Thoughts on “celebrity”

Celebrity is a strange thing. Nadya Suleman became one because she had octuplets while already having six children. Tabloids are inundated with stories about Jon & Kate, who are famous only for having eight children and a reality show. And don’t get me started on Spencer Pratt and Heidi Pratt… who are famous for being shallow on the Hills, and have somehow convinced themselves they’re megastars.

At least Nadya Suleman realizes that being the mother of 14 is difficult and that she might have made a mistake. Speidi (I refuse to keep typing their names) just keep trying ploy after ploy to prove that they’re famous. Newsflash: If you have to keep making stunt after stunt to try to keep your name in the news, you aren’t even remotely near the D-list.

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Originally published at Whitney Drake. You can comment here or there.

Almost speechless

I am an idealist, but I am not so naive that I think that there aren’t people in this country who are bigots against those who are a different race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. Even in my 29 years, I’ve seen plenty of news coverages that proves that while humanity as a whole improves - there are those who seem to move backward.

Recently I’d seen a lovely story from CNN about an Omaha family that were letting their 8 year old child transition genders. Biologically born male, he’d always identified as a female- to the point where nightly he prays to wake up a girl.

This fall, they’ll allow her to be herself full time. Because of her situation, she won’t be attending the Catholic private school she had attended years prior as a boy- but will be going to public school.

Just last week, Sacramento radio hosts Rob, Arnie & Dawn of KRXQ-FM tackled this specific question and launched into a very long, hate filled dialogue focused on the child in question. (Here’s a very helpful link to a blog post that has all sorts of information - a link to the broadcast, highlights from the broadcast in text) It was everything from the usual ignorant argument that if it was their boy who wanted to wear a dress that they’d say no, to some shocking comments that basically amounted to child abuse in order to correct the problem. Not to mention implying that transgendered individuals can be corrected through psychology or that it’s caused by molestation and bad parenting.

Point of fact, the problem isn’t the transgender individual- it’s the lack of understanding that society has at large. They aren’t cross dressers… these are individuals who completely identify with the opposite gender. It’s not a choice that anyone would make, so trying to make it sound like it is… that’s ridiculous.

The problem lies with people like this, who would rather look at random statistics to prove their points, than face the facts. There are some individuals who don’t identify with their biological gender. Just like there are some people who are born with food allergies. It’s not a choice, it’s just how they were born.

Allowing this ignorance to continue without consequence only sends the message that it’s okay. They actually implied that child abuse is okay, and that this poor child is a freak who deserves to be debased.

If you could, regardless of whether or not you fully understand transgenders, please take the time to send an email to the General Manager, John Geary to let him know that hate speech isn’t funny, that it isn’t entertainment. All it does is further spread hate and misunderstanding.

John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com

Arnie States
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robarnieanddawn.com

Rob Williams
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com

Originally published at Whitney Drake. You can comment here or there.