Every morning, for as long as I can remember, I wake up at exactly 6am. I shower and dress by 6:30, make and eat breakfast just in time for the 7 o’clock news. It has recently been brought to my attention however; that the news seems to have been replaced by something else. Come to think of it, both radio AND television news have been significantly shortened to include a different sort of information. Useless celebrity gossip.

Now it isn’t that I think celebrity gossip has no place in our world. I completely recognize that people who are not satisfied with hearing the truth enjoy immersing themselves in the pathetic lives of others. I understand that following the speculated lives of talent-less drug addicts is a pleasant pastime for millions. What I cannot comprehend is why this useless and often fictional information is taking over the news. From what I have gathered in my short 17 years of life; news is factual information; intelligence if you will. Somehow, I fail to see this criteria being met in any way when it comes to celebrity gossip. Quite frankly, the news is already biased and questionable enough, it doesn’t need speculations as to Brittney’s mental state to add to its credibility.
When the attention paid to a child sexually assaulted, or another soldier killed in Afghanistan is one third of the attention paid to celebrities: we have a problem. This obsession with
celebrity gossip is acting as a dollar store band-aid: it just won’t stick. While celebrity gossip is a great way to distract
ourselves from reality; it cannot shield us forever. At some point, Brittney is going to run out of drug overdoses and bad haircuts. At some point, radio DJs will have to comment on something of substance, and news reporters will have to cover actual events. Despite our efforts to camouflage the harsh realities of our world; they remain clear as a summer day. Millions of people are hurting, and there are countless issues and events which have yet to be addressed. Shortening a news segment about a missing child to sneak in an update on Brittney’s custody battle does not erase the pain of this child’s grieving parents. A sneak peak at Brittney’s overly exposed body parts does not cancel out the daughter killed for trying to conform.

I was recently invited to a friend’s house for a family dinner. While at the table, I was left in utter dismay when the topic of conversation was the speculated rehab visit of Brittney Spears. I would be confident in betting a large horse that these people knew more about Brittney than their own home town. Not only does this worry me; it makes me sick. The scandalous lives of celebrities have invaded the lives of millions of happy and functional families across the country.

I have recently stopped listening to the 7 o’clock news, and now receive news via newspaper; skipping the gossip column with a determined flip of the page. Brittney Spears; I don’t care about how many DUI’s you collect or whether you like underwear or not. I understand that your pathetic life appeals to some people, and that’s fine. However, your life and your lies should be kept in 75 cent gossip magazines. I have always been a creature of habit; and I would like the 7 o’clock news back please. You are not news; you are a pathetic waste of time and space. How about sharing your air-time with something worthwhile?