The Rembis Report and Other Fascinating Topics - Volume CXII

Do you remember your first croissant?

Neither do I, but I know I liked it enough to make me like croissants. Yet, I do remember the first time I fell in love with a croissant. It was at a sidewalk café in Cannes, France. It was perfect. I mean PERFECT!

The humble horn of butter pastry was an exponential delight with every bite. I loved it. And I assume it loved me back, so much that I had another immediately after. Then I went back to devour its brothers, sisters, and cousins over the next few days, never failing to stop for one as I walked past that bakery.

True French cuisine is a miracle unto itself. Unless you have experienced authentic French cooking, comprehension of it and understanding the subtle complexities makes for difficult discussion. Foods and recipes to be rivaled come from all over the world, and to each, their own. We all have our own tastes and favorites, but for me, these croissants were a cut above the rest because they embodied everything I sought in a true pastry. So, they remain unforgettable.

A really great croissant requires around 30% butter and 3 days to make. I have not tried to make my own croissants. I probably could. But I have not had the desire to put in the effort, so whatever I end up with would not be authentic. Better to support a local baker in need.

To be authentic, whether it is baking bread, weaving a basket, or sketching a portrait, the artist must feel what they want to accomplish as they do so. This is how great work develops. The artist must truly want their songs heard, their stories told, their sculptures gazed at. The extra effort in knowing that what you are doing is not only for you alone, but to share, makes all the difference in the quality of your product.

Philosophers have argued, and psychologists have been delving into psyches for centuries, to explain true authenticity, so I am not going to belabor much of what has already been said about it. Yet, it is important to know when what you see, hear, and experience is authentic. No, this is not another tale of artificial intelligence, but an observation of the real world and real people, and discerning truth from insincerity. As I have said before; you need to trust your gut.

You know when the person you are looking at is the real deal. Most of us can tell somebody who wants to help from somebody who just wants to take advantage, right off the bat. We gravitate toward the talented and repel the amateur. We eat everything put before us when a meal is delicious and leave food on our plates when it is not.

This column I deliver every week is always a surprise. I have things on my mind that I may like to deliver in the next few weeks, but I am not sure what I will write a month from now. I am not even certain of the big picture I am trying to convey, but in general, I feel like I usually get my point across. So, I feel authentic.

When I spot something else that I feel is exceptionally authentic (or a scam) I like to point it out. So, this week, I have set my sights on Taylor Swift.

Yup, that Taylor Swift. The Taylor Swift Scam.

What! Mike! You can’t be serious! She can’t be a scam! Say it ain’t so.

Settle down, Swiftie. There is no scam. That was a joke.

Mike, we don’t joke about Taylor! Not cool!

Duly noted. And indeed, I shall not again. Taylor Alison Swift is about the most authentic person on the planet right now. In a world where so much is about money, she defied those who sought to exploit her, and rakes in tons on her own. Her current Eras tour is expected to top revenues of $2.2 Billion when it is complete, and it may generate up to $5 Billion in economic impact. She is a cultural phenomenon who has become an economy unto herself.

The next highest grossing mega-star performer to top $800 million in a single tour was Elton John, when he recently bid us farewell from performing, but that took six years. Taylor Swift will do this in less than two.

Regardless of how much money she makes, what is important here is the example she sets with what she does with it. Taylor Swift is raising the bar of charity. She exemplifies the virtues of selflessness, care, and generosity to such a high degree, it may be impossible for anyone to top her.

But before we get into the giving, take a look at how she got it to begin with.

She earned it.

Taylor Swift is immensely talented. Since first hitting the scene in 2006 she has released 18 albums. Four of them were personal spins of previously released albums. When record moguls tried to pull a fast one and hold the rights to her original music, she didn’t change her name to an unpronounceable symbol, like Prince did, she got to work. No disrespect to Prince, he kept working, too, but Taylor took the corporate jackals to task and re-recorded her songs to sell on her own label, cutting them out of the equation entirely.

