Chicago Celebrities

I just had my picture taken with Rod Blagojevich, and he told me that my hair looked "nice."

I'm not sure how to assess this situation, seeing as how I can't seem to stop giggling like a maniacal girl scout in a roomful of thin mints. Is this funny? YES. Is this weird? Absolutely. Is this something I should think about with a little more depth? Probably.

Here's the thing:

I was just getting off work when someone came in and said, "Rod Blagojevich is sitting at the Starbucks patio right now," and everyone around me FLIPPED OUT. Some people wanted to start a fist fight. Some people wanted to ignore it. And some people, like myself, wanted to see it -- the dirty, criminal, celebrity politician -- firsthand. I checked my bag to make sure I had my camera with me, which I did, and said, "I want a picture with him."

The thing is, I didn't quite know WHY I wanted a picture with him, at least I didn't know until it was snapped, and I stated, "I now have a celebrity photo!"

Blagojevich IS a celebrity and whether it's for reasons that are good or bad doesn't matter anymore. He's made national, if not global, headlines. He's Britney Spears. He's Paris Hilton. He's OUT THERE, and that fact is undeniable. Why is he out there, though? Is it because he was the governor of Illinois, the governor of the state that our new president came from? Or is it because of Chicago's history of crooked politicians? Is it the fact that he's a delusional weirdo? Or is it because he's famous for being so unbelievably BAD at what he was supposed to do?

It doesn't really matter, when you put it into perspective. He's famous, rather INfamous, for being himself, and being himself was all he was being when I met him. He was shaking hands, getting introductions, and taking photos with perfect strangers. He was OWNING it, whatever "it" might be.

I suppose that's what it means to be a celebrity -- taking what comes, and taking it all.

Journalism FAIL

I saw Robert Fisk tonight. Rather, I heard him speak at a lecture called, "Politics, Journalism and Globalisation of the Middle East." Man, what a crock of shit.

Not only did he do his damnedest to sell his book(s) but he wouldn't answer my question. At all.

FISK: Yes, the young lady in the back.
ME: Mr. Fisk, since you have mentioned that online journalism isn't going to succeed, and print journalism is a dying art, where do you recommend readers get their news, and moreover, how and where do you think journalism is going?
FISK: Oh. You're an American, eh? Well... journalism is changing, and that change can be seen on the internet, and making sure that online journalists can maintain a readership is important, but completely different from MY experiences... blah, blah, blah, buy my book(s).

Listen up, Fisk, I know that you're a big shot and you don't have to answer to anybody because you've achieved a buncha great things in your life, but your profession has to answer to someone, and that someone is The Rest of Us.

I wish I'd gotten an answer and then I wish I hadn't re-read his articles, because now I'm just pissed off that this guy gets to write garbage and is revered for it.

i don't know that for a fact. i can't say that. he obviously has some serious in-depth analysis and his writing is cohesive and well-supported. but it's still biased. and now, so am i.

Can you answer to THAT?

television

among all the observations and experiences i have had since i arrived, the most constantly surprising thing is...

television.

man, if only Uncle Milty could get a load of this.



this is the spoiler/teaser for "Home and Away" which is a terrible title for a terrible show. when i say 'terrible show' i mean, 'highly addictive, stupid soap opera.' seriously. it's great. and awful.

i found out that everyone here watches a lot of American television, too... from 5 years ago. since i've been here, i have caught myself up on "Scrubs," "Smallville," and "One Tree Hill" only to find that i'm watching storylines that i know the endings to. oddly enough, i think "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville" might be suspiciously good shows. (i KNOW "Scrubs" is good). don't quote me on that, but from what i'm watching here, combined with my observations from 'teaser' commercials i saw before i left, i think that my scorn and pessimism may have been wrong.

"Home and Away" is still terrible, though.

so is "Gilmore Girls," which i always suspected of being a cardboard version of "My So-Called Life." by the way, it is, but that doesn't stop anyone from watching the rapidly-delivered-dialogue-posing-as-realistic-conversation. it's baaad. yet, everyone here watches and loves it. go figure.

i do love the commercials here. there's one that never fails to crack me up.



and then there's one that will give me nightmares for the rest of my life.



on saturdays, i get reruns of Nickelodeon shows like "Drake and Josh" and "iCarly," both of which make me wonder if i am actually stupid enough to enjoy these shows or if i'm just homesick.

luckily, i can still keep up with "Battlestar Galactica," but i'm way behind on "The Office" and "Gossip Girl." yeah, i follow "Gossip Girl." don't you dare judge me -- you just watched a "Home and Away" clip.

Mystery Cove

Give this a listen, then read the following post:

As a long-time non-fan of the popular television show, "Lost," I can finally say that I love the show, thanks to Mystery Cove. Now, I haven't been a non-fan of "Lost" out of spite or anything like that. It's merely been circumstance that has kept me from watching a single episode. Honest.

The "Mystery Cove" podcast has re-ignited my interest, based solely on the fact that is a Lost-type show... that doesn't actually exist. The beauty of the podcast is in the fact that you have two extremely talented improv performers pretending that they are the executive producers of a popular-ish television show.

Do not, I repeat, do not look for the show.

Rather, enjoy the lively discussions and drama the "producers" and "actors" engage in as they answer "fan mail" about the show. It's brilliant. The podcast not only make enough references to the fictional show to make you believe the show exists, but it includes the politics behind putting on shows, taking many a jab at the FOX network, whom I will never forgive for taking "Arrested Development" and "Firefly" off the air.

Enjoy the podcast and feel free to send them your questions. They'll answer, no matter how irrelevant or asinine.

I have to go watch some non-television now.

fine. then i'm taking my bomb and going home

apparently WTTW recived a bomb threat on Monday. why? it was in response to an airing of a program entitled, "Proud and Gay in Chicago." god, do i hate people. i hate people that hate. i hate people that hate other people.

jerks. everywhere. and to threaten the lives and safety of WTTW staff AND the students at NEIU (located 500 feet away) is just plain absurd. i wish i had something insightful, witty and appropriately scathing to say, but i am just too angry.

i find myself wondering who on earth would think that a violent threat will EVER get a positive response. were the terrorists hoping that the show would be removed from the network? if so, when do the demands stop?

"We're going to set off a bomb if you continue to air a show about gay culture."
"We're going to set off a bomb if you air a show about any culture."
"We're going to set off a bomb if you don't bring back Booberry Cereal."

seriously. what the hell is WRONG with people? ugh.