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"What's Wrong with Us?"
March 16, 2008
"The Good" "The Bad" "The Ugly"
 I am guilty of reading the entertainment news. It's all someone else's fault of course as I was quite unaware that the programs of the sixties and seventies were the stepping stone to my fullblown junkie habit of still dreaming to act on stage, in film or on television. As I am a male it also plays a role in part of my super-ego for the belief that with a little exercise and some rigorous training (about 15-20 minutes worth) I too can still be a super-hero. So I keep the dreams alive (as it should be) and focus on what I read in the entertainment community. If I were a star I am beginning to believe that in some ways they become super-hero's with regular movie names. I've read of the exploits of Brittney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Mel Gibson, River Phoenix, et al and understand that these exploits although in many cases entirely human get overly exploited. The one thing that does seem to annoy me, the random penalties that these "icons" of the entertainment industry draw which in too many cases are far less than those that would be put upon John or Jane Doe. I did a random search on Google for "Celebrities in trouble with the Law" and was amazed at the listings which allowed me to think a bit more in a non-judging way and look at things more practically.
 One thing that has to stand out is the power of the money that these "stars" amass and its ability to pay for the certainties that penalties will be at minimum if at all. See I am the kind of guy that would forget my headset one time and use the cell phone only to find red lights in my rear-view. If I ever spit on the sidewalk it will just happen to be underneath a sign that say's "Spitting - $250.00 Fine" and onto the shoes of a walking patrol officer. If I got caught in a DUI more than my license would be lost lest I begin to think about what would happen with a D.W.I.. There also seems a strange correlate between the star popularity and the sentence. Lesser "idols" fall farther into the chasm as the more "upon a pedestal" icons.
 That we would still tolerate the media bombardment referencing the likes of Ms Spears and her current medication or Lohan and whether or not she has managed to break Paris Hilton's record of how many bed partners she's had. Do you care so much about whether K-Fat gained a lot of Fed as photographed as he played a round of golf on a sunny afternoon? Doesn't it bother you in the least bit if someone you knew had hit a car or gotten pulled over for driving in the wrong lane late at night? Would it annoy you if some lessor celebrity type was found with felony possession of cocaine and walks out of a jail because as the officials quote, "Overcrowding?" Why then wouldn't these same officials let someone else have the early release, someone who actually had served time for the same or a similiar offense?
 Michelle Rodriguez got a early get-out-of-jail free card after serving 18 days for violating probation on a DUI. Rodriguez was released from jail early, according to the Associated Press, the release coming on the heels of an early release program. Ms Rodriguez had been sent to jail after failing to prove that she had done the community service that was court ordered. Also for drinking while wearing a SCRAM ankle bracelet. Rodriguez was arrested in 2003 and 2005 for DUI.
I think it's time we evaluate why we find the real life's of people who have nothing to do with our lives and who by the nature of their acts show, first that they are not anything other than human and the faces that we see at concerts and on the screen are people working at the profession that they've chosen. Second, it send's the wrong message to everyone, that there is a distinct difference in the way you are treated based upon your height in the countries caste and how much money and celebrity you can throw at the problem.
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For too long I've messed with the wiring in my head. Now it shorts out more oft than not. But at my age I just sit and enjoy the sparks. RJM '07
Many Exceptional Free and Pay for Images Available here Fotosearch.com
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