If You Have Higher Regard for Celebrities Than for Your Parents, This Post is for You...

[This is something I typed up to vent frustration several months ago, you'll be able to tell based on the content of it. I wanted to be productive and post something, but I didn't want to take the time to produce anything new. Funny]

Why? Because I'd like to tell you to WAKE UP!

I was watching the news yesterday and a news alert popped up. Given the current events of the World - North Korea positioning missiles, Iran approaching revolution, Cap and Trade bill - I assumed something important was about to be shared. I was wrong. We were taken live to the UCLA Hospital or some place and told that Michael Jackson was in there and "in bad shape." Ok, and the news alert happens when? Shortly after that alert we found out that he was dead. No disrespect to him or his family now that he is dead, but seriously folks, he's a pop singer. My friend Ian made a valid point: They don't do a news alert every time a police officer who is a father of four is killed.
Facebook statuses were alive with Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon last night. Whether or not I liked them as entertainers is not the point. The point is that the news media, and apparently a lot of people, are celebrity worshippers. I turned on the news this morning and what do I see? Fox is covering Michael Jackson, so I turned to MSNBC's coverage of Michael Jackson, next was CNN. CNN was finishing up a story about Iran, the reporter said something to the effect of, grave business being carried out in Iran today, we will keep watching...this morning many people are mourning the loss of Michael Jackson. So I went to the Discovery Channel and watched Mike Rowe battle a monkey in Africa while I ate my Cheerios.
News alerts lose their power when they are used for things that don't need to be alerts. This is all just my opinion of course, but I don't want to see another dead celebrity biography until the news starts reporting the deaths of every police officer, firefighter, emergency technician, Sailor, Soldier, Airman and Marine that die in the line of duty. These Americans are at least giving us something valuable, they are giving their lives. Michael Jackson may have spent his life in the publics eye, as an entertainer (because of an abusive and controlling parent, which is another story), but what did he do for my freedom and safety? Nothing that I'm aware of. Maybe he influenced your life more than mine, but I still don't think he deserves a biographical memorial on every major news channel while we have service men and women dying in the name of freedom and no one seems to notice.
I love music and I have felt connected with a good set of lyrics before, but to care more about the death of a songster than to pay attention to our own corrupt government or any number of the other corrupt governments throughout the world is ridiculous and is a sign of the misdirection of our country as a whole. I guess it makes sense as to why we've elected a celebrity to be our president rather than someone who is experienced enough to run the country - not that either of the candidates were very promising.