Task One = Disappointing Revelations

Task one: Search magazine shelves to gauge "current events." Use them to inspire your written words.

Last night (largely because of the deep breathing yesterday required), I got a "Free Mommy" pass to get out of the house for a couple of hours. Since I wasn't interested in meeting up with the Rogue fanatics at what Beau believed was the Monday-night Palin book signing at Barnes & Noble, I went to Schuler's. In addition to checking out all of the little gifty things (can't resist them!), I stopped by the magazine racks to knock Writer Mama's first task off my list.

Observations:
* There are likely more magazines published each month than literate human beings to read them.
* Literacy is likely not required to enjoy all of the publications. Intelligence is certainly not required.

* Clothing for cover models is obviously not required.

* The line between what consumers actually want and what the media forces down our throats is blurry. All too blurry.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm as superficial as the next girl. I also enjoyed reading the Twilight series. It was a great story--a fun romance for a girl who doesn't much like romances. But there are a few things worth noting, Dear Media:
1) Stephenie Meyer is not an outstanding writer. She spun a great yarn--much like Stephen King does--but her writing isn't gripping, her dialogue is lacking, and her characters lack depth.
2) Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson are not my Bella and Edward. Sure, Pattinson is fine to look at, but did his acting need to be stonier than his vampire flesh? And don't even get me started on Stewart! I hoped it was just for the film--just because Bella is supposed to be a bit awkward and shocked by the small-town obsession with her--but I've seen her in other things. She. Can't. Act. Period. If I am forced to swallow one more quote about her being one of the finest actresses of this generation, I'm going to scream. And I'm going to quit going to the movies. Or at least even believing I might enjoy them. Her being one of the finest actresses of this generation says bad things about this generation.
3) While the films and the novels might "define this generation," they won't stand the test of time. My children won't be studying them in their literature classes, and my grandchildren will find them on my bookshelf and likely pass right by them. They surely won't watch the films (except with the same amusement that we offer the acting in [all of] the Star Wars films).

Perhaps my thoughts above are indicative of many of the challenges facing this generation and its definition of art, reality, and talent. When "reality" TV encourages parents to use their children as pawns to hijack the media and already-budget-tapped law enforcement agencies or as ATMs to fund their jetset lifestyles and tummy tucks, a generation just might be lost. When "talent" is limited to celebrities who are famous for doing absolutely nothing other than spending money and sleeping around and partying their youth away, a generation just might be confused. When "art" is defined by subpar literature that carries a decent plot and acting that would bore even vampires to death, a generation just might be bought. And sold.

It all makes me concerned for my children. What will they watch, read, enjoy? It also makes me concerned for my own entertainment. Smart television is pulled from the screen for sex and crude comedies. The best movies of the year tend to be animated or rehashed from what we watched when I was a kid. Books are republished as soon as the movie version is released, and the actually artful cover art is replaced with the faces of the actors and actresses that destroyed the characters' limited credibility and deviated so far from the original plot that it is barely recognizable.

I may actually have to start using my brain here to come up with my own entertainment. That is, if I can find it under the mountains of trees wasted to print whatever I'm being sold this week.

As I'm looking for it, perhaps you could answer a question for me, Dear Media. Which came first: my desire for more on Jon & Kate, New Moon, Carrie Prejean, Sarah Palin, and the Balloon Boy or you burying everything that would be more worth my time so all I can see is this? And where can I opt out of what you're selling?

Task one: I suppose disgust can be as great a muse as intrigue.

Day Two of What Should Be Day Five

Me again. Trying to rise up and meet WMW's challenge . . . it shouldn't really be this hard. I had about five posts in mind last night, and the time to write them, and the capability to not post them all on one day. It was tempting, but I'm trying hard to learn to overcome temptation. So here I am. With a blank page. And that d*@$ cursor again.

I'm watching the news, though it's hard to call it that. They do about two minutes of news once every hour. After that, it's mostly political agendas and stories about sensational activities. I have to check out CNN.com to find any real news. And thank goodness I have that insider in Iraq where I can get REAL news on the war.

The media is frustrating to me. It tells me what to think while only presenting one side of the story. Not only am I told what to think, but I'm also told what to feel about any given story. It's hard to imagine crying that hard over a dolphin, albeit a sad story, when we just ignore what is happening to children the world over. But the media and "celebrity" seem to be on the same page. So am I the one who's missing something?

And how do I keep my daughter from it all?

There's so much to protect her from:
* the monkey who visited her in her dreams on Friday night . . . and bit her!
* the heartbreak of having her cow snatched from her bed, all because he couldn't be washed and was getting gross after two years of love
* the fact that the monkey may come back, even though Mommy picked out this new cow (who could be washed) because the monkey doesn't like him

It's hard being a mom. No wonder God works so hard to try to convince us to stay away from sin . . . he understands the heartache it will cause, and He's desperate to protect us from it all. Any parent would be.

Heaven, honey. Heaven. That's Home. No dolphins will be slaughtered there, but no children will be neglected or violated or betrayed either. Oh, and only the good monkeys make it in. And both cows.