Where I Draw The Line

By the title of this blog, this is about my journey into the fandom of Clay Aiken, a young man who was catapulted into the spotlight by appearing American Idol. I sometimes wonder, knowing what he knows now, if Clay would have stepped foot out of Raleigh and gone before the judges in Atlanta. I usually come to the conclusion that he would. He has been able to accomplish so much good in the past five years.

Being a Clay fan, you get kind of used to the media. They twist, they turn, they edit to fit their own agenda. They print truth, part truth and outright lies. This blog is not meant to address the current rumor du jour, it's not my place because, quite honestly, it's none of my business. I would, however, like to take this opportunity to address the media in a general sense. Over the last several years there has been a spike in the amount of tabloid journalism (and I use the word "journalism" lightly) out there.

I think that people who work for places like TMZ, The Star, National Enquirer, etc. are simply missing part of their soul. Harsh? Probably, but I honestly believe that anyone who could make a living out of delving into another human being's privacy is lacking basic human decency.

I also believe that people who derive entertainment from these outlets are also lacking. Those who gleefully read Perez Hilton's hateful blog also have hate in their hearts. They may not see it, and they will be the last to admit it, but anyone who can draw any type of entertainment from vile and hurtful gossip is missing a core part of their being.

The press is completely out of control. Gone are the days of journalistic integrity. That has been replaced with the need for ratings, the need to break the story (whether true or not), the need to get the photo. Sometimes these needs cross the line. Sometimes these needs are so invasive it would be unimaginable for any of us living our day to day lives. At times it is downright scary.

Oh, but they're CELEBRITIES!!! They're asking for it, right? I pay their salary - I buy their CD, go to their concert, see their movie, read their book. Sorry, I don't buy it. The money I spend at the grocery store pays the cashier's salary, but I have no business knowing what goes on in their personal life. I don't care if they're making minimum wage or millions of dollars. Celebrity gossip and tabloid rumor is nothing but an attempt to discredit and ruin people. In case you missed it, the key word there is PEOPLE. Human beings who love, hate, laugh and cry - just like everyone else.

Here's my fix. I believe that the laws need to be changed. If the press is given a tip, and it has no bearing on national security or any type of criminal activity but is merely the raping of someones privacy, they should be required to name their source. How much do you want to bet that the tabloids would go out of business? I know it will never happen, but I find it very difficult to believe that our forefathers were protecting the press when it came to speculating on who is sleeping with whom, who is cheating on whom, who is in drug rehab, who is having a baby and how that baby was conceived.

View the following and you tell me - out of control? The sad part is it more than likely won't stop until someone gets hurt - oh yeah, that's already happened......
(song Dirty Laundry, written by Don Henley, performed by Lisa Marie Presley *who most certainly has had her share too*)