Blog Backlog

In Ohio, one day you’re wearing flip flops and the next your coat. We’ve been riding a wave of ridiculously beautiful weather, which is nice, because I didn’t get a summer at all. From April on there was just packing and moving. Sorry I’ve been MIA during the house move. Did anyone hear that Michael Jackson died? Of course I’m kidding. Reminded me of the “Buckwheat is dead” sketch on SNL — news on a loop. Almost two months later the TV Guide Channel is still reporting on it and MJ is still on the covers of magazines.

At any rate, although I’ve been gone I haven’t stopped having thoughts. Here are some that have been floating around in my gray matter.

Pink on The Today Show

Today I’m obsessed with my girl crush, Pink, who gave her two cents on Kanye West’s rude little stunt at the VMAs last night . Pink doesn’t pull any punches. She’s just so badass. I want to be her in my next life. See the clip here and go ahead and watch her sing live. She looks great, sounds amazing, and brings mad energy to a morning show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC8B29PvssY

Design Star

They had to give this contest to Antonio. He and Dan are probably equally talented if I’m being honest with myself, but Antonio has the charisma to have his own show, where Dan is lacking. We’ve seen enough Dans on TV.  Antonio makes bold choices, marrying colors you’d never think would go together. I’m anxious to see what this crazy, Sopranoesque designer brings.

Still Siding with Jon

I don’t know if anyone watches Jon & Kate Plus Eight, but we used to watch occasionally. And on those occasions, we were always startled by how despicably Kate treated Jon and more shocked at how Jon put up with it. Not that this kind of treatment is unheard of. You often see women nagging at their mates, but Kate took it to a new level, emasculating this schmuck right there on TV. My brain ping ponged between wanting to smack her for being so mean or smack him for not standing up for himself. When kids come along, many men don’t have a clue where they fit in or how to be helpful. They look to the woman for that. In this case, the domineering Kate gave that guidance in a horrible way, via verbal abuse and humiliation. And now look how things have turned out.

This couple is divorcing and has become a tabloid joke, and the adorable eight are in the middle of a nasty battle. Obviously the sympathy goes to the kids, but which adult do you feel sorry for — Kate, because Jon left her?  Or Jon, whom the tabloids now call a “dirtbag” because he’s leading a new life? I’m still on Team Jon. Though he never had a backbone, he put up with that woman for 10 years. If he’s acting like a child now, it’s probably just because he’s been oppressed for so long.  If he continues to behave like an idiot beyond this period, or if he abandons the eight, it will be a different story. What’s interesting is that the tide of public support has seemingly shifted to Kate. Do people forget how she talked to him, berated him, and belittled him? She was the dictator until the coup came. Her lack of self-awareness is surprising. Hasn’t she ever watched an episode of her own show?

Ellen Is the New Paula

Let’s be clear. Ellen is not replacing Paula.  Paula quit. Money dispute or not, it takes a lot of moxie, stupidity, or painkillers to quit the number one show on TV. That said, I’ll miss Paula. Her critiques were both predictable and unpredictable at the same time. You always knew they’d be nice, but you never knew when she’d throw in a word not found in Webster’s or ramble on about something unrelated to song.

My first reaction to the news that Ellen will be the new judge on American Idol was surprising given that I adore Ellen. I found it discouraging that they’d hire someone with no musical background. A judge, after all, should have some qualifications in order for us to respect her opinions. However, I’m excited, of course, because Ellen will bring the funny. She’s the most dependably funny person on the planet.

Clearly the producers are looking to Ellen to fill the nice void. If you watch her show, she almost never badmouths anyone and steers her guests away from that too. I’m looking forward to seeing the new dynamic. Ellen makes no bones about her dislike for Simon’s meanness. We can only hope for a throw down between the queen of nice and the king of ice.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

And finally, where is the respect, people?  The President of the United States was giving a speech, the thrust of which was keeping kids in school. Some school systems questioned whether their students should hear the speech. In the previous eight years of highly partisan, often rambling incoherency, I don’t remember this happening. Actually I can never remember this happening. Those schools in question should be ashamed at the lesson they’re teaching.  If I were in class at one of these schools, I would raise my hand and ask the following questions.

1) What happened to respect for the office of the President? If this had happened during the Bush administration, there would certainly have been outcry about a lack of patriotism.

2) Have the past eight years diminished all respect for the office itself? Or is it a decline of respect and manners in the population in general? We’ve devolved into shouting matches at town meetings. Is this accomplishing anything, really?

3) How can we see this as anything but racism? I can’t help but wonder: If Hillary Clinton or John McCain were giving such a speech, would it be met with such a disrespectful reception? Would the speech even be noticed? It would probably be no more than a puff piece on the evening news.

4) If the President, who is trying to accomplish good things, is met with adversity no matter what he does, what chance do we have to improve our lives? Everyone is always complaining about the state of health care, the economy, etc., but if there’s no forward momentum, the status quo remains. When did America stop pulling together and become so divisive and hateful? The path we’re on makes me heart sick.

5) And I’ll ask one more for my mother, who has lived longer and seen more, voted for both parties, and is appalled at such treatment of a president.  If we don’t show respect for our commander-in-chief, how do we expect other countries to respect him? Or the United States for that matter? No matter what side your politics are on, you live in the United States.  If the right strongly fears for our national security, by questioning the authority of and disrespecting its leader, isn’t it threatening that very thing?

We recently passed another anniversary of 9/11. If only we could remember what we felt on that day–unity. In the years since, we’ve gotten further and further from remembering. The one simple way to honor those lost would be to come together.  And we can’t even manage that.