Skip The Line

 Recently Meghan McCain was trending on Twitter and taking some backlash over comments on The View. While speaking about Dr. Fauci and why she thought it was time for him to move on and let other experts take over, she said: "The fact that I, Meghan McCain, co-host of 'The View', don't know when or how I will be able to get a vaccine because the rollout for my age range and my health is so nebulous, I have no idea when and how I get it".  Does that sound privileged to you?

  Full disclosure I am a huge fan of The View. I've watched it since day one. While I'm not a fan of Ms. McCain's opinions, I understand her role at the table. I believe she could get her point of view across without the nastiness she at times displays and the attacks on both her coworkers and guests are unprofessional at best. Not to mention hard to watch. She does show us how conservatives look at certain issues which we might not otherwise know. 

  All that being said...would she be a part of this highly-rated show if her father wasn't a much-beloved war hero? Or her words anger so many on social media? Of course not. But like so many other "famous" children she is successful because of her parentage. Let's face it, Jane Doe with a journalism degree would not be given an interview for that position let alone one in art history. Meghan got it for the same reason she got a book deal and a contributing writer gig...her last name.

  While she is the focus of the moment, she is not alone. Think Kardashian, Smith, McCartney, Jagger. The list is long. Individuals who have almost instant success in industries where that rarely happens. Does David Beckham's son have what it takes to be a model? Yes but so do hundreds of thousands of other 21-year-olds. They don't have the name recognition though. Or the contacts. Hence his success.

  Success on the coattails of your parents seems to be the norm for many "celebrity kids". They are willing to accept every benefit yet claim the success as their own. Perhaps I'm a little jealous as we have no benefits to endow on our children. My kids will succeed on their own merits which will give them a great sense of accomplishment. As a parent, I wish I could give them a hand up...even if they don't know it. 

  But back to Meghan McCain. Her comments were a great example of both white privilege and elitism. Why would it matter who she was or the fact she worked on a tv show when it comes to pandemic vaccinations? If you grew up rich and spend your days giving your opinions for the world to hear maybe you think you can skip the line. Even though she said she doesn't, it certainly seems like it. 

  No one is entitled to success. Or a vaccine. No matter what our job is or who our parents are. Now if we could just get politicians and celebrities to understand that. 

  Ang