I saw a commercial for a sleeping pill the other day. In its disclaimer it said, "side effects include drowsiness...." If that's a side effect, what's the main effect?
Sanjaya Malakar was the target of much scrutiny, concern, outright denegration, chat, analysis, speculation, adoration.... it's a long list, for the past several weeks. So be it.
Pundits and people alike couldn't figure out his attraction, his stamina on a show where far better singers had already been unceremoniously dumped. Sabrina Sloan, Chris Sligh, Stephanie Edwards, et al, come to mind. (note: I actually had to go look up Stephanie's name as I couldn't remember it. Probably won't have to do that with the San-man.)
I read articles, or maybe it was blogs, that stated he would bring down the pop music industry single-handedly, as if that's possible. People seemed frantic for an answer as to why he was still performing. Eventually a certain acceptance started filtering in to the articles. Some even speculated that he might actually win the competition, and perhaps it was a good thing.
It all really became quite amusing in its way. Even more so than Sanjaya's recent do.
As a culture, we are bored with our lives. What else could explain the obsession with something so mundane as whether or not a teenage boy will win a singing competition and get a record contract? After all, it's not as if anyone has to buy his records. Or even watch the show for that matter.
We are bored, and this has led to 24-hour news shows. News has become a drug, maybe even addicting in its way. Where else to find the adrenalin rush in the normal 9 to 5 tedium?
We are bored. There's no other way to explain the Sanjaya phenomenon.
Best to ya, San-man. Milk the boredom for all its worth. Your spotlight just ended. Maybe you'll find another, but I suspect it won't be as intense.
2 comments:
I think the Sanjaya thing has a lot to do with people not only being bored, but also it was a distraction. Americans as a whole are so caught up in being more than one can possibly be, and ultimately feeling like somehow their life hasn't turned out the way they wanted it to, that they turn to the boob-tube to distract themselves from their own pathetic life. When something comes up that we can look at and say, "Thank god I'm not like that" we feel a little better. Sad but true, and I have to say that when I buy in to that kind of behavior I am most upset with myself. When he got the boot, and cried so hard, I felt so badly for any participation I may have had, even if only in my living room.
As a culture, we denigrate to feel better about ourselves often. And ultimately it will come back and kick us in the ass. Case in point, Virginia Tech. Now don't get me wrong... I am not saying the young man that did that is not the one to blame for this.I am also not saying anyone deserved what happened to them... But when you look at statistics, many of these school shootings that have happened are done by people who were picked on. Is it possible to create a killer by killing the spirit of another human being?
Sanjaya could have taken everything to heart that everyone was saying, and his self esteem could have been stripped.
I think the irony in this case is what you mentioned before, Jeff, Contrast.
Sanjaya will be fine, and everyone will still be looking for a distraction.
Good write jamela... have you considered your own blog? All you have to do is sign up. :-)
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