I'm Depressed

Alex Keaton's mother is a lesbian? I should have seen it coming. After all, she was a latter day reformed hippie and PBS volunteer and supporter. I wonder if Alex saw it coming. How did he take the news? Me? I was flabbergasted. I'd been in love with Meredith Baxter going back to Bridget Loves Bernie. I still thought she was hot in Family Ties. Hell, everyone I knew wanted to have her...for a mother. And this week she told the world she's changed teams. She's a lesbian. Damn. What's the world coming to?

Alex, there's something you need to know about Mom...

I make light. Of course the choice of who she chooses to love is hers. That's fine. And I wish her much happiness. But it is just one example this week of several incidents that gave me pause.

Seriously, there were some things that occurred this week that moves us to ask ourselves just what the hell's going on around us when our idols disappoint us and let us down. Stranger still is the fact there are others waiting in the shadows, anxious to follow in their misguided footsteps.

Let's deal with the elephant in the room up front...or the Tiger. Here's a hero we all hold on high and marvel at his accomplishments. But, seemingly, all his trophies weren't enough for him. He needed more. And now that the news is out, despite his best attempts to keep things quiet, the vultures are circling. But, hey, it's the price a sports figure, a politician, an actor, a billionaire pays for coveting such a lifestyle. It didn't just fall into their lap, by accident. These people worked hard to get to where they are. And then they seemingly let it all slip away in a moment of "transgression".

His driver no longer a best-kept secret

As sad as this is, what's worse is the next tier of wanna-be celebrities. Jon and Kate, the Balloon Boy Family, the White House Party Crashers. What in God's name possesses these people? Where did they ever get the misguided notion that anybody else would be interested in their exploits...their so-called 15 minutes of fame?

Are we to measure someone's worth by "what they can pull off" over what they have "accomplished".

We have set a new standard, ladies and gentlemen. And it seems the guidepost unfortunately is the amount of air time on TMZ, Entertainment Tonight and Extra.

Sad. Very sad.

Excuse me now. I'm meeting Mary Hart at a state dinner being thrown by the Governor General that I haven't been invited to.