Question: What's the Saddest Part of Miss Teen South Carolina's TV Debacle?

Image Source: Onion.com

Like most people in the U.S. with a TV, I couldn't avoid the widespread coverage of Caitlin Upton's meltdown during this year's Miss Teen USA broadcast.

Yes, she embarrassed herself. Yes, both the question and her response might well synopsize all that stinks about the current state of education in the U.S. Just another not so subtle reminder that it is only a matter of time until we fulfill Mike Judge's prophecy.

[Note: According to Jeannie Moos of CNN, no 'credible study' could be found to substantiate the stat used in the question. Check out the following link for video of Moos' report, under "dumb moments"; I'd link directly, but don't see how that is possible/easy given CNN's site structure. Also note that MSNBC has a more sympathetic piece about Caitlin that tries to provide readers with a broader sense of who she is.]

But here is a question to both everyone and no one in particular:

What really is the saddest part of all this?

- Is it the fact that some soon to be model / actress / wife of successful alpha male flubbed her speaking part in a non-event and now might be derided by people she doesn't know for a few days?

- Or is it the fact that we're still having beauty pageants in the year 2007? Why are we still having these ludicrous exhibitions of tastelessness anyway? And why are people still watching? "You're pretty - yaaayy."

[Sidenote: If someone hasn't already done a documentary that intersperses clips from beauty pageants, dog shows and livestock judging events, they should. Free idea for any enterprising filmmaker who wants it. Here's the sell: Drop Dead Gorgeous meets Best in Show meets Miss Heifer USA -- but it's all real. Done and done.]

Or, if that's either too radical or too obvious of a question, here's another:

Who does anyone think they are fooling by including in these pageants a portion that solicits intelligent responses and opinions?

Disclaimer: please, anyone who stumbles across this, spare me comments about how many beauty pageant contestants have IQs >130 or have XYZ advanced degrees, etc., etc. I'm certain there are exceptions. Though I would like to believe most attractive, intelligent women realize there are many better things to be doing with their time and abilities than field questions from the likes of Aimee Teegarden and Mario Lopez.

Appreciation for Capital One's Commercials

I am not certain if both of these are from the same agency. They are both for Capital One, but for different lines of business. I suppose I could investigate, but that's one step further than I am willing to go right now.

Neither of these is the exact execution I recall seeing on air, but they are close enough to get the gist of them.

First one is below -- a timely spot given what is going on in the mortgage market. I saw this the same day I heard about their closing of a wholesale mortgage unit, but apparently the division that was closed wasn't the one advertised in this spot.



I just think the spot does an excellent job of tangibly representing the concerns about and ramifications of financial contracts that can backfire on you. I actually think it's a better conceit than what Capital One has been doing with their credit card commercials, like the tooth fairy, or the visigoths. However, among those, I do have a soft spot for the dragon slayer spot below, if only because the line "...and not just a big lizard" is brilliant.

Open Letter to John Krasinski: Please Don't Ruin the Office

Image Source: BritFilms.tv

The best thing than can be said about License to Wed is that its brief public lifespan -- from promo campaign through its exit from first release theaters -- didn't overlap with any new episodes of The Office. And by the time the new season starts I will most likely have the rotten stink that was License to Wed out of my mind. I didn't actually see the film, but really, did you need to? Just seeing the promos almost made me want to boycott everything Krasinski does. I simply don't want one of my favorite TV characters associated with another septic Robin Williams anti-comedy.

Honestly, why would you say, 'yeah, I really think Robin is on a roll with RV and Night at the Museum, clearly he has his finger on the pulse of America's taste in humor, let me jump on that comedy bandwagon while there's still time.' Were there no Cuba Gooding Jr. projects to get involved in?

Seriously, John, the golden goose has laid a cool and lucrative egg right in your lap. You get paid well and you're broadly admired. In return, the viewing public is putting their trust in you not to f*ck it up.

Question: What is the Saddest Thing About Lou Dobbs' Dye Job?

Image Source: MSNBC.com

A few weeks ago while channel surfing in some hotel during a business trip I was stopped short by a close up shot of Lou Dobbs on CNN. I don't watch much of Lou Dobbs Tonight because I don't have much patience for self-important grandstanding. So maybe this dye job he is sporting isn't news to folks, but it jolted me a bit. I remember Lou being pretty gray up top ~7 years ago when he was doing CNN's Moneyline News Hour and launching Space.com.



Image Source: CNN

So to see him with a rejuvenated thatch of red hair was a surprise.

After processing the shock, I thought to myself that this is generally sad, but I'm not sure what exactly is the saddest part:

- Is it a national "news" figure so vain and insecure that he feels compelled to dye his hair and is perhaps deluded enough to think people don't notice that he is dyeing his hair?

- Or is it the likelihood that if he didn't dye his hair an even smaller share of the American "news" viewing public would tune into his program because, for a depressingly large percentage of people, surface appearances trump content quality when determining which channel to watch.