And no, I'm not referring to the other tuxedo-ed assholes in the photo of the very last Kennedy Center Honors that George and Martha Obama will sit for. As I look at these schmucks smacking their palms together, I wonder how many of them are going broke paying for their own health care premiums. Indeed, as we bid a fond farewell to what was...yes, I will say it...a largely mediocre presidency, I consider that the fact that this guy essentially broke more things than he fixed. That doesn't get you a legacy.
But I am digressing. Because the real morons I want to cite this month are the producers of this annual TV show which salutes a bunch of legendary artists every December.
Over the past decade or two, I have always looked forward to when CBS would telecast this event. They usually slot it somewhere between Christmas and New Year's, with the thinking that nobody is going to watch it. Well, I always do and it's been one of the highlights of my television year. The well-formatted combination of tribute and production number for each honoree has always been exquisitely done. I am sure the 2016 edition was just as perfectly executed.
The only trouble is that I deleted it from my DVR after the first 45 minutes. What used to be a wonderful experience was turned into another example of media excess with regard to the First Family.
I first noticed this tendency a few years ago. Instead of focusing cameras on the reactions of the honorees during their respective tributes, we more and more were treated to shots of Michelle and Barack. Boogeying in their seats to the music. Smiling and giving big thumbs up to the stage. Seriously? The last time I checked the name of the President in the title of the show was Kennedy.
Add to this that the host of the 2016 festivities was the chemo treatment otherwise known as Stephen Colbert who uses every platform he is in to politicize. Of course, there is a place for this and it's his own late night show on CBS which, by the way, nobody watches. Given the results of the recent election, Colbert and the producers of this affair were licking their wounds by shoving their feelings down the throats of America. Hey, all I wanted to see was a musical tribute to the Eagles. Give us a freakin' break.
Okay, they first started doing this show back in 1978 so they have been presided over by five Presidents prior to Obama. But you couldn't tell by the attention lavished on the current Chief Executive as he sails off into the sunset. I don't remember ever as many Presidential reaction shots as there were for this one. This year was a complete embarrassment as far as entertainment goes. And I began to wonder just how many times we will actually see the new President on camera come the Kennedy Center Honors of 2017.
This year's program left such a bad taste in my mouth that I was moved to take an extra acid blocker. But my 2017 pharmaceutical deductible is way too high and I need to be judicious when swallowing those pills. I'm already choking on a $700 insurance premium. Take that, Mr. Soon-To-Be-Ex-President.
Dinner last night: Had a big lunch so just some tomato soup.
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