Clay Aiken is gay, 90210 is still on the air - and someone cares about this?

Ok, more time away from the political shakeup of the Presidential election race, and the potential shakedown to the public and economy from the trillion dollar bailout.

So, what’s going on in the world of entertainment that is worth discussing?

There is news about Clay Aiken being gay. Not rumors which have existed since he first appeared and killed brain-cells on the profoundly bewildering success American Idol. This is an admission that he is gay by the performer himself.

Honestly I didn’t want to know about his private sexual practices. My life would never have been affected had he never said anything. If anything I am concerned by his admission in regard to the artificially inseminated child that he has. Because I strongly believe that if a person cannot have a child via nature’s process they should not have a child at all.

Though I must say that when a fan of Aiken wrote this comment I was taken aback

"This is really shocking news as I had no idea he was gay," read a comment posted by "Sheridansq." "And now I have to deal with this. I am not sure what to say to people who know I was a fan. ... I didn't go to work today and am not answering the telephone."

Seriously people. If you are so homophobic as to be afraid of going to work because people might know you are a fan of an artist you have serious personal problems. His sexual preferences have nothing to do with his ability to sing a song. Just as a sexual preference has nothing to do with any career. I like Freddie Mercury and his band Queen, and Elton John’s early songs. What the hell does that mean besides I like good rock n roll?

Beyond that what else is worthy of a few moments of reading?

Well the new 90210 will be extended to 22 episodes for the season, so it isn’t cancelled yet. I am still hoping it dies soon. But for those fans that the show must have since it has been extended, I have news.

It seems that Brandon (Jason Preistley) and Dylan (Luke Perry) will be on the next episode. Well in a sort of grab-ratings-in-a-lie kind of way. Neither actor will be on the show, as both had the good taste (and future career hopes) to deny the show. So instead we learn that Brandon writes emails, and Dylan will make a phone call. Amazing that they are so technology-friendly.

Best yet, the phone call of the ex-boyfriend of 2 of the original shows stars seems to start a fight. That’s brilliant. Jealousy over a phone call from an ex. There’s drama for you. Why do people watch this show?

Well that’s a bit of quick blurbs. I know something far more important, or at least interesting, is happening in the world of entertainment and celebrities. I’m just off my pace at the moment. That has to be the reason because someone has to be more interesting than this garbage.

The new 90210 - is it cancelled yet?

Ok. Please stop. I’m speaking to the CW network.

The CW network is the channel that has brought us such hits as Hidden Palms, Aliens in America, and Online Nation. If you don’t recall those television shows don’t worry, no one else did either – even when they were on the air. This network was the reheated remains of the corpses of the WB and UPN networks (birthplace of Homeboys in Space - thank god they went bankrupt). It’s only successes to date being Smallville, Supernatural, Everybody Hates Chris, and America’s Top Model each from the old networks that went out of business.

So in search of new ideas that might sustain this still miserable network there has been an nearly unending hype about the new 90210. Yes sheer joy will fall from the heavens and ratings records will be set anew when the sequel to the original 1990’s television show hits the airwaves. Or so the CW keeps using all kinds of media to let us know.

Honestly, do they think that the return of Jennie Garth, and Shannen Doherty will cause some kind of uproar? Neither of these women have had a success in years. Unless you count the short stint Doherty had on Charmed (before she reportedly was fired and the series really took off) or her season of work on “Sci-Fi” Channel’s Scare Tactics [which has nothing to do with scifi and does not deserve to be on the channel]. That says nothing of the fact that the fan base left their teens over a decade ago.

But let’s look at what the show has to offer the youth of today.

The most notable change to the show is that suddenly the Beverly Hills area has a touch of color. And I do mean A touch. Tristan Wilds will play the adopted brother of Shenae Grimes – essentially the Brendan and Brenda of the old show.

So the only way that a Black kid can get into Beverly Hills is via an adoption, or so the show seems to present. Because the original certainly had as many Blacks as were to be found on Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, Friends, Seinfeld, and E.R. combined. Oh wait, that’s not true because there was 1 African American on E.R. at it’s start. Well at least the new show follows the far more enlightened and standardized format of 1 Black, 1 Latino, and at least one woman. (Well at least one of the women in the show looks sortof Latino so that counts right? And Asians? They don’t exist in America)

Well it won’t matter. The show has good looking rich people (everyone can relate to that right?), and they have Youtube in the show too (they are just like you, just in a Ferrari - if you are also White). It must be cool. And just for added effect they threw in an alcoholic/addict grandmother (because who doesn't have one). It's just a good wholesome television show, with drugs, and drinking, and sex, and paparazzi, and clothes that cost more than what most parents make in a year.

I think Brian Austin Green, who is among virtually all the old cast that refused to be on this program – except for Tori Spelling who dropped out because she thought she was worth more money like she has an acting career now that nepotism is not an option – stated it best

“The new ['90210'] could be good. Or it will suck terribly."

The odds stack up that it will suck. But in a world engorged with American Idol and ‘reality’ television shows, drivel might just pass for drama and entertainment. Unrealistic views of American population or success, a deep need to exploit real issues, and a drive to suplant style for substance. No wonder why I avoid broadcast television.