As IF Times

link Tyra Banks ending The Tyra Show; popular talk show will end after this season

It’s quite revealing to observe what passes as popular entertainment in the mass media outlets and then to draw some conclusions about the audience. The five year run for Ms. Banks’ show is not really that surprising given the universal fascination of women with their appearance. What is surprising is that the show supposedly was about the empowerment of young women. Not to denigrate the intentions of Ms. Banks, but a show which at it’s core discussed body and beauty issues and empowerment and which offered the notion that looks aren’t important would have more credibility if let’s say, Rosie O’Donnell hosted it rather than a former runway model. On the other hand, Ms. Banks is still involved with another show, America’s Next Top Model, which, surprise,surprise as the title suggests, searches for exterior beauty, empowerment be darned. With Oprah also leaving, at least network TV, where will young women turn for life advice? I guess they’ll have to revert to the second stringer: their mothers…as if they knew something about life.

Charlie Sheen is in the news recently for some boorish behavior, what a shock. The real shock is that the TV show which he anchors, Two and a half Men, is still be on the air. It has been running for an astounding seven seasons! This is truly a remarkable feat of writing or a remarkable indictment of the audience. That a show can run this long with the same running gag is quite the achievement. If there was an Emmy handed out for the most overuse of double entendres, or the most variations of contrived sexual predicaments, or most predictable one liners, this show would get the lifetime statue. In America in the 21st century, do we really find his character’s escapades naughty and titillating? Is some gal in a towel really something to blush over? Is this not Three’s Company with bowling shirts?

Then of course, there’s Jerry Springer; real people, real lives, 18 seasons! Now there’s some reflection of the folk. Some selected topics from his shows which can be found on their website:

A Cross Dresser Wants my Gal
Mistresses on a Manhunt
Brutal Betrayals
I’m Marrying a Transexual
Forbidden Affairs
Dirty Double Crossers
Oops! Cheated again

And of course;

I slept with my daughter’s man.

In a culture which mercilessly reveals and glamorizes the sordid exploits of celebrities, in which no aspect of human behavior is too base to exploit, it’s amusing to think that a girl in a towel can be titillating. But maybe that’s refreshing; maybe that means more people are not as hardened by the onslaught of crap which passes as entertainment as we think.

link BBC News – US plane attack suspect quizzed after ‘terror attempt’

Don’t you love that word used in the story, that the suspect was ‘quizzed’, as in a snap math exam? Here we go again. This time, the would be martyr had explosive powder attached to his upper thigh because the shoe thing was so 2001. Somehow this most recent iteration of the human fuse was able to elude suspicion and scrutiny at airport security even though the suspect’s name was ‘on a database indicating a significant terrorist connection’ according to the report.

In fact, the perp had a valid U.S. visa and ‘all security procedures were followed correctly’. Hmm. So, apparently, he was made to take off shoes, expose his laptop computer and passed the electronic wand test, but the name on a database ‘with a significant terrorist connection’ didn’t set off any alarms.

Maybe it’s just me, but 2 things are evident from this story. Firstly, whatever means the homeland security people are using to compile their list of dangerous fliers must have some validity. Secondly, the standard screening methods presently imposed on travellers are unable to pick up the most recent schemes of sabotage by the mullahs of mayhem. We should all cringe at the likelihood that from now on, ALL air passengers will be groped in their upper legs for similar devices. At least the President is on the case. He has ordered tighter security, whatever that means. Maybe everyone has to board in gym shorts.

Or, how about this? How about profiling those who are likely to be dangerous to the flying public and concentrating the security efforts on those candidates and less time on Aunt Eunice and her walker? It would certainly speed up the ‘strip and feel’ process at airports today if they spent less time on the 80 year olds, the kids under 12, goofy teenagers, business people or anyone NOT ON A DATABASE WITH A SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST CONNECTION.

The whole PC mentality about airport security is expensive, is cumbersome, is invasive and most importantly is not keeping the public safe. Apparently, the intelligence tools are available to effectively identify possible idiots, so why don’t we employ them? Why do we inconvenience and endanger entire populations because of the nefarious actions of an identifiable few? Maybe we worry less about a few hurt feelings and worry more about a planeload of innocents.