"Idiot culture!"

This was pretty interesting, yesterday, author and reporter Carl Bernstein "rapped" US news organizations. While addressing a group of college bound high school students, the famous Watergate reporter said that fewer resources are being given to cover world and political news items, in favor of "celebrity news" about the lives of people like Donald Trump and Paris Hilton. Bernstein says the never ending litany of celebrity stories has created an "idiot culture" that has less and less to do with reality and context.

Here, here! I agree with that. In the past I've called what our culture is becoming a "celebritocracy" where celebrities - stars - actors & actresses - recording artists - and sports figures, make the news - decide what is news - slant the news for their own benefit - and for the most part, anyone in America under the age of 50 believes them! (I've got proof! I saw it on the television or on Youtube!)

When I was growing up it was called "entertainment!" Everybody knew it was just entertainment and understood the definition. It wasn't reality - it was going to the movies - it was the Ed Sullivan Show for God sake! But today, if you ask anyone from 17 to 40 who the "movers & shakers" of our society are, you're liable to get asked what kind of music they play...or if you're really lucky you'll hear..."Justin Timberlake, Sean Penn, Alex Rodriguez, or Venus Williams!" Last week I actually heard the senior editor of "The Daily Tarheel" straight-faced mind you, refer to "the poet Jay-Z." Hahahahaha...the poet? Gangsta rapper-cum-legit poet, you've got to be kidding me! Robert Frost and Henry David Thoreau time to start spinning gentlemen!

In our country's past, "celebrity news" was covered via a column in a newspaper, someone like Hedda Hopper, Rex Reed or Walter Winchell would tell us about who was seen, doing what, with or to whom. It got a column a day tops! And sports was...well it was sports! Games jocks played and got paid for playing (well)! Sports writers & professional athletes were a-typical of society, as were entertainers. They certainly didn't live a lifestyle like "us." How did the 18 to 49 year olds of today come to believe that these entertainers are reality? Today these avocations are covered by "news reporters" like they're really news! Hours of nightly "On Air" time is taken up by what, (when you get right down to it) is really superfluous at best! In the past it was titillating today but became tomorrow's cage liner. Today the stories go on for days! They "have legs" as the saying goes. In the past this stuff was at best "gossip" or a "dirty little secret," at worst it was fodder for "The National Enquirer." Today, "If it bleeds, it leads" is the mantra for every news agency in the country! In many ways our culture has become The National Enquirer!

Need convincing? Think about how much press has been given just in the last few months to the following items....night after night...day after day.

• A-Rod thinks he's worth more than the $72 million dollars he's guaranteed for the next 3 years by the Yankees. He's opting out of his contract. (Yeah, $25 mil a year to play baseball, that's not hardly enough!)
• Nicole Smith - tragic end - just how many drugs actually were in her system and oh yeah, who gets the baby?
• Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan & Nicole Ritchie, driving while celebrity. Laws are different for you and me!
• Brittany Spears her new album release goes immediately to #1, and BTW she lost custody of her kids!
• Isaiah Washington being sued for sexual harassment and using the "b" word - but he's "very innocent!"
• Barry Bonds home run record - asterisk or no asterisk - steroids, or just a really big head?
• Michael Vick - are dogfighting charges justified or is this a "fame induced addiction?"
• should Imus come back?
• Are sports hero's really taking steroids? And is the stuff really bad if it can create so many "hotties?"
• Senator Craig says he isn't gay, but JK Rowling says Albus Dumbledore is! (and did I really need to know this?)

By comparison, how many of you learned about the following via the nightly news?

• according to the U.S. Treasury department report: the top 10% of wage earners in the United States pays 70.3% of all taxes; while the bottom 50% of wage earners pays 3% of all taxes. (09/07)
• During 2006, former President Clinton made 352 speeches and earned approximately $9 million dollars. But only 20% went into his pocket - the rest went to his charitable causes - Good for you President Clinton! (06/07)
• More than 70% of the people interviewed around the world believe marriage is for life, but here in America more than 50% of people are divorced. (05/07)
• Candidate John Edwards has $16,000,000.00 invested with the mortgage company that's now foreclosing on thousands of homes in New Orleans, and living in a $6,000,000.00 North Carolina estate. Way to go John! (06/07) (He's the poverty candidate right?)
• Oklahoma is repealing a bill that grants public benefits for undocumented aliens. Undocumented aliens will no longer be eligible for drivers licenses, state identity cards, or state supported scholarships and in-state tuition breaks. Way to go Oklahoma! (7/07) (Note: Someone should tell Gov. Spitzer!)
• Earmarks are a big deal in Washington - they're also a big secret! In fact when CNN asked them, only 3 of 435 House members said they'd reveal what their earmark requests were for 2008! (08/07)
• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has requested an $230,000 "earmark" for the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission. Unfortunately the airport does not exist! (09/07)
• Sen. Ted Kennedy opposes a wind farm off the Massachusetts coast that 84% of his constituents favor! (11/07)

(Excuse me, who's taking care of the country after I go home today? Really... is someone scheduled to come in and look after these people? They're not going to make it you know! I'm worried about them! These young people are not mentally capable in so many dangerous ways. They're happy as long as they have the latest gadget! They don't understand history at all. Columbus may as well have discovered America in 1965 for all they know or care. Watch, I'll show you, shout out "Estes Kefauver"...they'll all look around for the star of that "24" show! See! What'd I tell you? What's that white jacket for? I'm not putting that on! Why are there so many buckles & why are the sleeves so long?)

"The fact that a man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw of character." - Lyndon B. Johnson