There Are More Important Things Than Anna Nicole Smith

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This year, Time Magazine's Person of the Year was...You. By tipping its hat to user-generated content, Time Magazine acknowledged the prevalence of Web 2.0 and decreed that bloggers, Youtubers, and Diggers would usher in the next generation of news, media, and insight into our world.

Jon Stewart responded to this by saying: "Yes, it's almost as though consumers have moved on because mainstream media has abdicated its responsibilities."

I couldn't agree more.

Children are maimed and dying in Iraq. Genocide continues unabated in Darfur. We have an Executive Branch currently in power that has been responsible for some of the following incidents (this is a partial list):

-Neglecting the dangers in New Orleans in the days leading up to and the years following Hurricane Katrina.
-Outing an FBI secret agent as a form of political payback.
-Spending billions of dollars per week on a war that they mislead the American people into.
-Potentially making overtures to take us to war with Iran.

But even today, Saturday, February 7th, at 2:10 pm, a glimpse over at CNN.com reveals what's really on mainstream media's minds:

Anna Nicole Smith.

"More tests needed for how Smith died."

"Three men say they could be Smith's baby's dad."

"Boy allegedly told by mom to kill gives in."

Wait, that last one doesn't have to do with Anna Nicole Smith. But this gives you a good idea...a few days ago, the media feeding frenzy was at even higher fevered pitch. Article after article after article about every minor detail in Smith's death (and many about her life).

When a national figure or icon dies, we should mourn. But given all the things that are happening in the world, and the commentary and criticism that should be taking place, and given that Anna Nicole Smith is completely inconsequential in all of that, I really don't care about Anna Nicole Smith. And neither should you, CNN.