Seriously? Last night I read a news headline on AOL's scroll thingie that said, "Heisman Winner Says He's a Virgin" with a subtitle to say that he's waiting to get married. That just might land at the top of the list of stupid irrelevant personal information related headlines that annoy me to no end. It's not only the fact that they have to point out that he's a virgin (as if that's all that terribly newsworthy or unusual) but that they are doing an ARTICLE on it just seems to make it more ridiculous. As if it's SO surprising that a person might actually be a virgin today, and that his being so makes it newsworthy. Oh, no, wait, the fact that he's a HEISMAN winner would make it newsworthy. Wouldn't it?
I didn't read the article by the way. I might would feel the need to tempt the obviously misguided virgin football dude. Not.
While I'm at it, why is it that most headlines have to include "Woman" or "Gay" or "Lesbian" or "Black" or in this case"Virgin"? What, is it not newsworthy to just say THIS PERSON did this? I'm just not sure why someone's race, sexual orientation, or even lack of sex has to do with anything? I'm not talking about headlines such as "First Black President" - you know, I wouldn't want to take away anything whatsoever from the accomplishment of President Obama, or anyone else marking new territory for their particular group, OK? But seriously - there is a difference between race (or whatever) being a significant and important part of the story, and it not. I suppose it's human nature to look for the sensationalism, and the different. But still, it just makes me feel all crunchy.
It reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd tell my father I had a new boyfriend. First words out of his mouth were always, "Well. Is he white?". I always wondered what that had to do with anything? Other than his own prejudices (and upbringing, of course) I mean.
Besides, I don't recall seeing a headline to say, "Heterosexual and Monogamous Married White Male with Blond Hair and Two Legitimate Children is Elected to the Supreme Court".
It just... irks me.
Rant over.
1 comment:
You know what irks me...I saw on CNN the other day these three headlines all at once:
Boy screaming for his life in a fiery SUV
Girl, 8, gang raped by boys ages 14 -16
and some other similarly gruesome story that I now can't remember. I think they are going for the shock factor rather than truly newsworthy items.
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