Sign of the Apocalypse

I suppose, in this day of pandering to the lowest common denominator to determine what is news, it shouldn't have surprised me that my newspaper put the death of Anna Nicole Smith on its front page.
I walked into the bank on Thursday to see that the televisions they have set to Fox News Channel were showing live pictures of a casino rooftop and barking that Smith had collapsed and had been rushed to the hospital.
I do not speak ill of the dead.
But who the fuck is Anna Nicole Smith, and why should she rise above a mention on the personality page to the front page? I mean, she rose to fame taking her clothing off, then stayed well past when her 15 minutes of fame were up by marrying some old oil tycoon to get his money, becoming a fat reality TV star, hawking diet pills and then having a baby whose father is in question while her son died of a drug overdose in her hospital room.
On Wednesday, four U.S. Marines were killed in Iraq.
The Marines, who were assigned to Multi-National Force — West, died from wounds sustained due to enemy action in two separate incidents in the insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad, according to a statement. The deaths raised to at least 3,114 members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
That news, however, didn't make it to the front page of my newspaper.

Comments

RachelRenae said…
I agree entirely- I was dismayed to see Smith's death given such widespread coverage. While I thought very little of her and was unmoved by her death (outside of the orphaning of her baby), this quote from Lord of the Rings came to my mind;

"Many who die deserve life, and many who live deserve death. Can you give it to them?"
TheRobRogers said…
As Dyar says, it's no wonder they want to bomb us. I'm serious. This is what's wrong with our culture.
Skigirl said…
We have a BIG child abuse case, Iraq deaths, terrorist plots/arrests etc.. but Anna steals the show getting the same if not more coverage. I wouldn't mind, but she's not even a British celeb ;-)
Anonymous said…
t,
here is another front page story, section A, from your/our paper while you were gone.

"Maytag and Jenn-Air dishwashers recalled" Sunday February 4, 2007

All that goes on in our troubled world, state, city, and this is front page news?

sad and weak.

s.

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