America 1982-Chapter 540 - 108: Where is Tommy?_2
"That’s what they thought, the two guys trembled with excitement after coming up with the idea, feeling that this show was amazing."
"Indeed, it really does sound appealing."
"Do you want to hear the truth? Anyone who thinks this idea is great is a damn aristocrat, a high-roller, or at the very least from a middle-class family. The vast majority of poor bastards in the United States won’t buy this crap. If there ever were a chance for it to take off, it would be in some other country abroad, conning those naïve and impoverished fools into believing that America is just that wonderful."
"Why wouldn’t poor people believe in it?"
Tommy flicked his cigarette ash and said with certainty, "Because I used to be poor. Poor people can believe that God really exists, believe that Hitler was a lizard person, believe in all kinds of conspiracy theories, but the one thing they just won’t believe is that a poor person can become rich. Because anyone with the genuine drive wouldn’t be daydreaming in front of this kind of show, and the powerless poor souls who lack that ability prefer to fantasize about the beautiful dames of high society in ’Born Aristocrat.’ That show conforms more to the poor’s fantasies of wealth, power, and women, a hypocritical American Dream that’s too fake for the poor to believe and an absolutely real high society life. As an ordinary person, which would you choose to watch? Stephen and Turner’s idea was beaten from the start; they couldn’t stand a chance against FOX, so I could only play to my strengths and create more captivating scripts."
"So you want an American Dream that isn’t hypocritical, or rather, one that’s hypocritical but more believable." Eddie listened to Tommy, gave it some serious thought, and then spoke up.
Indeed, just as Tommy had said, poor people wouldn’t believe this program was real. The truly capable poor wouldn’t waste their precious time, which they could use to climb up and change their fate, on watching such a program. And the incapable ones who resigned themselves to their state would rather fantasize about the display of high society on their TV screens.
"It’s pretty much like that. That’s why I think you’re much better than that Nick guy. When I get a chance to see Stephen, I’ll definitely talk to him about your salary." Tommy smiled and didn’t deny Eddie’s words.
"So, that’s why you’ve brought Martin to Miami, so..." Eddie, affirmed by Tommy, seemed to realize something. He stared intently at Tommy and attempted to speak again, "It doesn’t matter if you make money by the end of the show or not, but because of your help, you’ve successfully made Martin, Jeff, or someone else’s American Dream come true. Take Martin, he was just your lackey before, viewers have seen him feed laxatives to pigeons under your orders. In the material, he liked to boast about being a big shot, but now he’s actually opened a company, and he’s from the lower strata, an African American at that. And Jeff, a simpleton who wanted to tell everyone a truth that seemed like a joke: the Earth is flat. Then, with your kind help, they’ve all achieved their wishes. You aren’t the fulfiller of the American Dream."
Eddie’s eyes lit up, "You want to become the dream-maker who helps others achieve their dreams."
"We can’t make the poor believe that merely by hard work they can become billionaires, through poor performances by people like me or Jason. The poor have tried their best, so why are they still poor? Because making money has never been easy." Tommy leaned back in his chair, looking at the photo frame on the table, inside was a picture of him and Martin when they had just arrived in Miami and encountered Jeff’s family. A group had been taken while dining at the table by Nick’s filming crew. Looking at the picture, he slowly said:
"But you can let everyone believe that this world is still beautiful, that as long as you persist and don’t give up easily for your dreams, maybe one day, you’ll run into a kind-hearted person like Martin and Jeff did. That good-hearted person has a lousy temper, deplorable character, selfish and greedy, lustful and slightly clever, unbridled in action, with countless flaws, but he did one good deed."
"That’s encouraging Martin to become a big shot by acting as Jeff’s campaign manager, inciting him to steal Trojans from the supermarket, helping Jeff raise campaign funds by negotiating donations with those messy sects. When the game is over, all the real good guys have fulfilled their dreams, Martin became a not-so-big big shot, Jeff stood at the podium of the House of Representatives holding his solid globe and wooden plank. They accomplished the American Dream of leaping to success; the only issue is, how should that person of deplorable character make his exit?"
Excited, Eddie said, "The same as when he came, with nothing, leaving with nothing, as if he had gained nothing, but he leaves happily because he wanted the audience to realize he’s achieved inner fulfillment, showing them beneath his despicable and shameless shell, a kind-hearted American heart." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Exactly, that’s it. That’s how the game ends. The Bible says Jehovah detests the sinner just as much as the evildoer." Tommy laughed, "As for whether I am America’s sinner or America’s righteous man, let the Jehovahs in front of the television decide."
Eddie slowly exhaled, "If you had shared these ideas with Nick earlier, he surely wouldn’t have been able to bear leaving Los Angeles."
"He had no interest in discussing these with me, he even reported me to the plaza management to stop us from making money feeding the pigeons." Tommy said with a smile.
