Every so often our culture proves that it is just too warped to take seriously.
Consider poor, poor Reese Witherspoon.
OK, no one — at least no one in their right mind — argues the young woman isn’t a good actress. She has made her share of excellent films.
But having acknowledged that, she needs someone to give her the clue that she should learn when to keep her mouth shut — like most of Hollywood.
She’s featured on the cover of “Vogue” next month and the cover article explains how (sniff, sniff) she’s just so (choke) concerned about her (BAWL!) LOSS OF PRIVACY.
Oh, the humanity!
“Reese Witherspoon mourns the loss of her privacy.
“The Oscar-winning actress says she sometimes sits in her car crying because she cannot go out in public as much as she’d like.
“Witherspoon says in the May issue of ‘Vogue’ that although much of her life belongs to other people, but she wouldn’t trade it.”
Stiff upper lip.
This poor, publicity-abused trooper carries on — for our good, no doubt — so that our bland, disappointing lives can still be graced with her celebrity, no matter how difficult it is for her.
For crying out loud!
We live in a time when a growing percentage of American families don’t know what happened to their dreams, but the reality is clear that those dreams will have to be downsized remarkably, from what their parents’ generation enjoyed.
We see more and more families — working families who are trying to live by the rules — who are having to make decisions about whether to pay bills or put gas in the car so they can get to work tomorrow for the next day’s bills.
These hard-wording families don’t have to worry about going out in public because they can barely afford to keep body and soul together and — guess what, Hollywood? — when they can’t, it’s going to impact ticket sales, too.
Poor Reese and her ilk may have a lot more to bemoan in the years to come than they realize, if our economy doesn’t get turned around.
Considering the cost of attending one of her films, versus the cost of a gallon of gas, she may really have a reason to develop that resolve that currently helps her carry on despite her incredible, goddess-like popularity.
Good grief!
— Chuck Smith