Who's to blame?
In America you have the right to remain ignorant
But you can always vote on ‘American Idol’
Round 1.
Who is Beyonce married to? How many children have Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopted? How much money was Charlie Sheen getting paid per episode of “Two and a Half Men” and who is replacing him now that he isn’t on the show? Who are the Kardashians? Who put a restraining order on Chris Brown, why? Which team got the best picks in the NFL draft?
Chances are you answered most of these questions with ease, no hesitation. They are all common knowledge topics that by living in America, especially in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, you are kind of expected to know. Even if you aren’t hip or in the in-crowd it’s likely that you are well-versed on at least one of these topics, if not several or all of them. You didn’t have to seek out this information because you were likely force-fed it by simply logging on to the Internet, turning on the news, or listening to the radio.
Round 2.
Name three Supreme Court justices. Who is the secretary of defense? What is the 7th Amendment about? What are the words to the Star-Spangled Banner and who wrote it? Who are California’s state senators? What is the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Who is next in line if both the president and the vice president can no longer serve?
Just a guess, but it is likely that these questions were a bit harder to answer, especially for much of today’s youth. Don’t feel too bad, it was twice as hard for me to come up with the second round of questions so I figured it would be twice as hard for you to answer them. The question becomes why is this the case?
These questions aren’t particularly difficult. A few of them were actually taken from the list of 100 Things Every American Should Know, which is sometimes used as a study tool for individuals preparing to take the test for U.S. citizenship. So, needless to say, a natural-born and raised American should have no problem answering these questions.
So who’s to blame if you did well in Round 1 but utterly failed on Round 2? Is our education system to blame, or is it something sadder and more obvious than that? It seems that some young Americans have become completely celebrity-obsessed. When the news is filled with nothing but death and the latest celebrity pregnancy, it’s hard to blame Americans for shying away from the bad news and getting lost in the fantasy lives of our most loved entertainers.
Still it’s sad to see what appears to be an upcoming generation that is completely ignorant of the inner workings of the country and it system of government. We are raising a generation that is more interested in being entertained than educated. The worry is that this new crop of celeb-obsessed Americans is making it painfully easy to be manipulated, to have their rights violated, and to be controlled without even realizing it.
It’s much easier to violate the rights of someone who doesn’t understand what their rights are in the first place. Getting people to vote in presidential elections is like pulling teeth, and if it’s not for president it’s even more difficult. In 2004 more votes were cast for the winner on “American Idol” than for the president of the United States That’s scary.
It’s worrisome to see that it is so easy to get Americans distracted from the issues that truly matter and terrifying to think what could really be happening while we are all too busy voting for the next Pop star.
NEW YORK, N.Y.—BET Networks announced that actor/comedian Kevin Hart has been tapped to host this year’s BET Awards. Ranked among the top five cable award shows every year among total viewers. The brightest night in music will broadcast live from the historic Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 26 on BET.
Someone asked me last week if I thought American R&B was dead. Record sales have been declining for American artists who categorize themselves as the music genre’s front-runners. In fact, few major mainstream R&B artists, with the exception of Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Usher, are seeing an increase in album sales as their careers expand. For most of the American Soul family, there is a fight to stay relevant, charting and modern enough for our generation.
As Chris Brown took the stage at Good Morning America last week, I held my breath. I was rooting for him, waiting to see him return to grace and reignite the magical flame that had previously put him in the tradition of great R&B artists.
Brown’s up-and-down behavior has been at the forefront of a media circus which developed after pictures of Rihanna appeared on the Internet the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards, displaying eyelids which had been swollen shut, a fat lip, and bruises all over her face.
Last year, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) announced that in 2013 it would not list narcissistic personality-disorder (NPD) as a personality disorder. DSM defines narcissism as an intense sense of self-absorption and a grandiose sense of self—the idea that one is owed greatness, whatever their talent.
Thursday night was the official after party for up-and-coming R&B sensation Miguel, who is currently on tour with Usher and Trey Songz, as part of the highly anticipated OMG Tour.
Dedicated fans packed of the Staples Center for the show and many followed the madness from Downtown Los Angeles to club Marbella in Hollywood to get an encore performance of Miguel’s hit single “All I Want is You,” and for the chance at an up-close and personal meet-and-greet opportunity.
