Some people are attention whores. I get it, I really do. But what I don't get is why we feed their desires, why we feel compelled to give so much attention to people we've never met and who have no value in our lives. And I'm not just talking about myself, personally. As far as I can see, some of these people have no value in anyone's life.
Paris Hilton is, of course, an excellent example. If not for the fact that plant life can feed off her CO2 emissions, I'm pretty sure she'd be a complete waste of human and planetary resources. Even her dog hates her, according to such pictures as have made it past my anti-Hilton filter.
How about those Jon & Kate morons? I've never seen the show, okay. So in all fairness, my calling them morons may be excessive. But why should I care that they're doing stupid stunts like alleged infidelity and whatnot? It's none of my business, for one thing.
That could lead into a tangent on things about people, particularly celebrities, that the media forces on us but that are none of our business. But I'll leave that alone for the moment.
This South Carolina Governor who put his dipstick in the wrong oil tank -- that's a little tougher. The man is in a position of public responsibility, it is necessary to know if he's involved in things unbefitting of his position. But do we need to drag the women into it? Do we really need to invade the lives of his family in what must already be a difficult time? No, we don't. We really do not.
I'm also sick of hearing about Sarah Palin. This is not a political statement. I stay the hell out of politics. No, it's because the woman is NOT a legitimate national figure anymore. Sarah: You had your moment. Let it go.
Finally, I'm really tired of seeing all the Michael Jackson coverage. I was a fan for a while, back when everyone loved him. I idly followed some of his exploits over the past fifteen years while waiting in checkout lines and such. It's true that the man had a huge impact on the world and popular culture. It's true he's left an enduring legacy and will probably be the next Elvis Presley in terms of merchandising (I just hope they go with the 80's Thriller-era Jackson, not the travesty of nature he became in later years). But the media saturation is just too damned much. It really is. I don't need minute-to-minute updates on his embalming. I don't need to know who is getting custody of his kids. I'm not concerned about the disposition of his estate.
Here's the thing. A lot of this news is stuff that's being thrown in my face at every turn. I'm not saying that, in some cases, the information shouldn't be available. This is, after all, the Information Age. What I'm saying is, can't we have the info we want, rather than this other bullshit? And why are we more interested in peccadilloes than products?
Take the activities of celebrities as an example. I'm always interested in the activities of artists. By which I mean, I'm interested in what projects they are working on, when said projects will be available, and whether the resulting product was any good. I like knowing that Anne Hathaway is doing Shakespeare on Broadway -- and doing a decent job. I don't need to know that she likes getting it up the ass. I like knowing that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Sherlock Holmes (and that Rachel McAdams will co-star). I don't need to know about their torrid off-screen affair.*
The thing is, none of this info would be available if there wasn't a demand. I recognize that. But it would be nice if the demands of gossipy, bored housewives (apologies to my housewife friends) weren't forced upon the rest of us. The Yahoo Entertainment section should be about entertainment. Not about celebrity gossip. And especially when said celebrities are really only celebrities because the media makes them so.
Honestly, I'd rather know about the real celebrities in my life: My friends and family. But even then, I still don't need to know who likes it up the ass.
* I made that up. You get my point.
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