I don't know about you, but everytime i surf the tv channels at night, I come across a handful of television shows about the top 100 of something. What is this all about? Why are we so interested in rankings or lists? The more I think about it, I blame the problems of this country on top 100 lists. Think about it, these shows clearly get enough ratings for their respective network to keep airing them, or even worse, result in the creation of a spin-off list. Oi vei.
Just off the top of my head, I can name:
Top 100 Child Stars
Top 100 Hair Bands of the '80's
Top 20 Hollywood Bad Boyfriends (huh?)
Top 20 Diva Party Girls
Top 40 Embarrassing Moments
Top 20 Caught on Tape
......
We care more in this country about dumb useless popularity lists than we do on our political leaders. I read on a major news website that more people voted on American Idol than voted in the nation's last presidential election, which is certainly good news if Ruben Studdard decides to persue a political career.
But this type of cavalier attitude also explains why Charles Barkley is thinking about running for governor of Alabama, why the "Terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger is governor of California, why Jesse "the body" Ventura became governor of Minnesota, and why shock jock Howard Stern actually earned 19% of the votes in the 1994 New York State governor's race...and that was after he withdrew his candidacy!
No wonder other countries laugh at us. No wonder we have become a joke to foreign leaders. I just wish we could place more importance on the people we want representing us, rather than the people who entertain us. But, I guess, sadly, they are one in the same.
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