I know I won't be the only one in the blogosphere to write about this, but I can't seem to stop myself. I won't often blog about politics, since there are so many who can do that much better than I, but a lot of political issues--or issues with a political side to them--have been weighing heavy on my mind lately. The US economy is in the tanker, we are at war in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of people in this country have no health insurance or not-good-enough-and-way-too-expensive health insurance... I could go on. And on.
But the media understands our need for a glimpse of hope, for some sort of light in the darkness that seems to be covering our national landscape. I go to CNN's homepage today and it's as though an angel has come along to say "Don't despair! There is wonderful news in the world, too!" What could it be? The headline reads: Paris Hilton's Dogs Alive and Well.
Oh. Well. Thank GOD for that! Seriously?
In case you're one of those who has been lying awake nights tossing and turning over rumors that Paris' pups were eaten by a coyote, rest assured. Paris has had a doggie mansion built for her pampered pups (I love alliteration) and, according to Paris' rep, the doggie mansion (or puppy paradise) is "very secured." PHEW.
I'll admit to following a certain amount of celebrity gossip, but I wonder if there should be a line drawn somewhere. If I were a Texan who had just lost her home, for instance, how would I feel about finding the Paris puppy story on the front page of CNN? I don't honestly know the answer to that. What do you think? Are stories like this a fun distraction from our problems, or just plain silly--or worse?
