Celebrities with Feet of Clay

The huge media hoo-ha over Tiger Woods' car accident and subsequently many women crawling out of the woodwork to say they had affairs with him is a cautionary tale for all of us (including myself) about attributing some kind of super-human qualities to celebrities.

I like to think I'm realistic enough to know famous people are just as human as the rest of us, and that they're subject to a horde of temptations most of us aren't - or can't afford. Yet I'm occasionally disappointed to find that someone I admire has a tendency to think with the wrong part of his anatomy.

The thing that doesn't ring true in this case, as more and more women look for their moment in the spotlight, is why did it take this accident to bring Tiger's "transgressions" to light? If he was having affairs, wouldn't someone have gone to the media before now? I mean Tiger has tons of money and the only reason I can think of for someone to publicly claim an affair with him would be for momentary notoriety and money.

Speaking of which, why has "notoriety" become something to be admired in the past few years? I know I'm a frustrated English teacher or something, but misuse of words like this really annoys me. Is it a reluctance to say, "Hey, I'm famous!" Since when have celebrities been reluctant to say that?

Anyway, back to celebrities and their feet of clay, I do wish the media would find something else to write about and talk about. Tiger is probably wishing someone else would do something to divert their attention as much as I am. Let Tiger and Elin sort this out on their own, please, so we can have some media coverage of important stuff - like football. :-)

Media Hooked on Wrong Side of White House Crashers

Yes, the "lady in red" and her husband are an attractive couple who for some unknown reason think they should be "stars." However, so far the media has focused on the wrong issue here. The real issue is the failure of White House security to keep them from entering and shmoozing with actual guests and the president.

I shudder to think what would have happened if this strange couple had access to anthrax for instance, or sarin, or plastic explosives. Sure they went through the security gate but powder doesn't show up on those things. When I saw the picture of her shaking hands with President Obama, I nearly choked. She could have had anything in her hands.

Now that they've had their 15 minutes (and more) of fame, let's tighten security to keep the folks in the White House safe. There are invitations and guest lists for a reason and just because people look the part doesn't mean they should be there.

Unfortunately this is one of the problems with the media. They get sidetracked too easily by celebrity. When the media loses sight of the important issues, so does the average person.

It's President Obama

Is it just me or does the media have a real preference for calling our president "Mr. Obama?"

I realize that our first president established the precedent that we never refer to our leader in royal-sounding forms of address. It's "Mr. President" not "Your Highness."

On the other hand, the media referred to former presidents as "President Bush," "President Reagan," etc. They even called Bill Clinton "President Clinton" when they weren't calling him "Slick Willy."

Okay, so the Obama administration is less formal, more down to earth. I love that and I think the Obama family is more representative of who most of us are. But, he is our president, arguably the most powerful man in the world. He deserves the respect due the leader of our great country.

It should be "President Obama."