There is not much to put in the introduction to this story, since it pretty much stands on its own. Which means I am wasting your time here. Which is not atypical of the intro even when it’s ostensibly relevant.
Today’s Word:
vilipend
As in:
Inspired by the effectiveness of walk-a-thons to raise money for disease research funding, and other charitable causes, a group of concerned citizens has started a campaign to raise money for an unexpected need.
Calling themselves “Walk for The Cure,” the fans of the rock group “The Cure” have united to assist needy, has-been musicians in their time of need.
Spokesman Wendy Toikna summed it all up. “Really, it’s sad. Some groups put out a few albums and are popular for a brief time, and then, no one ever hears anything about them. Usually, they slip into poverty, alcoholism, or worse–guest spots on the late Hollywood Squares, which is not even an option any more. The situation is awful. It’s demoralizing. Our bands deserve better than this. ‘Walk for The Cure’ changes all of that. We started out to help The Cure put out their latest release–they just needed a few million dollars to entice a record company to take them on, and then, we saw how much of a need there really was. From ‘one hit wonders’ to struggling bands started by the offspring of talented, well-known singer/songwriters, we help them all.”
“And truly, we cannot vilipend these musicians. We can’t blame them for the fickle nature of American popular culture. We can’t ignore them after they fall from favor. It’s just not right. It’s time we help them to get back on their feet. It’s a good feeling to know that we’re making the world a better place.”
*********************
Of course, I was inspired by the ads for the recent “Race for the Cure,” an area fund-raiser for breast cancer research, and I basically thought too long about the name of the event. Mea culpa. Oh well. That’s it for tonight.
vilipend / vil-EH-pen-d / treat as of small worth; condemn; disparage.