Broadcast Yourself

Per everyone's brain trust-like predictions, Jon and Kate are divorcing. When the show went from a bunch of rambunctious children doing the darnedest things to a Cassavetes movie complete with dour looks, lonely images, and thinly-veiled barbs, we should have known. The body language between Jon and Kate speaks volumes; they never touch or say kind things about each other. They barely can look each other in the eye. Barbara Walters commented today that it should be illegal for people who have more than five kids to divorce. My question is how such a couple could possibly stay married. Just the noise alone would push me over the edge. And much has been made about whether or not the kids are being exploited. Probably. To have one's entire childhood documented can only lead to an adulthood of wondering why the hell people aren't following my every move with a camera. But given our culture, can this problem even be avoided?

We have many recording devices, we have cell phones, we can broadcast ourselves on youtube. We're more than happy when this works in our favor in bringing us money, fame, compliments. We aren't happy when this dark god turns on us. Sarah Palin can allow her daughter Bristol to become a showpiece for her campaign, but feel outraged when she becomes a target by David Letterman. I don't hate Sarah Palin the way a lot of people I know do; she's got valid points at times, she appeals to people. But she also chose a life in the spotlight. She chose to put her pregnant daughter on display as an unlikely symbol for an abstinence campaign. And weirdly, I agree with that -- who better than a very tired overwhelmed teenage mother to say, Don't have sex? Birth control enough for me, and I'm way past my teenage years. We love our image until we don't. Until someone says something cruel. My way of dealing with things I don't want to hear is to tune them out. After all, there's a lot of channels out there.

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"There is no planning. On the night it is really great, it’s euphoria and if it is not so great there is always tomorrow night." Ed McMahon

Cocktail Hour
Reader survey: Favorite summer drink?

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Tuesday! Thanks for all the kind comments on the Father's Day post. As for Dave's comment, I have no interest in supporting the Communist Manifesto. I wouldn't last a day under such a regime. But I strongly feel that everyone should have their say, even the crazy white supremacists with their nutso websites on the evils of "race-mixing," and even Martha Stewart.