Note for the folks at home: Among my students, there is a curiously popular belief about American celebrities. Without a hint of humor, several students have asked me about The Illuminati, a secret brotherhood of devil-worshipers that rule American pop culture from the shadows. Jay-Z and Beyonce, the leaders of the dark organization, have made sinister dealings with the devil to gain their worldly fame and fortune. According to my students, few celebrities escape allegations of association with The Illuminati, and the more famous a celebrity, (logically,) the deeper he or she is involved. Other members include Lil' Wayne, Lady Gaga, most professional football (translation for American readers: "soccer") players, and even Mr. Barack Obama himself. The only people who are safe from accusations of Illuminati dealings, in fact, are those that have been "killed by the Illuminati"... which, as far as I can tell, are pretty much any celebrity who has died, including Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Marley, and Ghandi. (That last one is not a joke.) I haven't been able to make any progress disproving these claims.
