An interesting story caught my eye tonight. The sad fact is it shouldn’t be a story at all. It shouldn’t be on the front page of Yahoo as a ‘featured’ article. It should not take up an article spot on 6 different syndication feeds on my homepage. It should instead be written in the Bible, the last verse of The Rapture, “Jersey Shore Cast Receives 200% Pay Increase For Third Season.” The end.

Is it in any way American they are saluted rather than condemned – not so much for personal choices which are totally acceptable individually but for the celebration of those choices as a lifestyle one should strive for? It’s your right to drink every night, have sex with random people all the time, and even consider tanning an important part of the day. Individually. To do it on a national forum purposely for the entertainment and amusement of impressionable minds (the MTV demographic is 15-19) is pushing the degradation boundaries of our society to the limit and will eventually be the root of the United States’ demise into third world obscurity (ok, maybe not that far but pretty damn close).

The simple fact is I look at these people who may be receiving a bump from $10,000 to $30,000 an episode. Mind you this is just payment for the show. It does not include club appearance fees, cameos, clothing lines, endorsements and *gasps* self-help/advice books! Yes, at least three of the cast members are involved in book deals that will likely pay them more just for their name than most people will make in years of work. It’s OK though – I did hear from an inside source there are plenty of coloring areas. Mike “The Situation” may get a $60,000-$180,000 one-time bonus to sign on for a fourth season. DJ Pauly D receives $25,000+ for a few hours of DJ work and was once offered $50,000 to walk a bride down the wedding isle. W…T…F.

So I ask, knowing the types of earnings these people are making, what type of motivation will anyone coming up the pipes of the education system have to actually pursue something other than nothing? The Jersey Shore cast were nothings and nobodies before it aired. Now celebrities want to talk to them. They are watched by close to 5 million people an episode. Viewers may tune in because they’re true fans or just to watch the train wreck of stories, but there is a subliminal message for everyone: be nothing and this could be you. Because it’s not like they are teaching the odds in school – and that’s a whole different problem.

It’s not just the Jersey Shore, though. Networks are looking for even edgier material. The Biggest Loser wasn’t enough. Now there is Dance My Fat Ass Off and has the biggest audience on its network. Shows like Huge where it’s OK to be fat. Not overweight, but morbidly obese. Everything is OK because morality it gone. There’s no motivation.

It’s not about personal choices because everyone has the right to choose what they do. It’s national broadcasting of the message facilitating and coddling those personal choices and making them seem cool and what should be done to be popular. It’s not just a guilty pleasure. It’s empty television (seriously, if you want a concept with at least a hint of an educational message get in touch because I have a few).

Back to the original point. It’s the ADHD people have for relevant issues. Stories of hurting people in the Gulf being replaced by articles on the salary raises for a few guidos viewers care just enough about to keep them relevant. This is a bigger issue than an article can cover, but it won’t be a black/white race war, an economic collapse, an oil leak, or a foreign nuke that does us in. It’s the need for more stupidity.

Get your helmets, folks. It’s almost over. GTL.

F*ck it – just gonna stick to relationship advice.

I thought this question was interesting enough to repost.  Can religion and 2000 year old beliefs be challenged when they are believed by over 95% of the world’s population?

For those interested in joining the conversation on the question’s page, click on the question itself below.  Otherwise, comment here.

“Does one person’s love for another disprove the idea of Hell?“

First I’d like to say I’m not an athiest, but I’m not a devout follower either.  I do believe in an almighty God, a higher, divine power that created us.  Recently, though, I’ve had an epiphany.  Just because He created us, does that mean He judges us as well?  If there is such thing as an eternal sin that can send a person to Hell, doesn’t one person’s love for the damned pull him back up to Heaven?  Wouldn’t that person’s Heaven not be complete without ALL the people they’ve loved? How can a person be in both Heaven and Hell? They can’t.

I’ve always based my actions on what effect they’d have on my final judgement.  I’ve sh*t the bed many times.  Some of my actions would be considered dealbreakers to enter the Pearly Gates.  I am not proud of them and repent for doing them.  I’ve even gone as far as offering to martyr myself, asking God to keep free of harm my family and loved ones and allow me to bare their burdens.  It’s said that if you repent you will be forgiven of most sins.

What about (and considered) unforgiveable, eternal sins like suicide?  Anyone who’s committed the act has had at least one person in this world love them.  Doesn’t that person deserve to have the condemned in their Heaven?  Is Heaven not meant to be eternal happiness?  I attribute happiness on earth with family and love.  True happiness doesn’t involve money, sex, or religion.  I’ve had plenty of sex but none of it has brought me as close to Heaven as love I’ve felt for someone else.  Money buys bursts of happiness.  Religion makes you believe in happiness, but doesn’t really prove it’s there.  So, by my own definition, happiness to me would be having my family and the people I love together with me wherever that Heaven may be.

If someone I love is not there with me in Heaven, could I be eternally happy?  No.

So, how does a serial killer’s parents not have their son with them in Heaven?  How does a father who became unemployed, unable to feed his children, while in desparation of depression and self-hate, hang himself and not get pulled from an ‘eternal damnation’ and placed into Heaven where his kids who loved and missed him growing up are waiting. They may be different than they were in body but I’m sure they are there.

Is Hell vacant? Is there even a Hell? People loved you coming into this world and people will love you after you leave it.  Where’s the eternity in it?

So comes a moral conundrum. If there is no divine recourse for the bad things we do, why are we so good?  I’m not saying people should turn the corner.  I just want to know why God allows people seemingly doing as asked to fall victim to those allowed to prosper in sin when there’s clearly no true way of proving they won’t be pulled up to Heaven by a loved one regardless their actions.

How can there be a balance between Heaven and Hell if one doesn’t seem to exist?  What’s that say about Heaven?

So what do you believe? Do you agree or disagree? Got any better theories? Let’s hear them!

Jerry Seinfeld is creating and executive producing a reality show tentatively titled ‘The Marriage Ref‘ in which comedians, celebrities, and sports figures will provide commentary on marital disputes of real-life couples.  It is slated to have 6 episode run on NBC possibly starting in the fall.

He has several people as celebrity guests in mind including Stephen Colbert, Ashton Kutcher, Jon Stewart, Oprah, Ellen, and Denis Leary to name a few.

Many say he got the idea from this site (from this article – he is a New Yorker, afterall).

Will it be a hit?  Who knows.  I do know this.  Jerry, if you feel like using SideTaker.com as an online component (since it pretty much does the same thing) to your show, I would be more than happy to work with you.  Don’t give me the ‘no soup’ answer.

Just a note…SideTaker.com was mentioned in the Telegraph.co.uk.  Thanks!