I was shocked and appalled last week when I turned on The Today Show and learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger had fathered a love-child 10 years ago with his maid while still married to Maria Shriver. It was not the affair that I found so deplorable- it was that this was the lead story. I do not condone or encourage this behavior, nor will I discount the pain Shriver and her family are experiencing. But I have a theory that celebrities are better equipped to recover from heartache, what with all the money and other rich, beautiful people around them. Just check out the magazines at the checkout line. One week some darling actress is on the cover portrayed as a victim of love, and 2 weeks later same said actress is on the cover triumphantly prancing around on the beach of some tropical island with a new beau. Hooray for her. If Bucky from Sticksville, Arkansas’ wife leaves him for another man, I’m sure he’ll have a much tougher time finding someone of equal or greater appeal. He may have to settle for a middle-aged grocery bagger with a limp (seriously, middle-aged and still hasn’t made her way up to cashier?) or the 27 year old girl that works 3rd shift at the gas station with the busted up grill and still goes to high school parties. The 2nd best waitress at Waffle House doesn’t sound so bad now does it? But of course that’s based on my uneducated assumptions of the dating pool in Sticksville, Arkansas.
So the US government is trying to get in contact with the many wives of Bin-Laden (kind of sounds like a romance novel), Mother Nature is tearing up the country destroying homes and lives of thousands, gas prices continue to rise, but the lead story is another celebrity infidelity? Come on! There are countless shows based on strife. How many years has Divorce Court been on TV? Does Maury Povich (more on him later) do any shows any more that don’t involve a DNA test? Look at the fascination with the Aniston-Pitt-Jolie love triangle. But above all else look at President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Now that was newsworthy, but if the most powerful man in the world has an affair, shouldn’t we be desensitized by this by now? Let TMZ, The Insider, etc handle these stories.
With the reality shows infusing “celebrities”, I think its only a matter of time before there is a “celebrity” based DNA test show, whether it be on The Maury Povich show or a separate production with a cheesy clichéd title (“Who’s Your Daddy?” comes to mind too easily). Povich seems like an all too natural choice to host a show of this sort. Clearly Connie Chung has all the journalistic integrity in that relationship (and might I add the looks. I wouldn‘t mind wang-Chunging tonight). He missed out on Schwarzenegger, but maybe there still will be a chance at a Tiger Woods mistress. After listening to the pop radio station for 10 minutes today, I have to believe Povich has stock or part ownership of a recording company. Half the songs I heard promoted infidelity. If skanky girls stop having random hookups in a brief period of time and get knocked up, the dude is going to be out of a job.
Other thoughts:
I just can not get into reality TV. Any random clown can get on show, act like a fool, and have their moronic actions/catchphrases branded, trademarked, merchandised, and rewarded to the extent they get to win matches at Wrestlemania. Maybe if this trend happened sometime between 1995-99, the peak of my young and dumb phase, than I would have found it more enjoyable, and perhaps profitable. If they created a reality show where they lock 15 scientists in a lab together to find a cure for a disease, and 1 gets eliminated each week, I would watch just for the principle of it.
I’m all for second chances, but hasn’t winning American Idol become somewhat of a diminished prize when people who lose still get record deals and outsell the winners? Kelly Clarkson is the only real American Idol in my book.
Christina Aguilera does not have an endorsement deal with any make-up company. Seems like a natural fit don’t you think? Its like Mr. T schilling for Zale’s or Richard Simmons as the spokesperson for a disturbingly short shorts company.
I have four children, but do not worry about explaining the birds and the bees. Its explaining Boy George that worries me.
MTV has shows titled "Teen Mom" & "16 and Pregnant". As a father who has a daughter I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotions experienced when a girl tells her parents she's joining the cast of a television show, and then says its one of those two.
I saw the latest Britney Spears video today. She certainly has lost a step or two. Forget about keeping up with her background dancers, I doubt she could keep up with a beginners zumba class. She better get it together soon or she may have to actually start focusing on song writing.
I, too have no use for "reality" tv. I'd rather just sleep or stare at the wall and try to remember all the final scores of every Super Bowl. They all seem to try way too hard to come up with catch phrases.
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