Why America's Obsession with Celebrities is Destroying the Country

America has been obsessed with celebrities for a long time, and never has that been more evident than now. The media has learned the great power of the celebrity in boosting their bottom line. 30 years ago, it would be a rare event to see the type of pieces the we see on a regular basis on the "big 3" nightly news programs. Back then, the major networks saw the news as an important factor in keeping the public informed about the workings of the world around them. In fact, it became the mantra of news reporters the country over - "the people deserve to know". Now, its just another program that needs to bring in money. And so the focus has shifted. As the focus on the news shifts, so too do the things Americans think are important. Character, which has always been one of the big issues Americans focus on during election time, has become something else entirely. It once meant being faithful to your spouse, standing by your beliefs, and following through on what you say. Now its about playing basketball and enjoying snowmobiling. The news (and us) justify these types of revelations as necessary, as they help us understand the character of our candidates. In reality, they are simply the same types of pieces that attract us to stories about other celebrities - they are brief, shallow glimpses into the lives of people more rich and famous than ourselves. And because there is limited space on air, and in our attention spans, it pushes out stories of greater importance. Ask a random person on the street, and they can probably tell you about the hobbies of the candidates, but I doubt they can give you a summation of what their platforms are.
I don't really think that's what we want deciding who is going to run our country for the next 4 years. Both sides are guilty of this. Both sides should focus on the issues, and how they are going to help our country become better, but they can't afford to. Its not what we want to hear. We want to hear about Obama playing basketball with the troops, and Palin's newest pair of glasses.
We will pay for this obsession. I think its pretty safe to claim that there are people better qualified to run this nation than the two candidates we have (and for the record, I'm not talking about Libertarians any of the other "dark horse" candidates). They just aren't popular enough to win. Most of those best suited to being in charge dislike the spotlight, and dislike the media circus surrounding something like a presidential election. And so, the really good candidates are never heard of, while the more media friendly candidates are the only left.
It was bad enough when news coverage equated to horse racing. Now its sunk to the level of reality tv. Sure, it can be fun to watch, but its a guilty pleasure. And the reason its a guilty pleasure is because its no good for you.
What changes should be made in our election process to help us find and elect people (from either side) who really are the best candidates for the job?

Entertainment

I've hit a point in my life where I feel like I need to write some stuff down.
Today I wanted to cover the reasons why we read books and watch tv and movies. I know, kind of an odd topic to start things off with, but a quick look around my apartment would provide some perspective. I have books in every drawer, with DVD's crammed into the blank spots. My computer has enough ebooks, tv shows, and movies that I'm contemplating getting an external hard drive. What prompted me to become such a consumer of entertainment media? The answer is pretty simple - I have no life :)
Its actually a bit more complicated than that. You see, studies have shown that most people have at most 4 or 5 "close" friends. The average is more like 1 or 2. We are by nature social creatures - we desire to make contact with others. When we can't fulfill that need through our natural interactions with each other, we'll turn to other sources that offer the same type of connection. Books are one of the best sources, as many books are written in such a way that we see into the most private thoughts of one or more characters. TV shows and movies take a different approach to intimacy by slowly revealing pieces of the character (whether its things that have happened in the past, or shots with only one character in the room) that trick us into thinking that we really know this creation. Its actually the perfect relationship - its all take and no give. After all, you don't bare your deepest secrets to your favorite tv character after they've finished baring theirs. There is the high that comes from learning something important about someone else, without the fear that comes knowing that you'll have to trust them as they trusted you.
To me, that's the main reason why we read books and watch tv. There is another compelling reason. We all lead stressful lives, and books and tv shows are a great escape from our perspective. We are thrust into the perspective of someone else, and are forced to deal with their challenges and difficulties. However, we don't actually have to solve them, so the stress involved doesn't transfer to us. Its a rush, and it blocks out for a time the things that weigh us down. For example, its thrilling to read about a character being stalked by a stranger with a gun, but should that happen to us or to someone we care about, the situation evokes a completely different response. In a sense, entertainment works on the same level as drugs and alcohol - for a time, they whisk us away from the troubles of everyday life, into a place where we are free to drop those problems and simply enjoy life. It doesn't last, but it does keep us hooked.
I'm not saying entertainment is bad at all - its a key component of our lives. It can help fulfill needs on a basic level. But when its over, its back to the real world - the world where problems do need to be solved, and where our decisions really matter.
Those are my ideas - what do you think?