I have pretty much given up watching the evening news. Every night there is another story about how bad the economy is, how the unemployment rate continues to climb, and how housing values continue to drop. Given my current job and housing situation, the news just adds to my stress. Instead of walking away enlightened, I just get heartburn.I was getting my "news" from entertainment and Celebrity News shows like Entertainment Tonight and Extra, but after last week's Jessica Simpson fiasco--did mom jeans and a few extra pounds really need that much coverage--I have decided to take a break from those shows as well. Thus, when Whoopi and company started talking about Michael Phelps this morning on The View, I didn't have the first clue as to what they were going on about. I had to go online just to keep up with their banter.
In case any of you reading this post are just as clueless as me, here is what's going on in Phelps Land. According to Clear365's article on the subject, a British newspaper published a picture of the Olympic swimmer smoking pot from a bong at a party held back in November, just a few short months after he picked up all those gold medals at the Summer Olympics. Phelps doesn't deny the authenticity of the photo; instead, he has publicly apologized for his actions.
Honestly, my first thought after reading the story was, "Is that all?" I'm in no way condoning marijuana use, but, from the way the hosts were acting, I thought that he had tested positive for steroids. Instead, he just got high. Well, he's not the first celebrity, and I doubt he'll be the last. If his career plummets from the negative publicity, I'm sure Dr. Drew will let him join Celebrity Rehab next season.
While the women on The View moved from Pot Gate to something Rush Limbaugh said, I continued to explore Clear365's entertainment, national, and Digital Music News. Apparently, a lot has happened in the world of entertainment in the last week. Too bad the news shows were too busy giving Jessica Simpson diet and exercise tips to report it. For instance, Elizabeth Hasselbeck is pregnant again. Well, that explains a lot, especially the reason she hasn't calmed down since the election. Britney Spears has taken out a restraining order against the two members of the paparazzi that she was hanging around back in her shaved head days, Bruce Springsteen is angry at Walmart, and someone burglarized Amy Winehouse's home. Surprisingly enough, the burglars didn't take the few brain cells that the singer has left.
I started to read some of Clear365's national news, but after seeing that the press is still attacking that poor woman who just gave birth to eight babies, I moved on to happier parts of the site, like the music store and the online games. I even listened to the Clear365 Radio. I was impressed that, if I was a Clearwire member, I could do more than just catch up on the news, download songs, play games, and listen to Internet radio. I could check my email, download widgets, upload photos, and schedule my interviews, should I ever get some, on an online calendar as well. Basically, I had no reason to leave the site.
However, I eventually did leave. I had to run to the grocery store and buy something for breakfast. Of course, all the magazines in the checkout line still had pictures of Jessica Simpson on the cover. I guess they haven't gotten in the newest controversial covers with Michael Phelps yet. I know that I shouldn't say this, but I kind of hope that some other celebrity does something stupid soon, like--gasp--wear white before Memorial Day or get a bad dye job, so we can all talk about something else for awhile. Until then, I think that I'm just going to stick to the Internet for my daily dose of news.
