Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I liked it better when people's private lives were private

Enough about Sonia Sotomayor (Did we really need to know she spent her first week at Princeton University obsessing over a cricket?)....

Enough about Michael Jackson (Did we really need to know he had so much work done on his nose that he had no nose left? And that's just the tip of the plastic surgery stories!)....

Enough about (soon-to-be-ex?) South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his soul baring and his mistress....

Enough about Jon and Kate, the "Real Housewives" (who seem totally fake), Bachelors and Bachelorettes, B-list (and A-list) celebrities, and athletes (though I do kinda feel bad for Jessica Simpson, who was dumped by boyfriend Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, the night before her birthday - OUCH!).

And enough about Sarah Palin. Period. Really ENOUGH. (Though this Slate article, "Lost in Translation: Why Sarah really quit us," is worth a read.)

You would think from reading and watching the news (and I'm talking mainstream media) that there was little else going on in the world (except for plane crashes, natural disasters, grizzly murders, and men driving around without their pants on).

Sigh.

11 comments:

@ScottBradley said...

This is exactly why I don't watch the news. I only pay attention to what people tell me is going on. Most news is bad news...and is truly a waste of time.

Dave S. said...

Oh, how I long for the innocent bygone days of shark attacks and missing white women.

TommyMac71 said...

I'm still waiting for a news story on Obama in Russia....

I hate that Jon and Kate are "celebrities." We created them, she sleeps with the security guard (as if every mother of 8 has a security guard) and we act surprised that they are having marital problems?

oh god, i just spend about 50 words too many on that subject. I need to go buy the Economist...

TommyMac71 said...

True Dave -- Chandra Levy, where are you when we need you?

Another David S. said...

These are indeed sad times for our culture--and have been for quite a while (remember O.J.?). The way I've always dealt with this onslaught of the ephemeral is to a) not watch TV (*especially* the news), and b) not click on any headlines that reek of the depressing and/or idiotic. It's kind of like reading food labels to determine nutritional value. If a headline promises only carcinogens and empty calories, then I'm not buying. Unless, of course, it includes a hot pic of Paris Hilton. (Anyone remember her?)

J. said...

Clearly, you missed today's big shark story, Dave S., which I am sure will be the first of several. (Though maybe they are only big news in the Tri-State area and the Cape/Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket.)

And Another David S., I almost closed with "Heaven help me, I almost miss Paris." ; )

Tommy, I am totally with you re Jon and Kate, etc.

And Scott, it's truly hard to escape these stories. I don't watch entertainment shows or visit entertainment sites, nor do I watch much "hard" news these days. But you cannot turn on the radio (even NPR) or the TV or go to CNN.com or MSNBC.com or NYTimes.com without being hit with them.

David Tanenhaus said...

As a proud Nevadan, I should add our elected officials, especially Governor Gibbons and more recently Senator Ensign, have done their best to divert media attention from these stories.

J. said...

Oops. Didn't mean "hard" news. Meant "network" news. Bleh.

And thanks for chiming in, Mr. Tanenhaus. Always happy to have another David in the mix. : ) And yes, I have had more than enough of Senator Ensign's shenanigans, too.

larissa said...

Driving commando
A senator grandstanding
Networks cover crap

EMM said...

I agree that the "news" coverage is out of hand. I was equally disturbed a few years ago when politicians, elections, etc. started to be covered by shows like "Entertainment Tonight".

Like Dave S., I miss the Shark & Levy stories, et. al. News & infotainment should be reported seperately.

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