There was a marvelous episode ("The Judge", season 6, episode 9) of the police comedy "Barney Miller" a few years ago in which Sgt. Dietrich investigates a complaint made by a lonely befuddled woman about abductions, murders, and other crimes she is seeing through her window.
It turned out that the "window" through which she was seeing this crime spree was her television screen, and all the things she was "seeing" were crimes committed on the soap operas that she was watching instead of actually interacting with real people and events in her life.
To tell you the truth, in a day when one can't so much as go to the mall without running the risk of getting shot by a member of some non-well-regulated militia, maybe she had a better idea, just staying home.
But that episode came to mind the other morning while I was watching "Good Morning America," which had a report about Taylor Swift breaking up with some guy she had been going around with for six years. I'm sorry for the both of them; I like it when people find a match and always hope it works out,
BUT...(and you know there is one!)...Janai Norman, telling the story, showed some tweets and other social media messages posted by Swift fans in response. One of those tweets really caught my eye, from a person who said, "I have officially accepted this news..."
Huh? How is it up to us to accept or not accept the news of any other person's relationship foundering? It would be one thing if that writer happened to be a friend of Ms Swift or her erstwhile love interest, whose name I don't know because I don't keep up with show biz gossip. Yes, if you are her friend, you are personally invested in her happiness or sudden lack thereof, and so you would have something to say to her.
But, assuming this fan is not in the entertainer's inner circle, what is it about celebrity in 2023 that endows upon us in the audience a feeling that we should or could "officially accept" bad news about them?
There was a time when the stars had publicity agents and press relations people to groom their public images through staged photographs, arranged dates, and orchestrated goodwill campaigns. Today, as soon as a person gains the slightest bit of traction in the race for public attention, he or she sets up an Instagram account and immediately posts pictures of their every mundane activity all day long.
"Here I am looking sweaty - just left the gym - see you soon St Louis!"
"I had no idea that it would be so hard to find real fresh-squeezed orange juice in Tampa - better try Whole Foods next..."
And of course, "Kid" "Rock" and Travis Trite have to come on and slam a beer company for acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community, in an effort to seem like"real guys."
I don't blame the famous for wanting to remain famous. They are adroit users of social media, sharing their lives. That's fine.
Where we make a mistake is in thinking that we are a part of those lives.
Now, let's get back to paying attention to matters of real importance, such as whether or not Prince George will behave at his grandfather's coronation.
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