Tori and Dean

Let me start by admitting what it seems is perceived as a cardinal sin amongst some…I watch Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood…I know, oh the shame of watching reality tv. I accidentally landed on the Oxygen channel when surfing one evening and it was on, I left it on and eventually was watching it. So there…

I was amazed at how grounded Tori Spelling was really. Being the daughter of Aaron, I assumed her to be stuck up, full of crap and ponsy…but she does not seem to be. I take reality tv of this sort at face value because while they like to let us believe that they forget the cameras are there, it is hard to believe that you can’t see the dude balancing the thing on his shoulder closely followed by the sound man standing in the middle of your housewarming party…but still, she seemed less diva-esquethan what I imagined. Their interactions seem genuine and it seems to be a happy families story.

But then of course that I remember how the two of them got together: while they were both married…I despise infidelity and I am not fond of adulterers so while some find their “happy families” display on television despicable, I am a little more shallow. I enjoy the humor and the going-ons in a house I will never set foot in.  And in despising infidelity I look towards Hollywood and the rest of Celebrityville to find famous people who are squeaky clean. Ah, I sit and think, lets see…

Brad Pitt – um no. Bill Clinton…no again…John Edwards…ooohh did not see that one coming…And then I think, if people who are followed by the press and the papparazzi think they can get away with it, and some do, how many Joe Soaps are out there who DO get away with it. In my group of friends, I know quite a few who have had a spouse cheat on them and for a while they did get away with it. I sit in my living room and think, how many marriages are out there who are suffering under infidelity?

As much as what we want our marriages to work, or as much as what we yearn our partner to honor the “til death do us part” section, do we want to stay with some one for the sake of some words. I have read a few stories and accounts written by the women of the “the first wives club” and some accounts written by the children of marriages when the cheating spouse “abides” their time until the kids were old enough and many of the kids said they would rather have their parents apart and happier, than staying together under duress. The tension in the marriage can not be depleted by the “good” intention of staying together for the sake of the children. The difference just with the McDermotts in Los Angeles – they were in the public eye. And while people bitch on the Oxygen site about how they got together, I am wondering why these people are watching the program. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.

So while I am not impressed by Dean McDermott cheating on his wife while they have a young son and were in the process of adopting a daughter, or Tori for cheating on her husband, I am enjoying the voyeuristic peek into their life. And while we think that in an ideal world, they should have both left their respective marriages before making a move, when last did anything happen that would happen in an ideal world – hell in that case, we would never have got another Bush in the Whitehouse: read my lips. And while I do like some of what I see of how the other half live, I am happy to be where I am, in my life, with my children and the place the Hub and I find ourselves in in our marriage.

Love you babe!

[ and yes...I still watch Home Sweet Hollywood...it sure beats watching the onesided news!]

Roseanne Barr on top form...

These last few days I have had Mad Cow Disease. And if you know me, you KNOW, do not pick a fight with me now or say stupid things that are going to piss me off. Not if you value YOUR sanity and peace of mind.

So let’s see what has pissed me off in the last few days. Yesterday I read that Roseanne Barr took a dig, no sorry, let me rephrase that, broadsided/viciously attacked Jon Voight, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their children, on her blog, Roseanne’s World. From the start, let me tell you that I have been an on-again, off-again “fan” (I use the term loosely) of Roseanne Barr. She laid into Jon Voight and called Angelina “evil spawn”, Brad “vacuous” and their children “dunces”. She pronounced that they only give $3 million to charity as though to show that “they give a crap”. Now I am not fond of celebs especially those who are cause celebs for the sake of PR. But I ask you Roseanne, where were you that Christmas day when Angelina and Brad helped out at a shelter in a Central Americancountry – no doubt stuffing your face with the food you can afford with the money you make. Or maybe that is your problem – your little well of riches running dry? So the program you had on television about one of the most dysfunctional, overweight and disrespectful families is no longer paying dividends. That family might have been fictional, but you, Roseanne seemed to fit right in – like a duck to water. And answer this, Roseanne, how much have you given to charity?

While bitching that Angelina Jolie has not endorsed any one candidate yet, has raised some eyebrows considering her known liberal tendencies, blasting her for not doing so is a case of the pot calling the kettle black – in Roseanne’s case. Do we announce our support so that we can say we did so – I see on her blog, Roseanne is selling Gore/Edwards T-shirts – the best ticket in her mind. Ah, yes, lets support an adulterer. That is so much better than not having yet endorsed someone. If Roseanne was giving away those T-shirts free, I would not wear one that supports a man who cheated on his wife while she was suffering from cancer – using her illness to get a sympathy vote – and Angelina is evil?

Say then what you will about grown ups – but where does Roseanne get off calling the kids dunces? I am sure that all good parents think the same – say what you will about me, but don’t touch my kids. Pick on someone your own size! Oh and I am sure Obama loves being supported by a crazy woman who picks on children. Gees, and I thought I was a mad cow! But at least I don’t have methane gas emanating from my mouth…

www.freedigitalphotos.net  

The day the writers went on strike, our common sense did too. We were deprived of good TV. I loved my programs on the box. I watch Lost, House and CSI amongst others so you can imagine my total withdrawal when the writers decided to put down the pen and prove that indeed, the pen when down, is mightier than the sword. Make no mistake, I agreed with why they went on strike and supported them but the withdrawal of good television has caused some irreparable damage on the psyche of the box watching public.

Void of all intelligent entertainment we were bombarded with ‘reality’ programs and game shows and I found myself watching more on demand stuff than ever before and scouring the local library for DVDs of the movies that I would not mind watching again. The strike is over now and we are in the last stretch before the goodies come back to our screens and being confined to bed last week with the flu, I found myself desperate for a bit of entertainment. I had watched all the 48 hours mysteries I could handle and I flicked onto that game show “Moment of Truth” (I can’t be bothered to remember the time but I was not surprised when I saw it was on Fox – where ‘truth’ is a relative term!)

Oh my goodness. What in heaven’s name has happened to common sense. The premise of this game show is based on the lie detector test (you know, the ones made famous by Jerry Springer etc) – your spouse or partner or family or friend answers questions and based on their honesty, they win money. The questions start mild and quite amusing but as the game progresses so does the intensity of the queries.

‘Have you every had sex with one of your friends’ wives?’ – are you being serious? Weeping wife sits on the sidelines as her husband answers ‘Yes’ and truth is declared. OMG, I was ignorant as to how quickly people would sell their marriages, their children if they had any, their relationships or their reputations for money. It is so morally and humanly corrupt it appalls me. When the host (and I can’t be bothered to remember his name) asked if they were okay – being obviously distressed – they offered no response to which he quipped: ‘Oh well you have a $100 000!’

Another couple – the wife faced the questions – self proclaimed jealous husband sat in the inner circle with her siblings and her mother. Her questions: Are you a better mother to your children than your mother was to you? Did you invite some one to your wedding you previously had sex with? Do you have a secret that you know could potentially end your marriage? (FYI: she answered truthfully yes and then said to her startled husband that she would not tell him what it was at all).

How does a relationship recover from this? Do you sweep this experience under the mat because not to worry, you have $50k or $100k to boot? Originally when the programs like Jerry Springer came out, people aired their laundry in public for nothing more than notoriety and maybe a free trip to the bright lights big city. But now they do this for money. Do the couples strike a deal before the time, agreeing to embarrass and humiliate themselves for some quick money. Why not just sign up for Survivor instead, you might get dirty but your laundry stays the way it should.

I am hoping that we have hit rock bottom. I would rather watch the life cycle of a fruit worm than go through that again. Welcome back writers, heaven only knows how much I missed you.