Does everyone wish to be the next American Idol?

As I reflect on what happened during the past election, I understand now that the advent cable tv has made people feel a sense of urgency to get on tv. In the 1970's, the afternoon airways was filled with gameshows and the Merv Griffin show, where oddities such as pet tricks and Hollywood celebs would show up to discuss upcoming gigs. Nothing really new there. But then, Merv's motif morphed into Phil Donahue in the late 70's-early 80's. And daytime talk became about victimization. He "cared". Kleenex flew out of boxes in Donahue's audiences faster than the Federal Reserve is running off 100's on the printing press now for this "bailout". Daytime talk then splintered in the late 80's. Oprah Winfrey, who understood how an audience can further a career, and those like Jerry Springer who just went mob mentality with their shows in order to get ratings. Oprah steered herself towards the Hollywood set and after realizing her impact on markets, decided she would then endorse specific items, such as books in her book club, a mere mention of something she enjoyed or used sent sales skyrocketing. I applaud that, she created a empire from her show. That is what free market capitalism is all about.
Jerry Springer created a market as well, but to those folks who wanted so badly to have 10 minutes on tv and he appealed to the baseless portion of society. He had success, and many more mirror image shows popped up on cable. Then right around the time that lawyers were able to advertise on television, SHAZAM, here comes the Honorable Judge Wapner, the People's Court. And today there is Judge Judy, Judy Joe Brown, Judge Karen, and an endless list of people who can't wait to appear on the show to air their differences simply because they will be on television.
In the late 1990's, CBS created Survivor, the first "reality" show. Reality my ass. It's all scripted. And that show opened the door to all the shit which is on network and cable tv today. American Idol, Amazing Race, Biggest Loser, Top Chef, Bartender Wars, Ice Truck Drivers, Tow Truck Drivers, Deadliest Catch, Tattoo parlors, shows featuring the lives of Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, Kim Kardasian, I could go on and on. I really could care less about these people or the shows, but alot of people are watching them. How many of the fellow US citizens that say they are so stressed now at work and with their families are spending time watching this crap?

So as the millennium rolls over and the technology for the internet expands, some dweeb 20 something decides he's going to create a "social site" called Myspace, soon after, Facebook is created. The creators of these sites make millions of dollars and people flock there by the tens of thousands. People can't wait to post pictures of themselves and friends. Post intimate information of themselves, pictures of them in compromising situations at times, disclose information about themselves they would never do if you had met them in person at a local bar. Why? Well, I heard of someone who was related to a cousin of a husband of a sister who posted something on Facebook and now his video is being shown on the Today show. Oh Really.........

I guess it's all about gratification. CNN, FOX, MSNBC, all the cable news shows are asking for people to send in their photos or videos of the latest disaster. As you can see from the story attached below, prominent people are caught up in this internet swirl as well. Go back a few weeks and look at TE Chris Cooley from the Washington Crackheads who was making a post to his blog and photographed his playbook while he was naked and there was a picture of the german helmet wearing turtle in his picture. Interesting he was having a very bad year, and going into this season was supposed to be on of the top 5 tightends in the NFL but dropped off the radar screen or mention until that event happened. He is still a douche bag in my opinion.

And then there was today. All the stories about Sarah Palin and the unnamed McCain sources saying Sarah Palin didn't know Africa was a continent, met staffers in a robe, threw temper tantrums, you remember hearing all these stories last week. It was all bullshit from someone on youtube, a man by the name of Dan Miruish. Phony stories, and he was a fellow at the Harding Institute of Freedom and Democracy. It doesn't even exist. But did one reporter ever go and research it? NO. Carl Cameron? NO. Andrea Mitchell? NO. Bill O'Reilly? NO. Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck? Nope.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/arts/television/13hoax.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


We've created a Nation which seeks fame and fortune at any expense, and if you can destroy someone in the process all the better. Just look at this, WhocanIsue.com. Sick.




FACEBOOK FOLLIES GET PLAYER IN HOT WATER
Posted by Mike Florio on November 13, 2008, 4:14 p.m. EST
We’ve caught wind of the fact that a photo of an NFL player in the immediate vicinity of a huge bong on a glass table with lines of a white powdery substance recently made its way onto a Facebook page, temporarily.
As we hear it, once the player’s team found out about it, the picture was removed.
Per a league source, the Facebook account belongs to a family member of the player in question.
It’s unknown whether the league office is aware of the situation. Under the substance-abuse policy, a positive drug test isn’t the only thing that can get a player in trouble. A player can be added to the program based on behavior.
A couple of years ago, for example, then-Raiders receiver Randy Moss had to scramble to avoid being placed into the program after merely admitting to smoking marijuana “every blue moon” during an interview with Bryant “Rick Romo” Gumbel.
We’ve seen the picture, but we’ve been asked not to post it. Ordinarily, we’d post it anyway, but we’re in a fairly decent mood this afternoon.