How soon we forget

As I perused the latest news today, I was struck dumb with disbelief by the obsessive attention being paid to such a petty and inconsequential event as the Academy Awards. Article after article analyzed, ad nauseum, the endless parade of incredibly expensive gowns, the meaningless debate over fashionable trends, and the seemingly limitless Oscar bounty of free luxury goods and designer "swag".

Shouldn't we, as a society, feel ashamed?

Where is the outrage, the damning critique of the cynical excess oozing from the television? While we sit mesmerized, feverishly engrossed in the opulent display, we seem to forget the fact that the "real" news is forgotten-- news that has a real impact on our lives, as well as the lives of those around us. While we continue to dissect the artificial spectacle that is Hollywood congratulating itself, we overlook the stories that are truly important-- the stories that really matter to our society and the rest of the world.

Have we forgotten that it was only 16 days ago that the most influential Playboy centerfold of our time collapsed in a hotel room? How soon we abandon the tragedy of the beautiful jeans model, the pneumatic bride of the senile billionaire, the struggling reality-show star, the ultimately tragic mother! Her voluptuous surgical enhancements, the courtroom drama, the public meltdowns, the volatile weight loss, the great big whopping gobs of cash -- they were an inspiration to us all. But her story is already being forgotten as the fight over her burial, her daughter and her millions is relegated to an abbreviated article squeezed between two underwear ads on page 8.

While our fickle society gravitates toward the superficial celebrity awards and delights in the post mortem on red carpet madness, the more important post mortem is ignored; the motives of the men claiming paternity are no longer examined in excruciating detail; the breathless reporting on prescription drug use and illness is now silent, the all-too-brief life of tragedy neglected.

How have we come to this?