Breaking News: teens can get pregnant

Britney Spears’s little sister is pregnant. In other news, there are leaves on my front lawn. This is non-news at its finest – a perfect storm of stupidity and drama. It’s a waste of valuable time, a distraction from reality.

If anyone is interested as to why stars are going off the deep end, the answer is simple: look in a mirror. People everywhere are fascinated with people who are absolutely nothing special. Hollywood isn’t about talent. It’s not about looks. It’s about getting as many people to watch something as humanly possible, whatever the cost.

See, the people who care about this garbage are the problem. Me, I’m only complaining because every 5 minutes on CNN they talk about how some teen star got knocked up, as if this is some kind of brand new phenomenon. Here’s a hint: it isn’t. Train wreck TV is a brand new genre, one where the actual quality of the programming isn’t the issue. It’s all about just how messed up the star of the show is. The closer you are towards utter destruction, the more popular you get.

What’s the problem? The viewers. Watch a newsmagazine on cable, and I guarantee there will be some celebrity reporter gleefully recounting the tragic fall of a star. Let’s all be honest here; if Lindsay Lohan or Britney were our sisters, we’d consider their predicaments tragedies. We’d be trying to help them, not laughing and pointing at the freaks. It’s like saying don’t jump to the guy on the roof: you’re just making it worse.

As long as you feed a bratty young person’s over inflated and misguided ego, that person will continue to perform those acts that garner attention. If you watched gleefully as your child walked down the path to oblivion they would continue to do so with reckless abandon. On some level, that’s how it is in Hollywood. Record sales, movie ticket sales, TV ratings – all of this depends on garnering the love and respect of your target audience. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, per se. I don’t think anyone is going to complain when opera singers or stage actors do their jobs. But to allow someone to rely purely on self-destruction is irresponsible and troubling. Come on people, this is basic parenting.

Not to mention that with our reliance on famous people as role models, my generation is growing up to learn some nasty habits. It’s not about morality, either; it’s about responsibility and self-respect. It’s not what others think of you, it’s how you treat yourself. With the rise of self-indulgent, attention seeking behavior comes a blessing of problems as attributes.

So here’s my New Year’s resolution. I will change the channel or leave the website anytime one of these so called “news stories” comes on the air. No more lowbrow reality TV. I would not find a friend’s battle with addiction and pregnancy funny or entertaining. I don’t find a bratty starlet’s battles any more worthy of exploitation.

Political ads! Now with 5% more subliminal messages! Also, Christmas is not evil.

So lots of folks are talking about how Mike Huckabee has a bookshelf that looks suspiciously like a cross in a recent ad. And from the right angle, I’d say it might. Of course it could just be a bookshelf. You know, with books.

Huckabee also had this to say when asked as to why he didn't say "Happy Holidays":

“I don’t know what else to call Christmas, last time I checked that is what we celebrate. If somebody can give me a way to get around that and do it honestly, then perhaps that’s what Christmas is,” said Huckabee.

“The very word Christmas comes from the contraction of 'Christ Mass' — the worship of Christ – again, change the word if we don't want to talk about it, but that’s what it symbolizes and represents.” (From CNN)

Now, normally I’d be the first to point out that Christmas is not some kind of vicious beast, eager to raise its bloody head to devour all of those who don’t stick a dead tree in their living rooms. I mean, seriously, the Happy Holidays movement is blowing this way out of proportion. People can wish you whatever they like – Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule – so don’t get your shorts in a twist.

But Huckabee is running for President. If elected, he’s going to have to represent everyone, even if they’re Hindu or atheist or any other religion on the face of the planet. Heck, if you pour chicken blood on the ground while wearing a loincloth in the dead of night as part of your religion, you’re still American. This kind of “what we celebrate” talk isn’t going to do anyone any good anytime soon. It’s the primary problem with right-wingers. Word of advice guys: start embracing everyone of all faiths. It’ll get you further.

Welcome to Cliché Disdain

This blog is a place for a little common sense. Since everyone is so eager to say the right thing, I thought it was high time for someone to say the wrong thing. No concern for political correctness. Just personal opinion and things that have to be said.

It's called "Cliché Disdain" for the following reason:

• I hate clichés. From action movies to news magazines, American culture is obsessed with saying as little as possible over and over in the same way. The good guys win. The bad guys are hideous. The same Deus ex Machina, the same trite responses from politicians. It's all so boring.

• Even hating clichés is cliché. Nonconformity is being packaged and resold to teenagers all over the country. Punk rock was based on a rejection of the norm; now it's the hot thing.
  

As you can see, we are trapped. Everything has been done before a million times.

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Or has it? Wanna find out?