Is This Really Entertainment?

I did something last night that I rarely get the chance to do. Not THAT, silly.

TV. I watched it. Live. Commercials and all. And wow, the pharmaceutical industry must be making money hand over fist because during one commercial break from the evening news, three separate drug ads came on, one right after the other.

Depressed? No problem. Suffer from chronic constipation? See your doctor. Heart condition and have the common cold? Look for the medicine with the heart RIGHT ON THE BOX (so says S. Epatha Merkerson). It was slightly ironic that these came on during the news because Katie Couric did a segment for a week long piece called "Generation RX", detailing the epidemic of young people addicted to prescription drugs. What a surprise because if you've got an ailment, by god there's a pill for it.

After the news, I tuned into TMZ. When did this Internet favourite get it's own time slot? I was blown away. Celebrity gossip on steroids. For me, shows like this are a bit like a car wreck. You don't want to look, but you can't help yourself. The thing that arrested me was when they highlighted celebrities who were just trying to get a coffee or cross the street like the rest of us. The camera panned back far enough so that you could see the MOB of photographers snapping away and nearly chasing the flavour of the moment down the street. I know that celebrities make gobs of money and that they understand that losing their anonymity is the price of success but geez...I feel sorry for them. I think it would bite to have hordes of cameras in your face like that following you everywhere you went. I do have one question, though. When did Melanie Griffith start looking leonine? And Carrot Top? He gives Michael Jackson a run for freak of the century. I learned several things and each of them caused me to feel a bit queasy.

1. New show called, "Celebrity Rehab" has either debuted or will be sometime soon. This, of course, is just what America needs because we aren't neurotic and narcissistic enough. Throw in second shot at that elusive fifteen minutes of fame and presto! casting agents will FINALLY take note because nothing says manageable insurance risk like a successful stint at rehab.

2. Danny Bonaduce apparently wants to pose for Penthouse (you read that right)because nude photos that surfaced of him sometime this year were not especially flattering. Perhaps he is hoping better lighting might augment enhance his assets. Whatever. Pass the bucket.

3. OJ and his Las Vegas posse have plead "Not Guilty". Shocking! I sure didn't see that one coming.

So that was my evening. I figured that I deserved some entertainment after punishing myself at the gym but I think that in the future, I'll stick to TIVO.