Letters from North
America
Several
talk show hosts have
made a game out of the
so called ‘man on the
street’ interviews. Jay
Leno has a number of
these posted on his
website. I would suggest
that you not watch these
unless you just happen
to be a glutton for
punishment. They are not
pretty. In fact they are
sad.
In my opinion it seems
very depressing that
many of our citizens
seem to be so ignorant
of basic facts regarding
our history or our
government while knowing
everything about movie
stars, sports figures
and singers. On the
internet today are
literally hundreds of
websites extolling
reports on celebrities
eating …who wants to
watch people eat? Movie
stars and celebrities at
work. Photos and reviews
of famous kids of movie
stars. Movie stars and
celebrities on the beach
and finally movie stars
working out at the gym.
Give me a break, not
only do I not know any
of the people and never
will, but I don’t care
to see them playing on
some beach off the coast
of France or eating a
burger at some place in
Venice. Explain to me
how this is interesting?
Does their mouth move
differently from ours?
Do they chew strangely?
Do they stand on their
heads or something? I
mean come on, people how
can anyone find this of
interest?
Yet, the magazine racks
are full of these photos
and articles. Television
programs abound about
the lives of the rich
and famous. More people
probably know about
Victoria Beckham than
George Washington.
People are signed up for
Twitter so they can
follow the every move of
celebrities…. “I’m going
into the men’s room
right now..” is probably
making it’s way around
the globe at this moment
about some celebrity.
Meanwhile, Jay Leno asks
ordinary people very
simple questions. Only
one of about ten knew
that the United States
won it’s independence
from England. One lady
said we won it from
Greece. Not one of
people interviewed knew
who Nancy Pelosi was. In
2008 no one knew Hillary
Clinton was running for
the President of the
United States. Several
teachers thought Betsy
Ross was Rosa Parks and
was famous for sewing a
quilt on a bus in
Alabama. One teacher
said the first flag was
sewn by Martha Ford.
Several men thought the
revolutionary war was
led by some guy named
Churchill. One brain
from Texas did not know
the name of the national
anthem and said it
didn’t matter since
Texas had its own.
One college professor
thought the war of
independence was won in
1922. No one was able to
recall what Paul Revere
said when the British
were invading. Leno ever
tried coaching them by
saying … “What did Paul
Revere say when the
British were coming?”
On another segment he
asked about famous
American women and not
one could be identified.
These were all nicely
dressed and intelligent
looking people. Where
did they go to school
and where have they been
all of these years that
they missed things
relative to our current
government and our
political process? How
did they manage to miss
learning about subjects
and events that control
and shape our future and
our collective destiny?
Several interviews
revealed that a number
of people thought the
‘electoral college’ was
in the NCAA basketball
playoffs. God help us
all if these people
actually vote.
I feel fairly certain
these were just the
worst of the interviews,
or at least I hope so.
My optimistic side says
they did not show the
ones in which someone
got the answers correct
since this would defeat
the purpose of the
segment. I do feel that
we all need to read
more, talk and discuss
more and focus on our
lives rather than taking
a voyeur position and
monitoring the lives of
the so called rich and
famous. While their
lives might be more
interesting than ours,
they are not without
their problems and
issues. We cannot do
anything about them, but
we can do things about
our own.
Think about your time,
instead of watching some
celebrity and their
attempt to dance, why
not read to your child
or someone else’s? You
can’t call George
Clooney but you can talk
to that widow lady next
door. Madonna won’t eat
a cake you send to her,
but I bet the working
mother across the street
will thank you for it.
Comments got to
www.pearyperry.com.
Complaints go nowhere.
