Neil Armstrong vs. Kanye West
As I write this it is July 20th, 2019. Fifty years ago to this day, Neil Armstrong set his footprints upon the Moon, soon followed by Buzz Aldrin. It was the first time that a human being had ever set foot upon a world beyond the Earth, and so far only a total of a dozen different people have done this.
Now, in honor of this anniversary of what is perhaps one of the greatest achievements in exploration and technology of humankind, there's a lot of different territory that I could cover. I could talk about the time my family and I actually got to meet Buzz Aldrin (I got an autographed copy of one of his memoirs at a bookstore in Florida). I could talk about the fact that I truly think we should go back to the Moon (which we haven't done since the early 1970s) and beyond (although it looks like we might actually be going back soon). But instead, I want to compare and contrast (mostly the latter) Neil Armstrong and Kanye West.
The late Neil Armstrong was an accomplished man in a multitude of levels. In addition to landing on the Moon (which should be enough for anyone), he was an Eagle Scout, worked as a naval and test pilot, served in the Korean War, earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, flew in the Gemini program, earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom, taught at the University of Cincinnati, went on an expedition to the North Pole, and last but not least, was a husband and father. From what I've read about him, Neil Armstrong was an extremely humble man who seldom discussed his Moon landing, and when he did, discussed the contributions of the scientists and engineers who made the phenomenal feat possible.
Now let's compare that to the enigmatic Kanye West. He's a rapper and a fashion designer who quit college. While I'm sure that he works hard for both of his professions, West isn't landing on the Moon or flying experimental aircraft. He's very much a man who will brag about himself and toot his own horn, with direct quotes such as, "My music isn't just music - it's medicine," and "My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live." And in addition to his many controversies and antics including his politics and ongoing epic feud with Taylor Swift (for some reason I can't imagine Neil Armstrong getting into a feud with Taylor Swift), Kanye West has compared himself to Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, William Shakespeare, Socrates, Steve Jobs, and Pablo Picasso (just to name a few).
There could be a multitude of reasons for this. One may simply be the fact that Neil Armstrong never set out for fame. Growing up his hero was Charles Lindberg, and his goal in life was to become a pilot and engineer. Neil Armstrong was a smart, hardworking man who ended up being the right man to become the first to land on the Moon. The mentality required to be a pilot or an astronaut may be a lot different from the mentality needed to be a rapper or a fashion designer; the latter are both careers which involve the need (and quite frankly desire) to get attention. A thousand years from now, despite his humble demeanor and unwillingness to toot his own horn, Neil Armstrong's name will still be remembered, and the likelihood of the same being true for Kanye West isn't nearly as close.
Now, in honor of this anniversary of what is perhaps one of the greatest achievements in exploration and technology of humankind, there's a lot of different territory that I could cover. I could talk about the time my family and I actually got to meet Buzz Aldrin (I got an autographed copy of one of his memoirs at a bookstore in Florida). I could talk about the fact that I truly think we should go back to the Moon (which we haven't done since the early 1970s) and beyond (although it looks like we might actually be going back soon). But instead, I want to compare and contrast (mostly the latter) Neil Armstrong and Kanye West.
The late Neil Armstrong was an accomplished man in a multitude of levels. In addition to landing on the Moon (which should be enough for anyone), he was an Eagle Scout, worked as a naval and test pilot, served in the Korean War, earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, flew in the Gemini program, earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom, taught at the University of Cincinnati, went on an expedition to the North Pole, and last but not least, was a husband and father. From what I've read about him, Neil Armstrong was an extremely humble man who seldom discussed his Moon landing, and when he did, discussed the contributions of the scientists and engineers who made the phenomenal feat possible.
Now let's compare that to the enigmatic Kanye West. He's a rapper and a fashion designer who quit college. While I'm sure that he works hard for both of his professions, West isn't landing on the Moon or flying experimental aircraft. He's very much a man who will brag about himself and toot his own horn, with direct quotes such as, "My music isn't just music - it's medicine," and "My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live." And in addition to his many controversies and antics including his politics and ongoing epic feud with Taylor Swift (for some reason I can't imagine Neil Armstrong getting into a feud with Taylor Swift), Kanye West has compared himself to Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, William Shakespeare, Socrates, Steve Jobs, and Pablo Picasso (just to name a few).
There could be a multitude of reasons for this. One may simply be the fact that Neil Armstrong never set out for fame. Growing up his hero was Charles Lindberg, and his goal in life was to become a pilot and engineer. Neil Armstrong was a smart, hardworking man who ended up being the right man to become the first to land on the Moon. The mentality required to be a pilot or an astronaut may be a lot different from the mentality needed to be a rapper or a fashion designer; the latter are both careers which involve the need (and quite frankly desire) to get attention. A thousand years from now, despite his humble demeanor and unwillingness to toot his own horn, Neil Armstrong's name will still be remembered, and the likelihood of the same being true for Kanye West isn't nearly as close.
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