Tabloids

Kirstie lost 69 pounds... She cheated on her diet. She'll wear a bikini on Oprah (does that mean she has no cellulite?). Nicole got married. There was a prenuptial. There was not. Denise is surprised Charlie turned out to be what he always was, and Heather is surprised Denise wasn't really her friend. Divorces. No divorces. Bad face lifts, Botox, and what is it with those lips?

If you don't know what any of that meant, you probably do not glance at the headlines of the tabloids alongside the grocery store check-outs and definitely do not buy the magazines. Now days you don't have to buy them. You can get most of the gossip and pictures from blogs as well as find interviews on major news programs. The mix between what is gossip and news has long been blurred.

I would not walk across the street to see a movie star in person and probably would pretend I didn't recognize them if I saw them in a restaurant. That was what I did the time I saw Clint Eastwood. I don't watch their interviews on television regarding how to fix the refugee or environmental problems, but I like to read stories about them. I think it's because their joys and problems are like anybody's except the opportunities, wealth, and glamour are bigger than average.

Back when I was young, the headlines were Liz and Eddie find true love. Liz and Dick find true love. Nothing much has changed for the stories. There were quite a few glossy movie star magazines back then, and I got to read them thanks to an aunt who passed them down. I didn't think nearly as highly of my mother's favorites-- Redbook and Good Housekeeping. Nope, for me it was seeing the stars on vacation, at a shimmering event, or catching a glimpse of some beauty kissing someone she wasn't supposed to through the grainy image of a telephoto lens where you had to take the photographer's word for who it was.

Now days the interest I have had in celebrity magazines is leaving me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I still enjoy the stories, the clothes, luxurious vacations, and seeing who is dating who and is she really having a baby-- even as I know the likelihood is if she is, the tabloid will be the last to know. But, I admit they are for me the same as junk food-- probably not good but something I have done anyway. There is the same mix of guilt for contributing to something that isn't healthy with the pleasure of doing it knowing I wasn't supposed to.

With the increasing aggressiveness of the paparazzi, I feel it's becoming more damaging, and I would be in favor of laws limiting access. Because someone is a celebrity or a political leader, does that make them suddenly fair game? I read there is a site on the internet where people can send in where they saw a celebrity for others to rush there. That becomes like hunting prey, doesn't it? If the laws are changed, readers would still have celebrity events; and the interviews when the celeb had a new product out. They know they need to advertise, but that advertisement should be limited to common decency.

And yes, I know, this is not exactly a weighty topic (think of it as summertime lite), but I am going to 'weigh' in on a couple of the stories. I hope Keith and Nicole have found lasting joy. Paul and Joanna did years ago. It could happen. Everybody likes a happy ending, but then I hoped Kenny and Renee would find that also. I think when Angelina says that she is putting her children first and that's why she's not marrying their father, whose leg is she pulling? And as for Britney, who did not expect a girl growing up as a child star would have problems figuring out how to live a balanced adult life? I have never watched The View, but was it good or bad to bounce Star from it? Hmmmm that about covers it... except will Kirstie really keep the weight off? Tune in next week.

(I did not ask permission from the Evening Grosbeaks for the above picture. From the looks and sounds of conflict at the feeder today, stars have nothing on them.)