BOOBY PRIZE

BOOBY PRIZE
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher

February 11, 2004

With more than a week having passed since the Super Bowl bra-ha-ha in regards to the halftime show that I didn't see but couldn't help hearing about, it's clear we have an element in our society that elevates itself above the rest of us mere mortals. They're called celebrities. Whether they be actors, musicians, news and television personalities or even Members of Congress, they seem to think they're above the ordinary rules of acceptable conduct, common decency and even the rule of law that the rest of us are bound to live by - both by statute and by the code of ethics and honor instilled in us for the most part by loving parents and yes, by a Divine Creator.

To hear the feigned claims of innocence by Justin Timberlake and especially Janet Jackson rings pathetically hollow. To use an Ashton Kutcher term, all of America got "punk'd" by Janet Jackson when she - in collusion with Timberlake - set the show up in such a manner so Jackson could flash her right breast, to include her pierced nipple I'm told, thus setting off what may be a new and dangerously unhealthy fashion trend, especially over the long term. MTV claimed they were blindsided by Jackson, yet their own website hyped the halftime show as having 'shocking moments', thus ringing their claim of being blindsided rather hollow. This can be substantiated not only by Matt Drudge having scooped this from their web page, but also by the suggestive lyrics from the duo's musical number: "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song." Jackson knew exactly what she was doing and CBS, for the first time in recent memory, is holding at least one entertainer accountable for their misconduct. Unfortunately, CBS didn't do the same for Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, singing about being half-man, half-drugs. On the other end, they had so-called musician and one-hit wonder Nelly (you know, Mr. Band-Aid-on-the-Face) repeatedly grabbing his crotch in much the same manner another Jackson (Michael) did in the 1991 video "Black or White" where in the original version that debuted on FOX, the last four minutes was nothing but a crotch grab-a-thon almost akin to masturbation. Could such a mental sickness indeed be familial?

Other celebrities have felt they can speak out on whatever they please, without consequences, citing their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech. Yet these morons fail to realize that all actions have consequences, good or ill. Case in point was in 2002 when Susan Sarandon and her boy-toy actor/director Tim Robbins lashed out at President Bush for his decision to use force in Afghanistan and Iraq following the September 11th attacks. This was about the same time the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York was planning on having a roundtable discussion on the popularity of "Bull Durham", arguably one of the best baseball movies ever made. In light of Sarandon's and Robbins' critical remarks of the Bush doctrine on the War on Terror, the Hall of Fame canceled the event. "Bull Durham" co-star and Castro suck-up Kevin Costner got his knickers in a knot and took the Hall to task for canceling the event, citing his co-stars' right to free speech. Yet Costner failed to realize that nothing in life is truly free; it must be earned, and there is a price to be paid for it. Yes, you can criticize government without reprisals from them under the First Amendment; but that doesn't prevent private entities from exacting sanctions if they feel it violates their codes of acceptable behavior, which in this case, it did.

To counter this growing trend of anything goes in entertainment in the way of free speech and uninhibited actions, CBS put in place a tape delay of about five minutes at the Grammys® this past Sunday to keep artists in check; ABC also plans on doing the same for the Oscars® at the end of the month.

The American people have finally stood up to the foul-mouthed cesspools many of these so-called entertainers have become. By boycotting these animals, perhaps the message will get through and the quality of American television will more closely resemble the ethics and morals of the American people at large and not a few twisted minds in Hollywood who insist on pushing their own lack of morals down our throats every week. Maybe that's why I watch so little television outside of Law & Order and CSI.

After all, what else is there except news? ***

Photo of Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files