I am a fan of the artfully crass. It is a highly honed skill, and can be quite effective in certain situations. But the trick is to only use this ability when it is absolutely most advantageous. Today's "news" seems to be dominated with people of note, albeit nominal importance, behaving badly and gaining great amounts of attention for it. It is, among other things, distracting. There are people in this world who really can do as they please. These are the people we should be hearing about. They are however, too smart to allow this dirty laundry to be aired. They have other, REAL things going on that are too important to them to be ruined by publicity.
We live in a society in which anyone can become "famous." Some famous people are famous for nothing else other than being famous; meaning no one can actually say what it is that they do. The word itself has almost lost all meaning. Others are known initially for their work, but their poor behavior gains more attention. Of course we care, but should we?
Sure, Britney is a bad mom. But does it occur to anyone that she hasn't had a real hit to speak of since- oh, I dunno- 'Nam? It is more lucrative for her to stay in the news by any means necessary. Notoriety, leads to publicity, which leads to endorsements. Mr. Sheen doesn't really need the money. He was, until last week, the highest paid television actor ever. And since he's been passing drug tests of late, we can chalk this one up to genuinely crazy. But what about the people around him?
We live in a world of "fake" celebrity. It can now happen to anyone. And without really thinking about it, it is coveted by almost everyone. "It can happen to you." People are so caught up in gossip, so certain that they know these people, that they have a thirst for more dirt. They actually believe they have the right to know everyones' most intimate details. In turn, people are willing to sell these secrets. A website or magazine will actually pay you for something you know about someone else. In many cases, people know this and give it up themselves, in hopes of making the money someone else would have made. You don't think Mr. Sheen is giving away all of these "exclusive" interviews for free, do you?
What about the satellites? The people who latch on to these people in hope of gaining money and notoriety for themselves? Mr. Sheen has a taste for drugs and pornstars. But with the advent of the internet, it seems that anyone can become a pornstar. So what's a real pornstar to do? Latch onto to someone, spill their dirt. If there is no dirt, make it up. Rumors pay too. It seems the public is just that hungry.
Remember the hotel incident that started this whole thing a few months ago? What if I told you that I have intimate knowledge of every room in that building, and that the bathroom doors don't lock. The story was fabricated. The girl got a little press. The guy got a little press. Everyone made money. Should the public feel cheated? No. the public wanted a story and that is what they got, even if it was fabricated. Should they feel stupid? Probably.
There is a website for the emo/scene/hardocre crowd (those descriptors aren't ironic, are they?) in which people are "leaking" nude photos of themselves. When I say "people," I don't mean celebrities. I mean normal, regular, everyday people. It is presented in a manner of "look who we just got" and the 22-25 year olds are clicking away. It has become many peoples' homepage on their computers. We just got "Billy" from the band xxxxxxxx texting nude photos of himself. Never heard of Billy or his band xxxxxxx? You have now. Sally, from "your town" just had her picture sent in. Sally is now stopped on the street, or in bars. "Hey, didn't I see you naked online?" Sally's stock is climbing. These kids, after "getting busted," turn to FaceBook and Twitter and come up with a reaction. They feign embarrassment. They pretend that people are out to get them. They say that their lives are being ruined and their families are being hurt. This of course drives even more people to the site to see what all the fuss is about. The site makes money. the "marks" gain popularity.
I've stated in my introduction thread that I will not entertain a political discussion here. So I'll leave it at this. There is real news out there. There are more important things to focus on. There is a great disparity between what we want to know and what we need to know. Not just on foreign soil; but right here at home.
I am of the opinion that the people younger than me are taking this world in a bad direction. I know that this feeling gets more common as you age, but the feeling seems to be occurring in people at a younger and younger age. I'm only 30. Is 30 the new "old and in the way?" Have I missed my window to make any real impact? Is it too late for me to do any real good? I hope not.
Kids aren't entirely to blame anyway. Housewives buy the gossip rags too. So who is responsible? We are so focused on bullshit that we are turning a blind eye to the things that really matter. Did you know it costs 2M dollars to park a jet at JFK for 7 months? Did you know it costs twice that amount to park two jets, in case you need one to occasionally fly to Egypt, Spain, or Portugal to pick up a few crates of oranges so you can have juice in the morning? Did you know these people pay for everything in cash? Did you know these people print their own money? Why is this not a matter of public record? What else is it indicative of?
So I leave you with this; not an answer, but a question. How far can this go? If something really matters will we, as a whole, perk up and pay attention. Do we have it in us to change; or to at least TCB? Or are we just dancing our way into hell?
EDIT: I'd like to request that any discussion not get politically specific. Society as a whole= okay. Politics= not okay. I know it can be hard to separate the two, but please try. Get abstract!
