Shooting Pavlov's Dog

I miss the good old days. Back when I could watch TV or listen to music and not have to worry about somebody pissing me off. But these days there is always somebody ready to use his or her time on camera or on stage who feels compelled to straighten me out. I don’t remember my Pastor ever belting out a show tune, I never had a coach try to explain a math equation, and I don’t know if Albert Einstein ever taught anyone how to catch a fish. Instead, they all stuck with what they knew how to do, and never presumed to give advice about things they didn’t fully understand. So what makes celebrities, entertainers, comedians, or Hollywood script writers think they must preach to us or educate us about what is wrong with this country and the world? Has anyone actually seen George Clooney’s degree in Political Science? Can you show me the words ‘U.N. Ambassador’ anywhere on Barbra Steisand’s resume’? Just imagine if Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld showed up to direct an episode of ‘ER’. And yet it seems that my personal choices of TV shows and music I can listen to have been narrowed down these last few years. I used to love Tim Robbins movies and the Dixie Chicks. I watched ‘ER’ and the ‘Law and Order’ series too. But they just couldn’t keep their politics to themselves and I got fed up and turned them off. And they don’t get it. They don’t understand why they can’t be allowed to piss off half their fan base and still continue to be as popular as before. Did you ever have a favorite restaurant that you loved, but then one day you found a big 'ol hair in your mouth after taking a bite of food? You never get over that do you? You never forget how disgusting it was to have that big 'ol hair in your mouth. That restaurant isn’t your favorite anymore, is it? Well it’s the same with entertainers. I loved “The Shawshank Redemption,” but I can’t watch it anymore without thinking about Tim Robbins’ Bush Bashing. So I don’t. I don’t watch ‘ER’ or listen to the Dixie Chicks either. We all lose. Pavlov