People In Hollywood Who Bother Me.

Ok. I know this is a rather dumb post. But I couldn’t sleep Thursday night. So I watched TV in bed. And it seemed like every time I flipped the channel to a new show . . . something in me would automatically recoil when I saw certain people (that also is probably some sort of commentary on the state of today’s television in general). I mean I could feel literal and legitimate anger well up in my gut. To the extent that without any prompting I would have these imaginary discourses in my head with these people that I would play out. With me calling them out to their face. They in turn realize what big morons they are. And change. And then from that point on whenever they are on TV they always mention my name as being the thing that saved their life. And helped them through this phase in their life.

I can’t make this stuff up. This is for real how 30 minutes of TV went down while I flipped.

Paris Hilton – She was on E-News and they were talking about how she got a ticket. This made me mad. Here is someone who has never done one positive constructive thing in her life. Or does anything even remotely helpful. She goes to parties and goes shopping on her parent’s money. And they are spending time discussing how she got a ticket?!? As if that was newsworthy.

Bam Margera – So I flipped over to Bam’s Unholy Union. I think without a doubt Bam has to be one of the most selfish, spoiled punks in the whole world. And I know that half of what he does is for television. The more he acts like a fool, the more likely he gets to stay on TV for a while. Since he’s a subpar skater. The fact that he goes around trying to piss his mom off by breaking, burning, and altogether destroying things is poor form (according to Hook). For example, in 5 minutes of watching . . . he cut down a 50 foot tree in his parent’s yard. Tied it to his hummer. Drug it 10 miles to his house. The tree fell off once in the middle of the road. Blocking traffic until they could get it tied back on. Got to his house. Tied it to a four-wheeler. Drove the 4-wheeler and tree through the house tearing up their brand new hardwoods and breaking stuff in it’s path. Then put the 50 foot tree up in his house for Christmas. The whole time his mom and wife are begging him to stop. Then took off his wive’s favorite pair of boots and threw them into the fire because he didn’t like them. Enough said.

Bobby Flay – Then I flipped over to Iron Chef: America. It was 12:30 so give me a break. Bobby Flay was doing his thing. Now I really don’t like Bobby Flay. But at least he does something constructive and has made something of himself. But still . . . I’m a closet Food Network fan. I enjoy watching chefs make cakes and other assorted things. And every time I’ve seen Bobby Flay on any show (even when he’s made guest appearances on other shows like the wedding one and the travel one) he is so full of himself. He never talks to people. They once had a newlywed couple on their who was getting the Food Network to cater their wedding because they won a contest. Bobby Flay wouldn’t even give them the time of the day. Brought his food. Forced a smile. And walked away. When does becoming a famous chef on a TV channel make you a superstar to good to talk to people? Come on (Gob-like)!

Anyway – all that venting aside. Laying there in bed playing out Celebrity Death Match scenes in my head . . . it hit my like a ton of bricks. I think the reason all 3 of these people upset me to such an extent was because I see myself in them. Cocky. Full-of-my-self. Spoiled. Non-constructive. Even destructive at times. Born into wealth (by globabl standards) yet being frivolous with it.

Walter Wink makes an excellent point in The Powers That Be about how we tend to project our own “issues” on our enemies. That instead of facing up to our own sin and issues, it’s much easier to project that off on someone else. Even from the earliest age with cartoons. We always root for the “good guy” while reveling when the “bad guy” gets destroyed. His assumption being that we enjoy it when our “bad side” gets punished because we realize that is part of us that deserves it. And we project ourselves off as “good” by identifying with the super-hero. Without ever having to come to the realization that we are at both times good and bad. Capable of constructive and destructive things.

I think the reason I well up in anger at Hollywood and in specific Bam and Paris and Bobby is that I see myself in them. And if I can minimize them by naming them selfish, spoiled, destructive . . . then I can somehow avoid responsibility for those things in my life. And if I can avoid the responsibility of those things that it’s a whole lot easier for me to project myself off as good.

Anyway, who are some people that bother you in Hollywood? Why? What characteristics of yourself are you projecting off onto them?