Barack Obama has chosen celebrity mega-minister Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life (whose own life purpose has included amassing millions of dollars from his faithful following and who, therefore, seems inevitably driven to some kind of Jim Bakker-like scandal eventually), to serve as the official priest at his inauguration next month. Why does this supposedly secular occasion need an official prayer-leader? Because it's America, of course - the land where church and state separation is eternally compromised by the GPS ankle bracelet that church keeps on state to make sure the latter doesn't stray too far.
And because it's America, and because he's America's top politician, Obama has to pay lip service to this game whether he wants to or not. But Rick Warren is a disappointing choice, for reasons that celebrity atheist Christopher Hitchens illuminates, in typical biting fashion, in this article. Let's hope that Obama's mistakes are confined strictly to ceremonial gestures.
Fine moment #2:
In the latest Vanity Fair, William Langewiesche delivers a teeth-grindingly suspenseful account of a mid-flight airplane crash that happened in South America two years ago. This is just outstanding journalism. Langewiesche's reconstruction features fastidious detail that builds a mounting sense of dread as the piece goes on. By the time of the accident, you feel like you're on both planes.
Fine moment #3:
From the same issue of Vanity Fair, a profile of Tina Fey by Maureen Dowd. If you're looking for Dowd to fawn over Fey, and if you're looking for Fey to play into any sexy-teacher stereotypes that correspond with her recent rise to stardom, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a window into a celebrity that changes your perspective of the subject, you won't be. What surprised me is that Fey comes off as a bit of a nag and a prude - very curious to see how her camp reacts to the story.
No comments:
Post a Comment