Epiphany!

When I was younger, Johnny Carson was THE person to watch at night. Then, before I knew anything and mostly about how the world really works, I wanted to be on Johnny Carson. It was a goal. Didn't know how the world really worked, and I was especially sad the day he retired. I knew then I would never achieve that goal.

Then, in those younger days, Carson would introduce movie and tv stars and they would sit around and talk and then talk some more with other entertainers Carson introduced. You, the audience, would get to know these people by their actions, reactions, talents, feelings, emotions -- in other words, I felt a connection to these people. Not like I really knew them, but I knew if I would feel comfortable sitting next to them. It's like I knew that I could never sit next to Hemingway although I love his writing. I knew his presence would intimidate me. I also knew that Jerry Lewis was a good guy and he valued his privacy. So, when I stood next to him at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas at the valet service, I never said a word. But I did ask the valet if that was indeed Jerry Lewis, and he did confirm it. I respected his value of privacy.

Now, jump forward a few years today. I may have mentioned before that I like to watch The Talk when I am home. Watching it yesterday, Matthew McConaughey was on promoting his new shows. It made me think of all the people they bring on for just a few minutes, that the only thing they do is promote their business, whatever it is, and leave. Epiphany! Talk shows do no more than promote a creative person's business. It's one business promoting another business.

Gone are the days when I will feel intimidated by someone's presence just because that person is so talented it takes my breath away; gone are the days when I find that someone values his privacy and I respect that value.

How can I feel anything for these talents? There is no connection to the person, only a product.

Stars no longer stick around and talk with others on the show. It's a simple 5 or 10 minutes plugging their product, and adios amigo. They, the stars, are nothing but a brand selling a product. Maybe this is why the paparazzi follow them. Haunt them. They -- the entertainers -- are nothing but a product. And in our throw away society, you know what we do with our products.

Interesting, though, that there are some entertainers who seldom do the circuit -- thinking of Meryl Streep. There's another line of thinking here. Meryl is not selling a product, she not only is a household name, but she is respected for her roles, her acting ability.

What do you think? Am I way off in my thinking or does this make sense?

Until tomorrow...have a great day.