He is overrated, arrogant, and a trickster. He doesn’t really care about anything and never has. To him, our world is a joke.

He grew up a rich kid who idolized and wanted to be Woody Guthrie until he realized that meaningful words have no actual ability to positively change the world, so he abandoned his ideals and decided to use his fame as a playground for foolish believers.

But that’s okay, in fact it’s bold and admirable. This is America, and we have an insatiable desire to live in a fabricated world. He only capitalized on it as so many others do.

He created his own mystique, his own demand, using the iconic styles of others. Marlin Brando, James Dean, and Greenwich Village hipsters. Stolen poetry infused with his own selfish and sarcastically pessimistic views.

He is literally a self made man. He created himself as a character, a persona that has become worshipped. And he became a god that he himself could never escape.

I have a sore spot about dishonesty and deceit. I seem to be unable to separate real life from a creative personification. I know I am wrong in holding any person of fame to any accountability, but it still bothers me. Mostly because I can sense when someone is pretending to be authentic. My guess is that they actually feel unworthy and soulless and can’t avoid it. They simply do not care. The immorality of allowing fools to follow a ruse simply for self gratification seems evil.

I also believe the real betrayal is just simply not letting people in on it. It’s okay to play a character as long as people know you’re performing. Playing a joke on the unaware makes the unaware the joke.

I don’t think anyone starts out fooling people, but as the fools follow and pay the bills, it might eventually seem justified. Especially when they start to make you rich. I can see how it all becomes ridiculous and easier to take advantage of. Especially if no one calls you out.

As someone who actually lived in Gallup, New Mexico, I find it strange that Dylan would use such a place to add to his fabricated persona. He claimed he lived there as a child, but it was later discovered that he did so only to add some mystery to his otherwise boring, middle class upbringing.

Maybe I’m offended because I’m authentic. I write from my own experiences. I’ve lived a hard life. I’ve earned my scars and stories, and so far, it’s gotten me nowhere.

It seems like cheating when someone is successful as a poseur. It doesn’t seem fair. It feels like plagiarism.

But, Bob is an enigma. He has well earned his success by shining a bright light on society. The fools, the pretenders, the believers, and the pessimistic.

And he did write from his own nerve striking experiences, such as engaging with muses offered as pimped young girls and having strong opinions about society and war. He is undeniably an absolutely talented writer.

I’m curious how this movie will be perceived. How the story will be told. Will it have any meaning or just be Dylan’s final trick. His last, cold, middle finger to the world for being so shallow and blind. I wonder if he’ll walk away smirking, knowing he fooled us all…again. I’ve heard he has rewritten parts of the script he didn’t like. Proving he’s never grown tired of writing his own bullshit story. An attempt at securing his fantastic legacy.

Or if he’ll make us think for a second about how little life matters and the money we spend to make people rich is even more worthless. How we sell our souls for foolish dreams. How no matter what we do and say, nothing changes. Because people are beasts, devouring their own surroundings and slowly destroying themselves inside a fabricated reality.

Or maybe it’ll just boost album sales and merchandise, appeasing the capitalist marketing Gods a little while longer before the world implodes.

I’m not above it. I’ll contribute to all of that, but only in the name of art.

And by the way, I am in no way an expert on Dylan. These are just my first impressions of the small amount of information I actually know about the dude. Maybe the movie will enlighten me.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been wrong before. My opinions on the Beatles, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Tom Waits were also once slightly skewed. I have since gathered more information and changed my views.

Although my basis for contempt will always be intact.

I believe no one should ever pretend they’re something they’re not.