Let's be honest: Nobody watches award shows anymore. They have become parodies of themselves as decadent celebrities seem to vie for his one and only honor. It's about who can make the most trending political statement of the night. A toxic combination of arrogance and ignorance creates a truly unpleasant scene.

Still, the next morning, FX's “bear” was dominating the Emmy Awards with 13 nominations and 10 wins, so I had to do a double-take. Has this bunch of lifestyle liberals realized that they are just celebrating all the traditional values ​​they claim to despise?

“The Bear” is the story of a young chef who leaves a promising career in the world of fine dining and returns to his hometown to take over his family's dysfunctional restaurant. This simple premise turns into a deeper reflection on what matters most in his life. This show is not only very well written and funny, but it's also the most powerful rejection of leftist social values ​​to come out of Hollywood in at least the last decade.

If you turn on the news, attend a college seminar (or kindergarten class these days), or listen to a Hollywood celebrity talk for five minutes, you're likely to get a pretty dim view of meritocracy. In fact, you may wonder if American meritocracy ever existed or could exist. (Related: Hollywood celebrities incorrectly tell us why their movies suck)

Today's liberal ideology teaches that we are all made up of innate privilege, or lack thereof. Through a web of intersecting identities, we are all born with certain strengths and weaknesses, which are said to determine our outcomes. Our personal qualities, virtues and vices matter little in the midst of this all-consuming matrix. Traditional virtues such as hard work, excellence, and objectivity are all now considered. ”white value”This is something racists throughout history have invented to enshrine their privilege.

There is no such thing as true greatness. It's just a veneer. The man who was lucky enough to put his foot up refuses to acknowledge it.

These attacks on individual virtue find parallels in their collective consequences: families and communities. Leftists are markedly collectivistic when it comes to family and community, but at that point they embrace fierce individualism. While traditional concepts hold that there is meaning in serving and sacrificing for those closest to us, the left sees them as remnants of conservative oppression. Your community forces you to conform through petty infighting, jealousy, and tradition. You have no obligation to these forces that bind you. Your only duty is to live as your truest, most authentic self. (Related article: Hollywood has forgotten its own lessons about masculinity—and the timeless classics prove it)

Who wants another round? FX's The Bear is returning for Season 3.On only @Hulu. #TheBearFX pic.twitter.com/FkTtwvl9iY

— FX Networks (@FXNetworks) November 6, 2023

If you've been to the movies at all in the past few years, you know that Hollywood almost always reflects these values ​​in some way. But “The Bear” clearly rejects all of that.

Contains mild spoilers.

The show begins with award-winning chef Carmy Berzat leaving her job at one of the world's best restaurants (including The French Laundry) to take over her family's sandwich shop, The Beef, in Chicago. Following his brothers, Carmy was the only one to keep the restaurant afloat.

As the show unfolds, we learn the extent of the severe mismanagement the restaurant has suffered. Health code violations, a crippling debt to an unscrupulous mob boss, and an unprofessional and disobedient staff are just some of the hurdles Carmy faces in getting her business back on its feet. But it is a local institution that has served the community for decades and is the last remaining piece of his brotherhood. He doesn't want to let go so easily.

He brought his previous talent to the restaurant, trained his staff in proper techniques, and hired another green chef who had formal training but was struggling to find his footing. They are a very dysfunctional crew, and for every step forward they take two steps back. But his passion and undeniable skill inspire the entire crew to look up to Carmy and strive for greatness themselves. The show, now in its second season, ultimately depicts a ship of sociopaths with nothing but raw talent, passion, and a burning desire for perfection.

It's also possible to dismiss Carmy as a snob. Just as the staff often wonders, viewers may wonder why they have to tinker with a formula that works. Still, it just worked well, not great. That's the point.

So what are the values ​​this show actually advocates? Personal excellence and duty to those around you.

Carmy finishes her duties and leaves the world of fine dining. It's not his qualifications that are important. It is an objective ability that he can utilize on his path to greatness. Although he feels some resentment at his sacrifices, he takes the positive aspects he learned in his job – how to continually strive for excellence – and applies it to local communities that have long served their communities. It is applied to the maintenance of tissues. But that's why it's meaningful. While this dynamic is dysfunctional and discouraging, he goes through with it out of his sense of duty because it is the most important thing he can do. Through his example, he influences those around him.

In other words, Carmy is the type of man that American culture once admired but now despises. Let's be thankful that all of this was on everyone's mind at the Emmys.