She writes her own songs, over 200 of them so far, which is a prolific accomplishment in itself. Her lyrics are studied as literature. She plays guitar and piano, and I’m not sure what other instruments, but you might have heard that she sings, too. Her beautiful voice and lyrics have earned her 11 Grammy awards. She has spent the last 49 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. 164 million people follow her on Instagram and 43 million subscribe to her YouTube channel, myself included. Oh, yes! I am a Swiftie, too!

Taylor has been packing stadiums since she was 19 years old and her shows include multiple costume changes, tons of dancers and back-up singers, elaborate stage work, last over three hours, and command some of the highest prices ever for a single performer, with secondary market tickets topping $13,000.

You might say to yourself, “Wow, she makes a lot of dough! Imagine how many croissants you could bake!” and you would be right, but with Taylor Swift, it is clearly not all about the bling. Not only is she talented, she has business savvy. The lady knows what she is doing. She can do anything she wants.

And what she does is beautiful. Taylor Swift gives back in a big way.

She gave huge bonuses to her production crew. Staggering, life changing amounts, totaling over $55 million. Not because she had to. Not for a tax break. Not under duress. Not as an influencer to make herself look good. She did this because she wanted to do a good thing that only she could do.

She loves to share and you can feel it. She radiates authenticity.

This is just the tip of the diamond. She loves performing, writing songs, meeting fans, and connecting with people, but she is not trying to buy anyone. You can tell. She is leading by example by doing things that anybody in her position could do, but not everyone would.

I don’t know how she really feels about luxuries; jets, yachts, fine dining. It is probably safe to say she enjoys those things, most people would, but I don’t see her flaunting a lifestyle to gain recognition and a following. The dedication of her audience is the organic result of love. Because of what she does.

It is easy to see that she really cares. She is making sure that every food bank in each city on her current tour is getting a healthy infusion of cash. Because she has the capacity to give and she knows they need it more than she does.

It is not just food banks and roadies. The list goes on and on. She is among the most philanthropic of entertainers. There are many others who share her spirit of giving, but she stands out in the crowd.

Maybe it is because she is young and pretty and so many of us wish we were as talented and devoted as her. I could keep writing all day, listing every personal instance of charity she has bestowed on her fans and people in need, but I don’t think I would be able to find everything there is to list. She reaches out to kids in hospitals and pays their bills. She supports animal rescues and recovery efforts for disaster victims. To top it off, she is not the one who boasts. The fans do it for her.

I mean - the hits just keep on coming!

Taylor Swift is living proof that if you have got it, you should flaunt it, and keep on smiling all the way to the bank and back to the stage, because you can’t take it with you. I would like to be like that.

I have not heard what she may have done for the poor souls recently devastated by the Maui wildfires, but I would not count her out from doing something great. While the sirens were inactive during the blaze, afterwards, many people are answering the calls to help. Yet, not all charity is publicized, so we may never hear about some donations.

Hawaii is a special place. Anyone who has spent any time at all on Maui, as I have, will attest that Ohana is real. It is authentic care for family, the land you live on, the ocean we fish in, and everyone on the planet. The people of Maui are friendly and welcoming and I am so sad for their unfortunate tragedy. They will recover, thanks to all those who have been there at least once and feel the need to give back. There are a lot of ways to help.

Some folks have the idea that they need to show up in Maui to show their support. This is simply not true. When disaster strikes, unless you are not initially involved, or assigned to respond, you will be in the way. So keep out, and send love, prayers, and money. That is the best you can do to help.

As you know, if you have got it, you should flaunt it. Share what you can with whoever you can. Aim to be as Swifterrific as possible. Not just for the folks in Hawaii, but everywhere. As Abraham Lincoln told us in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, “Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes!”

And always be authentic.

Thanks for reading.

If you are new to the Rembis Report and would like to read any of the previous issues, PLEASE CLICK HERE to access the archives. To read it from the beginning, PLEASE GET A COPY of The Rembis Report: An Observation.