Summer Scandals, Or Just Another Performative Distraction

I once heard a well-known author quote a few years back about how she choose to unplug, pay attention to what she described as spectacles in the news, meaning she choose not to fall prey or engage to those headlines, all untruths or any number of bloated politicians on the world stage, hot gossip that would distract her from a more grounded reality and peace. I agree to the tune of what we would call or view as a scandal real or made up, one would be wise to hold to discernment.

I quote all this as it all came to be before COVID, and now we are seeing the same things in the news daily from across the pond —the pond being the water and land that separates Canada from the United States. No one loves some good high tone gossip found in the pages of Vanity Fair or the Hollywood Reporter more than I, it use to be part of my nightly online ritual to view the New York Post, as I felt it kept me in the loupe with a city and time now gone by that I loved, until the post began to veer way to the right wing crazy for my liking.

Recently, what has drawn my attention to the headlines is the Daily Beast Podcast. Yet I have to remind myself not to hold my breath to see millions of people who choose to believe or support what I would call political insanity, all of a sudden wake up and go OMG that was way too performative, all this crazy talk about space Lasers and presidents getting away with billions of crimes and debt. Was it now all a bad dream and a lie? Are we ever going back to what was once a collective norm or some sense of social decorum, without all the rage, lies and blame?

The pendulum always has to swing back to the center of things socially after a time of great unrest, pain, and injustice. Trying to make sense of what does not make any sense is in itself a form of denial and insanity; it just hurts too much. I am sure, like me, you love well-informed charismatic people who are smart cookies yet have a welcoming way to put things in perspective, be it a wise friend, a neighbour, or a respected author, newscaster, or editor. Miss Tina Brown, former editor extraordinaire of Vanity Fair and the co-creator of the online news platform for pop culture and politics, The Daily Beast, is my go-to for that voice of sanity with wit and intelligence.

If you find yourself, as I seem to be, in the heat of this new summer semi or fully captivated over the latest headlines of denial, nothing to see here folks, fresh off the White House press over the Epstein scandal of the day. Then tune into the Daily Beast Podcast and give a listen to Tinas take on this latest not going away any time soon to big to deny scandal rearing its ugly head once again, the truth as we all know will eventually find its way to the light, I just wish more of the light would outshine the lies and come quicker so we do not have to wait another 100 years to agree as in I knew this, I felt so much for this or that was a lie and cover up.

We take from the news yet in this time in our world of much unrest and uncertainty so as not to drown or get lost in the negative while being fully awake at the wheel, it remains vital to go within and ask yourself, ok kiddo what’s what and how shall we navigate through all of these changes and vital times we are all living in. A good combo to be well informed and then act from your own set of smarts and beliefs. The gossip days of reporting to make the news and create interest beyond cheap and tawdry have all changed over time, there are so few real deal players who were highly regarded in sharing those interesting tidbits of the famous and not so famous headlines, the OG such as Liz Smith, Dominick Dunne legends now passed both had a way with words and reporting.

I still have my favorite go to online magazines for the lighter side of celebrity news, scandals, pop culture and what’s in style or needs to be, most defiantly not of the reality tv fame type, I am happily too old school for that and gladly join the ranks that say please if I want reality, I will take a shuttle bus from New York’s Port Authority to Hoboken New Jersey no disrespect to Jersey. With headlines that glare at us that seem more like fantasy, that read How can any of this be true? I think what would my dearly departed, survivors of much in their life time, my parents Doris and John, think? Doris would say no matter what, look your best, keep a clean house, be honest and have manners. Father John, who came from the old country and fought in the war, seek to try and smell the roses each day son, drink Coke, and stay within your lines of integrity.