tyler Perry swooping in to save the day. Obviously, I'm not the only person who agrees that it was sad the former star was working a job like that. We don't see Lance Bass from NSYNC working in fast food, do we? Once you're in, you tend to stay there. So Mr. Perry is helping him do that.
Now, I'm ALL for Blacks helping other Blacks by paying it forward. But is Tyler Perry's generosity coming from understanding or pity? Does he also feel that Mr. Owen's had a socially debilitating job so he decided to offer him an upgrade? Or was he simply paying it forward and not worrying about being the hero?
The backlash Mr. Owens received after those photos surfaced was disappointing. Even outside the limelight, his life was open interpretation to the masses.
And why could Tyler Perry not offer positions to the public? Isn't that how extras are discovered anyways? Is Geoffrey even qualified to help him run OWN's number one drama? If he was so moved by Mr. Owen's story, did he really need to make his offer public? He could've just sent Mr. Owens an email or called him. Did he have to let the world know he was trying to save the day or was he using his national platform as a way to tell people that he respects those that work civilian jobs in between acting gigs? I feel like Tyler Perry's effort raised more questions than solved anything. The way he went about his chivalry signals that he may agree that a star should stay in the limelight.
In his interview, Mr. Owen talks about how wary he is taking jobs now. He wants to get a job that he's qualified to do; not just handed a job because he used to be famous or because of this scandal. So who's to say that Tyler Perry's offer will even be acknowledged?
So how did my boss and I end up concluding this debate? We each took a different stance. She feels that Mr. Owen's is right and all jobs are equal and valid because all jobs are needed. I feel I'd rather have a job as a CEO than as a lowly STNA. I feel the reaction of the public to be no surprise. She's indifferent to that opinion.
No matter what though, I honestly do wish Mr. Geoffrey Owens much luck getting back on his feet after this debacle. I'm sorry this embarrassment happened to him.
