The BBC is funded by the general viewing public, with the TV license fees.  Therefore, it does not rely on commercial advertising.  It has a distinct advantage over its competitors and it knows it.  Despite being taxpayer funded, though, it does not seem that the BBC is serving the people.

First, the BBC prevented Barbara Windsor from appearing on Piers Morgan’s show on ITV (afraid of competition).  So, in revenge, ITV banned Ant & Dec from appearing on Jonathan Ross’ BBC show.  Now, the BBC are putting Strictly Come Dancing in direct competition with The X Factor, the two most popular TV shows.  For the record, I couldn’t really care less about any of these celebs or shows, but the actions of these rival networks are childish.  And, in the BBC’s case, it is almost a monopoly.

The BBC does not need TV ratings.  It will survive regardless.  ITV is in trouble due to the recession.  It’s almost like the BBC is out for blood and trying to destroy its closest competitor.  They’re even trying to woo celebs like Dec & Ant to join them after their ITV contract expires.

It surprises me to find that Cowell wants to avoid a clash and suggests that ITV (his network) back down.  That’s one way to avoid being torn to pieces by a bully.  But, it also makes you more vulnerable the next time.  The BBC should be accountable to their viewers and behave in a more dignified way.

Like most people, I do follow some celebrity news.  You really can’t help it when it’s everywhere. I suppose I was more interested in my teenage years, but not so much now.  And back then, Michael was BIG.  I won’t say I was a huge fan – I liked some of his songs, but I never “got” the craze.  Because of his death, most people will start concentrating on that part of his life.  Rightly so, since death has a very sobering effect on everyone.

Time may be gentle on his image, but on the other hand, it may refocus attention on his later years when controversy dominated.  Let’s face it, he did lead a very controversial life.  We may criticise people for being so star-struck, but in some ways, Michael Jackson showed that he was star-struck as well.  Though I never knew the man, his actions seemed to reveal someone who was not confident with his own image.  He had multiple plastic surgeries, presumably to look like Diana Ross. He was uncomfortable with his own skin, so he lightened it.  I know he attributed it to vitiligo, but I don’t believe that accounted for all the whitening.  The issues with Neverland, his “children”, and all the youths he associated with will never be fully understood.  There may have been some truth in the accusations levelled at him, but I’m sure there may also have been some maliciousness in hounding him and attempting to extract as much money as possible.  He was essentially bankrupt in the end.

The controversies led him to remove himself from the limelight and for a while, he lived in seclusion.  Then he decided to come back and had planned 50 concerts in London this summer.  It sounded an incredible feat and now, unfortunately, it will never be done.  He cannot prove his critics wrong.

It was said that he suffered from multiple health problems.  Surprisingly, I was never aware of any of this.  Perhaps, I was not obsessed enough with celebrities to have found this out sooner.  That would explain why I still find it unbelievable that he is dead.  I am more inclined to believe that the stress of a comeback brought on the heart attack, if that is what really killed him, rather than any long-term health issues.

He always appeared vibrant and energetic, but that may just be a public front.  He was rather thin, and had always been so, but in his heyday, it was a healthier looking slimness.  That could be because he looked more natural then.  I can’t help but think how differently his life would have been had he not put himself up to public scrutiny by undergoing surgery and adopting such eccentricities.  That may have been the true Michael Jackson, but hindsight shows that it was not a good move to publicise it.  He was so much more popular when he was a normal black man who could out-perform anyone in his time.  Instead, his life went downhill and I’m sure he suffered physically, mentally and emotionally from that roller coaster ride.

Michael was a living legend and it will take some time for Hollywood to get over this one.  Hopefully, there won’t be any silly conspiracy theories, fake deaths and Michael sightings.

Now, everyone has the freedom of speech to express their dissatisfaction with commercial advertisements, and some advertisements may be extremely offensive or seriously in breach of “truth in advertising”, but others are just downright nonsense.  It makes you wonder if these people have no sense of humour or so goaded by envy that they feel they must need complain.  What do they do with their days besides sitting in front of the TV?

I refer to the latest complaints regarding the Duffy Coke ads.  I have not seen the commercial, but the nature of the complaint was ridiculous. Watch my eyes as they execute a perfect-10 arch from left to right.  Maybe it’s my American mentality, but when we see things that we know cannot and does not happen in real life, we just shrug it off and laugh.  We might say, “That’s a stupid commercial”, but we do not call up the advertising watchdog and register a complaint.  Not unless there is something extremely offensive or inappropriate.

With all these complaints, it seems like we are approaching a state of censorship.  Yet, the censorship does not appear to address the more serious issues that we face every day, but silly nonsense that any logical mind can dismiss.  The good thing is that the ASA is able to discern silliness and dismiss nonsensical complaints.  However, it is still time-consuming and unnecessary

I don’t know how Confessions of a Shopaholic is doing at the box office, but I for one, do not care to see it. After seeing Sophie Kinsella give a reporter advice on how to shop during the recession, the determination was cemented. Perhaps, she only meant to be funny, but it seemed that she probably was a real shopaholic and her advice was downright stupid. If her book is anything like her advice, I’m surprised it was so popular. And for someone to pick it up and turn it into a movie – let’s just not go there.

At a time when the cost of going to the theatre is so high, can they not come up with more enticing stories? A comedy about spending during the recession? It might make some people step out of their lives for a moment and laugh at the situation. However, it may also cause frustration as most people can’t see their way out of their own troubles. I’ll take a guess and predict that the story has a happy ending.

To kick-start this economy, we need people to start spending. People can’t spend unless they have money, or have the security of knowing they will have money. Right now, the only people who can REALLY spend are the rich. But are they spending? Are they investing? If so, where? I’d like to put a call out to all the celebrities – major to minor, aristocrats to commoners – all those with money in their pockets, to go out and spend their money and help us get this economy back on track. With all the publicity, Ms. Kinsella should probably have enough money to support her shopaholic ways. She should now use that money as payback to society.

Gary Glitter’s number 1 UK single “I’m the Leader of the Gang” was on the GCSE music syllabus. However, it has been removed subsequent to complaints about its inclusion after it was spotted by a deputy head teacher. This action has provoked some thought.

From a personal perspective, I have never heard Glitter’s hit song. Although I was familiar with one of his works, because they play it at every ball game in the US, I had never heard of the guy. My husband had to inform me about this character.

I have never been one to condone immoral behavior. In fact, I am totally against promoting all these pop culture celebrities who are always breaking the law and getting away with it, as well as those who are always in trouble due to drugs and alcohol. They are supposed to be role models, and poor role models they are. It sickens me that the media seem to promote and ultimately profit from their popularity.

On the reverse side, I have learned to accept that talent cannot be discounted just because of bad behavior due to poor mental processes. Just look at all the 60s and 70s icons who were hailed as geniuses as they were filling their minds and bodies with drugs. As much as I might like to censor some people’s works, censorship does not work. It only seems to increase people’s curiosity. I have seen that with my own children.

I wonder if by cutting out Glitter they may unintentionally give him some publicity. These are teenagers who will be affected. They are old enough to have an intelligent discussion of a controversial figure like Glitter. Also, if he was really influential, should his work not be considered? Should what happened later in his life invalidate what he contributed to music previously?