Am I out of touch or are they crazy?

I took Middle Daughter to Urgent Care the other night to see about some unreasonable dizziness. While she was closeted with a doctor checking her out for concussion and not paying much mind to her disclaimers, I sat in the waiting room. The TV was on, of course, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but something called Entertainment Tonight.

I used to think that laundry soap commercials in which apparently ordinary housewives went into depression over “ring around the collar” were the epitome of breathless nonsense. I was mistaken. They worked up an excitement over their reporter “crashing Madonna’s rehearsal” that I’d think better suited for a cancer cure or a story about bin Laden becoming a Pentecostal.

The hostess interviewed a man about women’s costumes for the Grammy’s, with both predicting that lots of skin and “skin tight,” (which I understand proved not to be the case), since sex appeal was a bigger deal than musical talent. No, not in so many words, but that was implied.

So, am I out of touch or are they crazy? Is there a large audience that really cares if Carey has one earring or two? (Then they’re crazy.) Or is the audience amused by watching the hosts act enthused?

Next came the Grammy’s, which I’ve never seen before. The opening number had a bunch of puppets dancing, which isn’t that bad. Then we got Madonna’s dance crew and Herself singing and dancing. I think the puppets were better. Of course, Madonna has always left me cold. From Desperately Seeking Susan to now she’s always seemed to exude an air of self-absorbed detachment.

Some singer I’d not heard of won an award I didn’t know existed and proceeded to squeal her way through bad acting and a prepared text.

About this time Middle Daughter appeared, and rescued me from the dreary lands.