Can a sex tape be far behind?
Watching the thousands of people lined up to buy Sarah Palin’s book reminded me of crowds lining up to see Paris Hilton. The same question pops up: Why?
Just as Paris Hilton is famous for being famous,Sarah Palin is infamous for being infamous. In either case, there’s no “there” there. The only missing piece between Paris and Palin is a sex tape, and frankly, can that be far behind? They’re both beautiful, have accomplished nothing, and are revered for….what? Somebody tell me what?
The only real difference between these two icons seems to be which end of the banality pool they swim in. At least, Palin is in the deeper end. She was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population: 10,000) and governor of the state (population 686,000 give or take a caribou or two). Though even those accomplishments are forever tarnished by her decision to quit halfway into her term without a real reason.
But that’s about their only difference. Neither of these two women speak in full sentences (Paris, Palin, PLEASE! A verb!) and neither can recall what they read. Or rather, if.
They’re like two bookends in some feminist nightmare–unaccomplished women who left the true achievers in the dust (note to Palin: I wouldn’t be alone with Kay Bailey Hutchinson or Christie Todd Whitman). I’m scared to death that my 12 year old niece will look up to either one of these women. What, a quitter as hero? A bimbo as role model?
I think it’s the vacuousness of both princesses that annoys the most. Paris tip-toes past the medicine cabinet so she won’t wake up the sleeping pills; Palin does it so she won’t wake up the Russians. If we could just get one understandable idea out of either of these women, there’d be some purchase to their popularity. But with the one that truly matters–Palin–we’re left with a three-word energy policy (“Drill, Baby, Drill”), a two word health care summary (“Death Panels”) and a one word reading list (“Uhm.”).
Where is the “there” that keeps thousands waiting in line to buy a book by a woman who doesn’t read? I pride myself in “getting” what conservatives sees in their heros, even if I don’t agree with them. McCain? War hero, campaign finance reform, I get it. Mitt Romney? Governor of an important state, ran the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, I get it. But Sarah? What’s there to get?