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THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Name your picks for the seven most-awkward moments of the year.
(In no particular order)
1. Nov. 2009 - Tiger Woods & Mistresses (Yes, plural!)
If that's not awkward, I don't know what is... The shame and embarassment he's feeling now is totally deserved, but it's still quite awkward to have revealed that you are not only having an affair, but with *multiple* mistresses... Speculation has the count at anywhere from 3 to 13 mistresses now - I imagine the actual number is probably somewhere between that... On the other hand, his wife seems to be no prize either if current rumours are true - it has been reported she may stay with him, regardless of this scandal... Not only is this completely stupid, given his track record, but she has apparently maneuvered a renegotiation of her prenup with Tiger... What!? It's called *pre*nuptual for a reason - as in, the agreement is fixed *before* the marriage is made... She might have been entitled to compensation when she was the one wronged, but now it seems she's decided to angle in the adultery pond for more cash in return for her "support" of him now... Maybe these two really do deserve each other...
2. March 2009 - Madonna, Malawi, & the Chanel Sweatsuit
Madonna visited the African country of Malawi to adopt a child... Now, Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world, it has a low life expectancy and high infant mortality.... And it's estimated that 1 million children have been orphaned there - due either to extreme poverty or the AIDS epidemic that's sweeping through 14% of their population - so I applaud her in wanting to adopt and save a child from that terrible life... BUT! In what *had* to be the most awkward display of thoughtless wealth, Madonna landed in the country in a Gulfstream V, wearing a Chanel tracksuit that retails at the New York store for about $2,800... Yes, I *know* she has a lot of money... Yes, she should be able to enjoy it as she pleases... But I found it rather gauche and insensitive of her to show up to one of the most impoverished nations on the planet in such attire... Just as you don't show up to a black tie affair in jeans and a t-shirt, you probably shouldn't show up in a dirt poor African village wearing an outfit that costs more than some people's mortgage payments... The money she spent on that outfit could have fed several Malawi children for months - so combining the purpose of her visit and her wardrobe choice = big awkwardness...!
3. February 2009 - Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman
There is so much I could say about this... All of it horrifying... I'll let the clip speak for itself...
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4. October 2009 - The David Letterman Affairs
And speaking of Dave and awkward moments - it must have been an awkward morning when he woke up and realised he'd have to choose between being blackmailed or publicly humiliated.... But in Dave's defense, he manned up, admitted the affairs, and publicly (and contritely) apologised to his wife... As for Robert Joel Halderman, jealous beau and blackmailer of Letterman - well I imagine he's having a few awkward moments of his own at moment...
5. October 2009 - Falcon "Balloon Boy" Heene on Larry King
I have so much sympathy for this child, whose awkward moment was forced upon him by parents who were more interested in pursuing fame and fortune than teaching their child how to live an ethical life... When Wolf Blitzer and the boy's father ask him why he hid, it's a pitiful sight to watch: he squirms uncomfortably in his seat, and pauses several times as he says, "Um... you guys said... that um... we did this for the show..." His eyes are looking everywhere but at the camera or his parents... He knows somehow he did something wrong, but he's not sure what he's supposed to say... His inadvertant admission of the hoax is met simple by a dismal "Yeah..." from his father, and a high pitched "No..." from his mother... His father then attempts to plaster over this blown gaff by talking rapidly and inanely of why he thinks his son hid, but it's obvious at this point in the interview that something is not kosher about this whole situation... How sad that this honest child will probably never get the encouragement to remain honest with parents like that...
6. October 2009 - Barack Obama & the Noble Peace Prize
Now many people might not find this an awkward moment, but I do, for one reason - it's a little embarassing to be asked, "But what did he accomplish to deserve the prize...?" and be forced to answer, "Well, not much... *yet*..." For me, as a ex-pat who is always getting asked these sorts of things by my Romanian and Hungarian relatives it's a little squirm-worthy... Because while he *has* worked towards getting the world community and opposing nations to talk civilly to each other, it hasn't yet borne fruit, so to speak... So the Norwegians seem to have stretched the terms of the award rules a bit on this one, insofar as Obama hasn't actually accomplished the goals of the prize, though he did more than most at trying to achieve them... Let's hope the President uses this as a benchmark of where he wants to be before he leaves office...
7. November 2008 - Palin and the Masked Avengers
Okay, I cheated on this one... It's not from this year... But it's *still* the most amusing awkward moments I've ever seen/heard... And it gives me an excuse to share it here... But beware, it may cause you to feel sympathy for Sarah Palin - at many points, you are squirming yourself at how gullible she's being... *grin*
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Its all a sham. Nothing but tax deductible PR crap. Make the people love you. Take their money. Convince them that you're making the world a better place. Take more of their money. Be nothing but a greedy sell-out hypocrite pig with a fake commercial personality and a fake cause to pose for. Concentrate even more of the world's wealth and resources and lead the ignorant masses to believe that you're doing the opposite. I can't stop them and I can't punish them but I can tell you that their bogus promises to make the world a better place will not be kept. Any 'humanitarian' progress made in one area will always be lost in another with a net loss for the majority. There will be more poverty. More starvation. More conflict. Meanwhile the rich will keep getting richer and richer and richer. They will always dumb us down and divert our attention from one area to another. Just like they have been for at least 25 years. Ethipoia (still bad), Darfur (even worse), Malawi (still bad). As they concentrate more and more of the world's wealth and resources, they will cause more inflation, more poverty, more starvation, and more conflict on a global scale. In order to divert our attention, they will adopt another cause to pose for. and another. and another. and another. Each time, putting their fake humanitarian stamp on it and jet-setting the world in the name of 'humanity'. Actually charging their private jet rides and 5 star hotel accomodations to their own bogus 'foundations'. Pleading with us to buy more of their products and support more of their 'good will'. Taking more of our money and throwing a few crumbs back to the poor along the way. With another photo-op and worldwide publicity for each and every crumb. Like I said, its all a sham. Nothing but a giant marketing gimmick and a cheap excuse to keep getting richer and richer and richer. These people are actually causing the same problems they pretend to care about. It is the greatest scam of all time. I will not forgive them for it. I will expose as many as possible for the hypocrite pigs that they are. Thats my cause. Its the ugly truth. Someone has to tell it.
The rest of this heated debate can be read at RaisingMalawi.org (Madonna's foundation). The blog articles for World Aids Day, Madonna Shock, and Child Rights are there on the homepage. The debate continues.
Gee, tell us how you *really* feel...! ;)
However, I have to take issue with your comment, because: if you believed in this as vehemently as you say here, you wouldn't be anonymous, now would you...?
The sad fact is, rich people don't get rich by giving their money away... And for most humans, they don't give unless they get as well... Very few actually practice altruism, although they might claim to... It's human nature to ask, "What's in it for me...?" In fact, without that nature, we would have become extinct long ago...
So I'm not willing to condemn Madonna (or anyone else who has money) for not saving the entire country of Malawi, or Africa, or the world... Sure, I pilloried her lack of sense in flaunting her wealth in a place where most have *nothing*, but that's really a matter of politesse... I do not expect her, or anyone, to save all the suffering millions just because they have money... However much or little they choose to help is a matter of their own conscience and their own god(s)... I can't judge their situation by their net worth alone... No one can... And just because they *have* money in no way obligates them to give anyone a dime, frankly...
So I must respectfully disagree with your assessment... You cannot say with certainty whether it's care or publicity that motivates her... And really, you don't have the right to judge, unless you've taken a vow of poverty and given away most of your earnings to charity yourself...