I was pretty disgusted when I saw the front cover of the July 16-22 issue of The Other Paper, with a headline story concerning the “Spice Search” with a huge picture of the infamous remaining 4 spices and WCMH-TV reporter Holly Hollingsworth`s face replacing Ginger`s. Granted, the article itself was not bad, but I was disappointed that someone in serious journalism found the Spice Girls worthy of front page news. Also, being Columbus` alternative and free newspaper I didn`t think they would ever be reduced to exploiting pop culture. But, I was proven wrong.Of course, that was not nearly as disturbing as the July 18 issue of the Dayton Daily News and the July 24 issue of the Columbus Dispatch, which also found the Spice Girls worthy of their front pages.The Dispatch is supposed to provide serious, objective, and professional news coverage for the majority of Columbus` population and somehow decided the Spice Girls concert was one of the most important event to happen that day. I could never agree with that. The only instance I can think of where a concert would be front page news is on the day that everyone in the whole world, except those attending the concert and working at the newspapers, stayed in their houses. And that would be news in itself.With the steady growth of the entertainment industry`s popularity, I am afraid the quality of mainstream news will continue to suffer. With shows like “Hard Copy,” “Entertainment Tonight,” and countless news magazines and even a cable channel devoted entirely to entertainment news, the “real” news can`t resist dipping into the pool of pop culture for readers and viewers. The last episode of “Seinfeld” was a popular topic for many news broadcasts and newspapers, similar to the episode where “Ellen” comes out of the “closet.” Jerry Seinfeld`s picture even made the top half of the front cover of USA Today.Although “Seinfeld” had huge ratings and the first lesbian sitcom star are somewhat newsworthy, I believe they received more mainstream hype then they deserved. I refuse to watch the local television news anymore since it shamelessly promotes their station`s prime-time shows as if they were “real” news all too often. Of course with the declining quality of newspapers, I am starting to wonder where I am going to get my news now.The Spice Girls do not bother me as an aspect of pop culture. Their music has little artistic quality, and they are imprinting their insincere brand of bogus feminism to the preteen girls of America and abroad. But, any mature, intelligent person realizes that it`s all just a show. They are entertainers and nothing more than that.I become frightened when they are treated as more. Why is their concert more important than any other, just because they make more money and are more widely recognized? Is that where American values are? Money and recognition over quality and significant deeds? Actually, that would be more comforting than the alternative, which is that the majority of people actually think that the Spice Girl`s music is of superior quality, and their message of “Girl Power” is a significant feminist message.Fortunately, I think it is mostly the youth of America which believes this.But if children and adolescents are the only ones taking pop culture seriously, then why does the rest of America need to take an interest? Are we just so bored with world events and our own lives that we need to be constantly entertained? Maybe if enough newspapers put the Spice Girls on their front pages, intelligent adults will start to take them seriously, and then America will feel happy and distracted, while wars rage, important leaders come and go, and life moves on.
Martha Knox is a frequent Lantern contributor.
