HOFFMAN: Celebrities shouldn't beat out real, hard news
If you've paid attention to the Internet in the past few weeks, you'll know there's a lot of winning going on.
New Twitter folk-hero Charlie Sheen has been "#winning" ever since he joined the micro-blogging site March 1. From there, it only got more insane.
From claiming he has tiger blood and Adonis DNA to hosting his own live-streaming show, "Sheen's Korner," on UStream, he has captured the attention of far too many people.
I admit, I follow him on Twitter, but I am no fan. Aside from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "The Chase" and the "Major League" films, I don't like him.
I find his humor trite and boring. As far as I am concerned, reinforcing any stereotype is not funny no matter who you are.
But what I am interested in is why people like Sheen manage to stay relevant post-breakdown.
Americans love a good train wreck. From the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton debacle to anything Gary Busey does to Britney Spears shaving her head and attacking a car with an umbrella; we are fascinated by people falling apart.
I am not unaffected by it. I can get wrapped up in the hype of a celebrity meltdown. But what I don't understand is why celebrity news takes precedence over real news.
Libya, for example, or the pro-union protests in Wisconsin. Both are not only important, but have a direct effect on us as Americans.
The protests in Wisconsin could reverberate throughout much of the country should the pro-union side prevail. Finally we have a real domestic economic issue at hand that could shape the way businesses, governments and workers work together.
This could especially affect the Wolverine State because of its manufacturing-heavy economy.
As for Libya, just take a drive to the nearest gas station. You wouldn't know the country only possesses a fraction of the world's oil from looking at gas prices.
Last I checked, prices were over $3.50 per gallon. Makes me glad I don't own a car.
Also, Libya is a neighbor to one of America's most trusted allies in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia. If the rebellions in Libya and other nations spread elsewhere, what does that mean for our nation's interests in the region?
These are things that need to be thought about and discussed in an open forum, not swept under the rug because Charlie Sheen is tweeting about his hijinks with a couple of porn stars.
Our obsession with celebrity news (gossip) is hampering our ability as citizens to be informed members of society.
There are more important things happening in the world than whether Sheen is winning or not.
