Morons of the Month - October 2015

I am going to lay this out like a methodical trial attorney.  With lots of exhibits to prove my point.  And determine who is wearing my dunce cap this month.

Your honor...

Okay, no court in the land would dismiss my charge that the Kardashian family is nothing but a bunch of morons.  But, still, this country inexplicably is captivated by this clown car.  Including Cosmopolitan Magazine, which is really a magazine only read by people waiting to get their haircut at a salon.

So the cover calls them "America's First Family" and that's laughable to begin with.  But the furor in the press and the public really had nothing to do with the audacity of such a proclamation.  Nope.  It was something a bit more.

People actually viewed this as an affront to the Obamas.

What, what, what??

Oh, my God, the hand wringing and caterwauling that resulted.  How could we possibly offend the Obamas who should have the designation of "America's First Family."

C'est vrai.  Over the years, we have called the folks living in the White House at the time as the First Family of America.   But the venom at which we were told that we were violating the Obamas was ridiculous.  Especially when you know and I know that this would be a total non-controversy if the occupants had the last name of Bush or Clinton or Reagan or Carter or Nixon.

You know I'm right.

And then, your honor, there is Exhibit B.

Truth be told, I try to avoid ESPN's baseball coverage at all costs.  But, last week, when the Yankees were unsuccessfully trying to win that stupid Wild Card play-in game, I was forced to tune in.   And I was "treated" to a female voice in the TV booth.  I actually did a little research on who it was.

Jessica Mendoza.  I will now pause while everybody says "who."

And what, what, what???

Mendoza was filling in the role of color commentator and basically replacing Curt Schilling who got booted for some anti-Muslim tweet.  Of course, the latter is silly enough but, then again, we now live in a country where you can't say anything derogatory about any religion unless of course it's Christianity.

But I digress...

Now I'm not against a female color commentator for baseball.  Especially if it's a reporter who has worked long and hard around the sport.  Like the Yankees' Suzyn Waldman for one.  Or Molly Knight for another.  They've been around the national sport and know it like the back of their hands even though they've never played it.

Ms. Mendoza?   She's a champion all right.  At women's softball.  How does that translate to a 92 MPH slider?  Umm, it doesn't.

So, my contention is that she doesn't have the experience to do this sport.  And others publicly said the same thing in the press.  And were ridiculed.

"How dare you?  She's totally qualified.  And also Hispanic."  

Ummmmmmmm.

Your honor, I offer Exhibit C.

SNL's talented Kate McKinnon does one kick ass impersonation of Hillary Clinton.  And, on the recent season premiere, we were treated to this rather clever sketch where Kate's Hillary is ranting and bending the ear of her bartender, played by none other than the real Hillary Clinton.

As usual, there is one funny moment every week in the entire 90 minutes of SNL and this sketch was it that week.  But, as I watched it a second time, I was taken aback by the writing which really spotlighted all of Hillary's recent woes. Funny?  Yes.  Troubling?  Also yes.  Because, in reality, Hillary was making light of some very serious issues facing this country.  And, of course, the target audience of adults 18-34 who were never properly schooled in American History didn't have the intelligence or education to filter out the comedy from the reality.

Of course, in the press and some of the public, Clinton's appearance on SNL was lauded as courageous.  Seriously?  To me, it just proved just how banal and trivial a Presidential election has become in America?  It's a reality show much akin to "The Voice" or "Survivor."  Plus it also proved to me that Ms. Clinton seriously needs to take cue card reading lessons from either Bob Hope.  Or the master...Barack Obama.

So, what's my summation?  Who are being indicted as morons this month? Well, frankly.....

All of us.  Because, as our society evolved or, in my opinion, dissolves, we have totally lost the ability to discern what is important, what is real, what is an issue, and what should merit our attention.

And that has happened on my watch and your watch.  Shame on all of us.

Dinner last night:  Sandwich and salad.