Popular Media Runs the Government? As if!

I just finished getting into a heated argument over gay people in North America and their acceptance in this country on Gaia.

Let me tell you something first off. This is why I lost faith in society in general.

This person started off by saying that gay people have come a long way because T.A.T.U. became popular because they are lesbians, Christina Aguleria and Justin Timberlake hinted that they wouldn't mind being gay, and because Will & Grace is a top-rated show featuring gay people.

I replied back saying that T.A.T.U. is not made up of lesbians because they told everyone it was just an act before last year ended. Christina and Justin, even if they are gay or bisexual, wouldn't come out publicly and say this because of how damaging it would be to their career. Furthermore, Will & Grace are no longer the top-rated show because sit-coms, in general, are falling in the Nelson ratings.

He still stood by his claim. I told him that the only reason T.A.T.U. got famous is because they gave what every teenage boy wanted. Cheap lesbian porn on MTV. I also said that his view of getting tons of publication for implying that they are gay was nothing more than a cut away from the Madonna kiss to Britney (she did kiss Christina afterwards when the camera was on Justin), and one article in The Advocate. I also told him that sit-coms where falling in ratings, not because of "gayness," but do to the fact that they are not holding their audience, thank you Reality TV.

However he still said that gayness is changing America for the better.

That's a bunch of bullshit. I told him that he was talking about gayness in American popular media. Gayness in North America hasn't really changed since Matthew Shepherd's death. We are still treated as second class citizens by denying us the right to marry in the majority of the states in this country. It is legal to fire someone in the majority of the states in this country simply because the worker is gay, no matter how well a job they do. There are still gay bashing going on in big urban cities, but they don't make the news unless someone dies if even then! On top of that, we have Bible thumpers toting around saying that they can reprogram us, that we have a mental illness that can be cursed, and saying that we are going to hell if we do not change! Gayness in North America hasn't changed anything!! If anything, it is causing more problems that no one in the government wants to deal with!

He then accused me of being a homophobe, to which I laughed at like a million people at a Robin Williams stand up gig. He also claimed that the media is more powerful than the government. His logic was that if gay people are shown in a good light, than gay people are good people.

Not true.

He claimed that more people care about what Beyonce said in an interview more than what Bush said in a press conference.

Also, not true.

He also said that the only reason that Arnold is now "mayor or whatever" is because of his fan base.

Once again, not true. I told him that the only reason Arnold is Gov. of California is because of politics. The last governor was running the state badly, and Arnold promised the people what they wanted to hear. He got elected the same way everyone else gets elected (which the natural exception of Bush Jr.).

The one comment of his that made things swing in my favor is when he claimed that everyone cares more about popular media than they do about politics. That was when someone else in the chat board that I was at popped up and said that if popular media ran the government, we'd be in a hell of a lot of shit and chaos. After all, if the media is so powerful, then why doesn't Justin Timberlake sign the laws? Why doesn't Britney Spears deal with what to do with Iraq? Why doesn't Orlando Bloom figure out what to do about the economy? On top of that, why doesn't Jude Law make gay marriages legal? I'll tell you why. It is because they don't know how to do it! They are entertainers! They may have political views, but they are, at heart, entertainers! They are not politicians!

He then tried to back peddle saying that popular media helps influence the majority. I seriously doubt the majority leader watches MTV. Then again, I doubt anyone in D.C. watches MTV. Those in politics, at least. If it did, Bush would have legalized gay marriages not on the grounds that is the right thing to do in a country that brags about being equal to all its citizens, but on the ground that he likes Will & Grace. But we all know that Bush has better things to do than watch The Fabulous Life of Britney Spears.

He then said in a failed attempt to be right that more people voted in American Idol than in the election.

American Idol doesn't have a one-vote-per-person rule like the national elections do, so that was farce if there ever was one.

Then, in another attempt to save his ass, he claimed that when he said majority, he meant the youth of the nation.

I shot that down by saying that no one in this country has rights unless they are 18 or older, with the exception being free speech. Think about it. You can't buy porn in some states until you are 18. You can't drive in the state of Tennessee, as well as many others, without a licensed driver until you are 18. You normally do not enter college, an adult education facility, until you are 18 or older. On top of that, you are not trialed in a court of law as an adult for adult crimes unless you are 18 or older when you committed the crime. To say that the youth of the country is the majority is ridiculous!

He then left saying he doesn't want to argue any more hoping that I'll realize that people care more about popular media than politics.

For those of you that can't read between the lines, that means he knows he is wrong but he is too proud to admit it because he still feels he is right.

It's a good thing I didn't catch this guy's age. All I know is that if this person is still in his teens, then he has a lot of learning to go through. If he is older than me, well, there's no excuse for that. He's just plain stupid.

One final note about this subject. The only thing popular media has on the government as far as an effect is awareness. That's the only thing popular media can hold over Bush's head. Yes, more people watch TV and admire celebrities, but I seriously doubt they care less about the politics in this country. Those that only care about what type of bread Lance Bass likes to have with his sandwich are in for a shock when they hear news that there is draft talk and they may have to go to war against their will. That's where popular media comes in to aware these people before hand. If interviews with celebrities were less about "So, do you have a girlfriend, Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliff?" and more about "So, what do you think about the war in Iraq, Mr. Speilburg? And please, don't hold back.", then these types of people that only listen to those in popular media would have the same awareness as Larry King's viewers!

Of course, then again, I wouldn't have anything as easily entertaining as these stupid people, but hell, there's always a village idiot somewhere in the world.