Head Tale

Reason magazine recently declared the “end of the post-9/11 era” citing a story linking Zsa Zsa Gabor with Anna Nicole Smith after the latter's death. 

Hard to argue with that.  The whole media frenzy around the Anna Nicole Smith death the other day shows that we're truly back to the way things were on September 10, 2001.  Therefore, I would encourage you to tell everyone you know that's it's over – no more saying “it's a different world now” or talk of terrorists and “threats to our liberty.”  No more of any of this (a person can dream, right?) 

So why does the death of a Marilyn Monroe-wannabe signify the end of the “post 9/11 era?”  ThinkProgress reports that “NBC’s Nightly News devoted 14 seconds to Iraq compared to 3
minutes and 13 seconds to Anna Nicole. CNN referenced Anna Nicole 522%
more frequently than it did Iraq. MSNBC was even worse — 708% more
references to Anna Nicole than Iraq.” 

This, on a day that included “the sixth downing of a US helicopter in the past three weeks, allegations that a deputy Iraqi health minister was aiding a Shiite militia in its attacks against U.S. troops, and the death of four Marines.”  That's not even touching the recent story that the US Military shipped $12 billion in cash (link to a Daily Show clip, ie. worth watching) to Iraq and somehow managed to lose track of it.  <Dr. Evil voice> Twelve BILL-ion!</Dr. Evil>

Larry King summed it up: “The death of Anna Nicole Smith is the number one story around the world tonight.”   Yes, it is Larry.  Yes, it is.  (That first link might be disturbing for some people.  I know it is for me.)