Aunt Catherine Ponders Reviews of the President on The View for Mass Communications 101

On Saturday, May 19, 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" to then president, John F. Kennedy, in such a sultry manner that it was amazing that the microphone itself didn't melt under the steam. Yet, in those days, one could hardly imagine Walter Cronkite discussing the underlying connotations of the event on the CBS Evening News. And, as we give a nod to the late, great Walter Cronkite, would he have ever given today's vapid, quasi-celebrities a moment of his precious airtime?

Whether that question was meant to represent Lindsay Lohan (whose off-screen antics far surpass any achievements on-screen) or Snooki (all antics, all the time), both of these women came up during a casual conversation with President Obama during his appearance on The View.

CBS News.com covered the president's interview in their Celebrity Circuit section, which mentioned Mr. Obama's views on his daughters, what was currently on his I-Pod, and his knowledge of the vast wasteland of pop culture when the ladies of The View quizzed him about Lindsay Lohan, Snooki, and Mel Gibson. Ever the gentlemen, "he sidestepped a question about Mel Gibson's latest troubles ("I haven't seen a Mel Gibson film in a while") (Dershowitz)," then claimed ignorance of Snooki's existence, and made quick work of commenting on La Lohan, according to Celebrity Circuit. The article went on to cover his dealing with his daughters as they transition from little girls to teenagers, and the rapid graying of his hair since he took office. A fluffy article to be sure, but entertaining and somewhat informative.

In stark contrast, we have The Huffington Post's garbage (too strong a word?) that focused primarily on the president being "flustered" by questions regarding the unholy pop trio mentioned above. More low-brow slop to accelerate the propulsion of our youth into a real- life Idiocracy. Bleh.

Did I mention that President Obama recently celebrated his 47th birthday? Happy Birthday, Mr. President!


Derschowitz, Jessica. "'The View': Obama Talks About His iPod, Lindsay Lohan, and His Daughters." CBS News Entertainment. CBSNews.com. 29 July 2010. Web. 31 July 2010.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. ManonMaru. You Tube. Video. Web. 05 August 2010.

Idiocracy. Dir. Mike Judge. Perf. Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, and Dave Herman. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. 2007. Film.

"President Obama on 'The View' : Flustered By Mel Gibson and Snooki Questions." The Huffington Post. Huffington Post.com Inc. 29 July 2010. Web. 31 July 2010.

Aunt Catherine Tries to "Move On."

You've read my "lament" in the previous blog below and you may be wondering how Old Aunt Catherine has managed to live long enough to post a blog, let alone understand what it even is. Well, Aunt Catherine didn't spend all of her time stirring the sauce. As the children grew, and I found myself with more and more spare time, I learned the secrets of quantum mechanics and eventually decided to rebuild my broken life in the year 2010. (Take that, Stephen Hawking.) My thinking is: If I fail, it's only two short years to 2012.

As I sat at the kitchen table with my sister, Theresa, she began to tell me that I should "move on." Everyone was offering nearly identical advice: "move on, move on, move on." "Get a fresh start." "You'll feel better in a new location."

Really? Even with the laws of quantum physics at my disposal, how does one forget? Time and space are irrelevant when your memories still haunt you. You may be able to temporarily fill the days with new adventures to soothe your broken heart, but how does one delete the thoughts that wake us in the middle of the night? Those thoughts which man (or woman) has no control over. The memories of children running down the hall at 5 a.m. on Christmas mornings, of family beach vacations, of gatherings of friends in the home you no longer live in, and the stabbing pain of your precious pet going to his rest. No matter what you do in the present or future, the past will wake you in the night. The real trick is to find a way to turn that intense pain into pleasant memories rather than the hollow ring of knowing that you will never experience them again. Does a mastery over time and space help? No.

No matter what you do, no matter what you learn, the moments that make memories continue to be fleeting. Any advice, Mr. Hawking?

Aunt Catherine's Lament

In 1955, Marty won four Oscars. In one particularly moving scene, Marty's Aunt Catherine, while visiting with her sister (Marty's mother), reflects on her life after her husband is gone and her children have grown:
"So I'm an old garbage bag put in the street, huh?... These are the worst years, I tell you. It's going to happen to you. I'm afraid to look in a mirror. I'm afraid I'm gonna see an old lady with white hair, just like the old ladies in the park with little bundles and black shawls waiting for the coffin. I'm fifty-six years old. And what am I gonna do with myself? I've got strength in my hands. I want to clean. I want to cook. I want to make dinner for my children. Am I an old dog to lay near the fire till my eyes close? These are terrible years, Theresa, terrible years... It's gonna happen to you. It's gonna happen to you! What are you gonna do if Marty gets married? Huh? What are you gonna cook? Where's all the children playing in all the rooms? Where's the noise? It's a curse to be a widow, a curse! What are you gonna do if Marty gets married? What are you gonna do?"

Marty. Dir. Delbert Mann. Perf. Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, and Augusta Ciolli. Hecht-Lancaster Productions, 1955. Film.