It boils down to priorities. Outa sight outa mind. In the 60's and 70's the news plastered Vietnam right across the TV screen around the world High profile media war. Wars of the last 40 years are just about the same. Afghan though is desert high country..you gotta be gung ho to wanna report it...and your editor or station manager has to wanna air it.....so maybe thats the problem they are keepiong it outa sight till something happens, which they consider news worthy. I read a by line that Witney Huston died...no biggy for me...she was a failure in my book. Next!

I hardly ever watch TV. When my son was deployed I watched TV even less. I got my news mostly right from him when he called. I have a few web pages and one FB page that updates those KIA through the DOD daily. Our country has long been desensitized to the wages of war.

Y'know I'm a fan of some music but in no way do I ever care to meet the bands who make this music nor do I care what they do personally, I just want them to keep putting out the music. If they should all die horribly, oh well I have their music to listen to until I get tired of it and move onto something else. For example: Layne Staley from Alice In Chains died a few years back and they found him in his apartment dead of an apparent heroin overdose, they didn't find him for 2 weeks because no one was looking for him and all his friends knew he was a junkie, so I figure if his close friends didn't care why should I? Great music but just exercised some poor judgement. Kurt Cobain killed himself and I thought to myself "What an asshole!"
The only famous person that I really cared that much about that died was Darrell Abbot of Pantera who was murdered while playing on stage by a crazed gunman who rushed the stage with a pistol and shot Abbot 5 times in the face and torso THAT is a tragic event! But the two others were idiots: One had the resources to at least battle his addiction but chose not to the other just copped out with $30 million dollars in his bank account! I know money doesn't buy happiness but damn, I could LEARN to be happy with that kinda cabbage!

The culture of idol worship is nothing new but it pales in comparison of who people USED to worship in ancient times! There were huge rumors about people like William Wallace and the Honorable Congressman David Crocket who tragically died defending the Alamo. These were people you could idolize because they were fighting a common enemy and trying to help the people not trying to cash in. We're so backwards as a culture now and Rex you are absolutely right, it falls on those who buy into it, but also it should fall on those that bring these kids up and tell them about REAL heroes and clue them in as to a modern 'star' and their appetite for your money.

Another glaring look into stardom for me was the Osbournes and we cut to Ozzy and his asshole wife Sharon sitting in bed with a big flat screen TV that pops out from the foot of their bed discussing how tough they have it... BOO HOO!

There is a price to be paid for being famous that's for sure but really, you got more money than you know what to do with and life may be chaotic but they're living it up and creating drama so they can continue to milk that cash cow... us!

I dunno, I think my rant ran askew LOL