In the latest chapter of the space race, Jeff Bezos launched his very own rocket, an impressive feat that had the media buzzing. The big news wasn’t just the rocket’s journey into the final frontier; instead, it was all about the first all-female crew on board. But wait—or rather, rocket “wait”—it turns out that these brilliant women weren’t actually in control of the spacecraft. They were considered more like galactic passengers while the men behind the curtain—the designers, funders, and pilots—steered the ship. The media, predictably, shone the spotlight on the female passengers, celebrating what seemed like a giant leap for womankind, without pausing to reflect on the true dynamics at play.
This isn’t a new act in the media circus. Time and time again, similar scenarios unfold where we’re reminded that progressives, while champions of women’s rights, have a peculiar talent for selective celebration. Take, for instance, that historic Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson. President Biden was clear: the seat was for a Black woman. Yet, had a Black trans man been in the running, it’s doubtful they would have been part of the same narrative. The criteria seemed strictly defined, until politics required a bit more flexibility.
Hypocrisy doesn’t stop at rocket launches or the Supreme Court. Remember the backlash over Jimmy Kimmel’s infamous blackface incident? The outrage was palpable. Yet somehow, the issue of racial representation is handled with a different lens when it concerns other comedians, leading to a discourse around selective morality. The same people, ready to pounce with pitchforks in one scenario, turn blissfully blind the next. It’s a juggling act of selective morality that could rival any circus performer.
What we’ve got here is a classic case of cognitive dissonance. When it suits their narrative, the agenda is pushed, and when it doesn’t—well, it’s hidden away faster than a magician’s rabbit. They celebrate and define what it means to be a woman when it’s convenient. But suddenly, the concept grows vague and elusive when it conflicts with other social issues they hold dear.
If Jeff Bezos had filled that spacecraft with trans men instead, there’s no chance it would have been hailed as an all-female flight. And yet, here we are, hurtling toward the future, still grappling with selectively applied definitions and media bias cloaked in progress. The takeaway? In the world of modern politics and media, context is king—but only when it suits the narrative.
