As I have grown older, I have become increasingly disenfranchised with the world's news media. My parents grew up in different areas of the United States; they received weekly newspapers regarding the big events, and they listened to the radio each evening for current world, national, and local news. I was born in 1956, and we sat down to eat supper at 6 p.m. each weekday - and while we were eating, the television was on, showing 30 minutes of local news, followed by 30 minutes of national and world news. I ate my supper and watched the news about the war in Viet Nam and the unrest in the Middle East. The family discussed the news over the dinner table, and later, after the dishes were washed and dried.
My heroes, at the time, were cowboys and actors who portrayed cowboys. If I had to name a hero today, I'd have to say Richard Engle, a news journalist, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. When I read today's headlines (online), I almost ruined my monitor and keyboard with a mouthful of orange juice. The first two news headlines were in regard to the terrorist attacks in Paris, but the third headline was that an actor had announced he is HIV positive on a morning national news show. Why is this man's medical history news?
I have never regarded "star" or celebrity status of someone as news. It's plain old gossip. I had my own, private news page set up to give me the "news stories" regarding several people whom I know personally. Some are considered celebrities - but they're just friends to me, because I've known them all of my (or their) life. I ended up removing them because there was so much awful, stupid gossip that appeared under the banner of news. Is so-and-so dating so-and-so? What does so-and-so eat during a day? What does so-and-so's wife think about this? What does so-and-so's family think about that? So-and-so said this; and a quote taken out of context follows; what does it mean?
I am extremely un-trendy. I have a few favorite actors, a lot of favorite authors and books, and a few favorite television shows. Watching certain actors can make my toes curl up. I love the way they look, the way they move, and the sound of their voices. But I do not want to know every salacious detail of their lives. They have kids? Good for them. They have a horrible illness and are fighting it - such as cancer, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's? I'm sorry for them and I will support them to the utmost of my ability. My own family members suffer from cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and diabetes. I support them. I support celebrities who create awareness of diseases that can strike all of humanity - many excellent actors and actresses have succumbed to any and all of the diseases I named.
But it seems to me that the actor who announced that he is HIV positive today did so merely for his own personal good. Look at me - I can't believe that I am HIV positive! This man is a foul-mouthed person that curses and screams at other people for no reason - he delights in being "out of control" whether through abuse of alcohol or drugs, or both. He is a danger to society at large when he is under the influence of any type of drug - legal or otherwise. And he suddenly wants my sympathy? He has crashed and burned too many times in public for me to give him anything... I wouldn't urinate on him if he was on fire standing next to me - I'd just run as fast as I could to get away from his presence.
Maybe I'm a bad person for feeling this way. But I am sick to death from hearing about "celebrities" who are pretty much self-created. Who the heck are the Kardashians? I've seen the name everywhere, but why are they in the spotlight? Did one of them create a new food source to feed the poor? Did they discover a new medicine to help kill a disease? Why should I care what they do, who they date, marry, or have babies with? It's none of my business. And I wish the "news media" would learn to accept that.
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