The Sycophant Rant

Or "When bad things DON'T happen to bad people."



Los Angeles is like the worst parents anyone ever had; Hollywood, West Hollywood and North Hollywood are like spoiled latch-key brats constantly vying for whatever attention they can get. Living in Los Angeles, it's impossible not to witness sycophants in action on a daily basis. The definition of Sycophant is: "a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite." Usually, a person is a sycophant because they believe it will serve as a stepping stone to their ultimate goal; stardom, riches, power or love. In most cases, the sycophant identifies a person who has obtained a level of one of the aforementioned desirables which the individual is jealous of and would like to claim for themselves. They believe that by associating with (a.k.a. licking the ass of) such a person, they will somehow by osmosis inherit some of that person's wealth. To break it down, I'll give an example.

A person wants to be a "superstar DJ." He identifies an individual who is considered to be a "superstar DJ." The person latches himself onto the Superstar, serving as a gopher/yes-man/ass-wiper and voila: months later he is a Superstar in his own right.

Of course, we know it is not usually this easy. Often the Superstar already has scores of Sycophants surrounding him/her. Some of these sycophants have been there for years, bending over backwards, carrying equipment, assisting with administrative tasks, et cetera. Sometimes the Superstar is wise to the ways of the sycophant and casually brushes them aside, as if swatting at a fly.

The sick relationship that exists between a successful sycophant (and I hate to even use that term) and the Superstar thrives when the Superstar craves the attention, flattery, and leg-work provided by the sycophant. It validates their existence.

In a city like LA where a disproportionately high number of citizens are vying for superstardom rather than fandom, perhaps the most disheartening aspect of actually trying to achieve your goals of being successful in the entertainment industry and/or the art world, is when these sycophants seem to coast by, latching onto one successful person after another, with little to no consequence. The dastardly deeds committed along the way (stepping on people, starting rumors about those who are perceived as "competitors", lying to make oneself appear better, and so on) rarely come back to bite the ass of the sycophant. Dirty deeds are doled out, but retribution is rarely rendered. As a result, those do-gooders who have been stepped on, lied to, and pushed down by the sycophants often throw up the towel, lock the door to their conscience (often by means of alcohol, drugs, denial and delusion) and let the ass-licking begin!

To make a long story short, it sucks when bad things don't happen to bad people. Too often, this is true, and on seemingly rare occasions when these sycophants get their just deserts, it's often the proverbial slap on the wrist.

All I can do is know that even if there is no divine payback, where those who have sinned and cheated must pay for their mistakes, and those of us who took the hard way are rewarded for our integrity, that this is the way I chose to live. One definition of Integrity is: "the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished" and that is something I'd much rather be, than "a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite." Call me old-fashioned...