Enough already

Pictures of a disheveled and possibly drugged Britney Spears are everywhere as the news of her major meltdown is reported by a sanctimonious press. Meanwhile, her children are in the custody of their father, who drove like a maniac so as to block chasing papparazzi who wanted photos of the tots. Everything about this story stinks of schandenfreud, the taking delight in the suffering of others. At 26, Britney has been on view for half of her life. She became the family cash cow in 1993, when at age 12 she was chosen to appear in the New Mickey Mouse Club. By age 17, she was an international sensation.

Although there are labor laws to protect child performers, nothing is done to protect them from the pitfalls of being in a competitive business. Yes, there is competition in real life, but your family won't be forced into bankruptcy if Johnny fails to make the football team.

The essential role of a child star is to be famous, but fame is not intrinsic. You don't have to be talented or smart or attractive to be famous. Paris Hilton is famous for being famous. Fame exists in the mind of the observer. And if you are famous, the public can also make you infamous. And what does it mean really if you are famous but lose custody of your children and the whole thing becomes a media circus? I return again to the series finale of Extras, in which Ricke Gervais explores the nature of fame and what happens when we pursue it or place it above all else.

All of Britney's current fame is based on her recent bad behavior. Her divorce, the photos of her without panties, her current melt down is why she is famous now. We, the public, are watching the systematic destruction of a human being and loving every minute of it.

It's time, past time, to turn off the cameras and let the little girl go. Maybe she can recover, maybe not, but enough already. We know more than we should and all of it is ugly.

Donald Trump gives me hives

I don't know what it is about Donald Trump that makes my skin crawl, but he does. Maybe, I am simply envious of his wealth. Or maybe it's his shameless pursuit of public adulation. The son of a wealthy real estate developer, Donald is really not the "great American success story," having started from a very comfortable upper middle class. Trump greatly benefited in the 1970s from the willingness of New York City to cut tax deals for those willing to invest in the city. But I cannot fault the guy for taking advantage of someone else's problems. That's the American way.

I think what really rankles is his overweening arrogance and I do wonder what he lacked in childhood that makes him demand that he be the best at everything. There's something about his smugness that makes me want to launch a cream pie in his general direction.

Tonight, Donald and his ridiculous comb over return to television with a celebrity version of The Apprentice. That's right, NBC, which irritated Trump by questioning the future of the reality show because of poor ratings, has been induced by the presence of d-list celebs to give Donald another try. Donald will be the first to remind us that he has been twice nominated for Emmys, for playing himself, and that he has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame (because he has the bucks to buy one). He has also appeared on wrestle mania, and has another show in the works, a cross between Dr. Phil and Judge Judy, in which he will offer financial advice.

Maybe I wouldn't have such a strong reaction if Donald had not taken his untalented self and put it on television.  I wonder if Donald buys his own PR--and why his current wife is never, and I do mean never, photographed with a smile on her face.

Having said all that, maybe Donald is an example of the modern American success story, whereby the scion of a wealthy family profits from the ills of others and then goes on to produce really awful reality TV.

Donald and his troop of has-beens will be on TV tonight and I will be elsewhere.

Ten Bests

This has not been the best year of my life, but it was a pretty good year for flicks, books and TV (yes, I wrote TV). Just remember that like all "best" list, this is subjective.

Movies
1. No Country For Old Men, hands down an on-the-edge of your seat movie. How good? Well, I saw it in a packed theater and you could hear a pin drop.

2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, an amazing study of greed and family; I predict Oscar nominations (if not wins) for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Albert Finney

3. Away From Her, Julie Christie is back, thank the heavens, in this painful study of Alzheimer’s Disease and what it really means.

4. Eastern Promises, Viggo Mortensen just keeps getting better.

5. Romance and Cigarettes, a musical mind you by John Turturro starring James Gandolfini.

6. Sicko, less Michael Moore and more content.

7. Talk to Me, Don Cheadle in another virtuoso performance, what more do you need to know?

8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a a great book made into a terrific movie.

9. Starting Out, Frank Langella's performance is remarkable.

10. It's a tie:

 Music and Lyrics, I should hate this movie because it was so contrived, but I loved the music, I'm a sucker for Hugh Grant and I absolutely reveled in the opening "music video." We all have secret vices.

Sweeney Todd, I loved the play and was prepared to hate the movie, but I had not counted on Johnny Depp, who once again stunned me with yet another amazing performance.

Books (some were published in 2006, but I read them in 2007, sue me)

1. Out Stealing Horses, I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down.

2. The Road, just remember: it's fiction.

3. What is the What, Dave Egger's stole my heart with his first book and our love affair continues.

4. Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations, it reads like fiction but there was a real Gertrude Bell and she is the mother of Iraq.

5. A Thousand Splendid Suns, all that wasted love will break your heart

6. A Tree of Smoke, I probably liked this book because it's assessment of Vietnam closely mirrored my own: A clash between two entirely different cultures, both of which believed their way was the only way.

7. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, David Halberstam's final work is a compelling story told by the men who were there.

8. Big Girls, this heart breaker is set in a woman's prison and explores the relationship between a psychiatrist and her mentally ill patient.

9. Yiddish Policemen's Union, at one point, the Roosevelt administration considere placing Jewish refuges in Alaska; this story delves into what might have happened (and it's a murder mystery)

10. Happiness Sold Separately, what happens when you meet  the wrong person at the wrong time and try to make it work anyway.

TV

1. Series Finale: The Sopranos. We all knew the series had to end with Tony dead or in jail, and dead is what David Chase choose, but  the way he choose to finish his tale left fans fuming. Clearly, only daughter Meadow survived, and only because she couldn't parallel park. But it all made sense.

2. Series Finale: Extras. Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman seems to have it all, but he is dissatisfied with his TV series and the kind of fame it brings him. It's really an extraordinary commentary on fame and loyalty, and while amusing, it will touch you (and yeah, maybe make you think).

3. The Wire, this HBO series set in Baltimore, devoted the entire penultimate season to the effects of drugs, violence, crime and poverty on children. It was surprising, moving and insightful. Really, some of the best stuff on TV.

4. Rome, I thought long and hard about this because the second season was not as good as the first. But the acting was so good that I felt compelled to include it on my list. Roman everymen are at every major event, which means history suffers (hell, it dies a bloody death). But it was beautiful to look at and fun to watch.

Happy New Year!