(rant) Warning, Val is annoyed

Warning: this post does wander into rant territory. It also wanders into politics, a bit, but mostly it’s a rant. You have been warned.

I’m in training at a new job. I haven’t switched companies, but I’ve been promoted, so I’m getting training in one of the new areas I’ll be supporting (pensions, if you really want to know). Because the trainees are all seasoned members of the company, we’re switching up the training with some team-building exercises, mostly Top Ten lists. The instructor gives us the topic, we have to come up with the top ten things in that topic. It’s been all over the map, and for the most part, I’ve learned some interesting things.

Which brings me to the subject of today’s post: why I feel America is going down the tubes. On Tuesday, we did a Top Ten list on Yahoo’s Top Ten Searches of 2011. My team and I came up with ten events/persons that we thought would be in the top 10. Things like Steve Jobs’ death. The Japanese earthquake/tsunami. The debt ceiling crisis. The Royal Wedding. The Greek Debt crisis. You know, big things. IMPORTANT THINGS.

Of the five things listed above, ONE of them was on Yahoo’s list. The Japanese earthquake, which apparently not even the average citizens of the US could fail to notice. Do you know what else was listed? Jennifer Aniston. American Idol. Casey Anthony. (You can see the entire top ten list here: Yahoo Top 10 Searches for 2011) American freaking Idol makes the list, but Steve Jobs’ death doesn’t. No politicians made the top ten, actually, which (considering the state of the Republican offerings this time around) surprised me. It also saddened me.

I will be the first to admit that I am probably not much like the “average American” that fills out these polls. In other times, I would probably be considered a bluestocking. I’m not interested in most celebrities, or who’s screwing who. I consider Jackass a blight on the world, followed closely by most “reality TV.” (Although I do admit that I adore Food Network and Cooking Channel. Do those count? And Ghost Hunters/Ghost Adventures. Anything with ghosts in it, I can pretty much guarentee I’ll at least try.) I don’t listen to most contemporary music – I like country, for the most part. I read, rather than watch TV. I am a gamer geek, although not a huge one (just WoW, pretty much, although I’m contemplating finding my copy of Master of Magic again). I write. And I read, did I mention that? Not just books, but anything I can get my hands on.

So these people who follow Snooki or Justin Bieber or Sarah Palin are like aliens to me. I despise people who can’t seem to make their own opinions, but follow others like sheep. Seriously. I don’t mind if you have different opinions from me, as long as you’ve thought through them and aren’t just spouting whatever the current party line from Newt or Glenn Beck is. THINK about things before you spout them.

And for gods sake, stop watching reality TV. That stuff rots your brains.

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.