What I haven't been able to get over is just what seems like the
unfairness of it all.
I mean, there are surely thousands of great artists out there — talented, sensitive and perceptive souls (we just haven't heard of them). Plenty left over to contribute and fill the void. But it just seems so unfair.
In this society (the USA I mean) what qualities seem to get rewarded the most? Good business and commercial instincts, beancounting, and "salesmanship" — a backslapping, bullshit-artist exterior. Heath Ledger was an antithesis of that. (He was one of the
few great artists to reap good financial rewards, but he was definitely an exception in that regard, and the $ didn't seem to change or corrupt him.)
But yeah, I keep coming back to a King Lear quote: "Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and she no breath at all?"
or: "Why should car salesmen, corrupt politicians and Fred Phelps have life, and Heath no breath at all?"