A Place For My Stuff

While standing in line at the DD this morning, I noticed a small television screen overhead displaying some generic morning news program - Good Morning America or some such.  On that program, Charles Gibson was displaying the local newspapers of the day, reading off the headlines ("RABBIS WITH GUNS!" already clearly visible in 80+ pt. typeface, further magnified by the camera lens) and conveying the significant points of the stories therein.  That in itself wasn't offensive, until it hit me:

Charles Gibson is getting paid a ridiculous amount of money to read you the newspaper.  That's all he's doing.  He's taking the exact same paper that you could pick up on the street for free (or for a nominal fee) and he's reading it to you damn near verbatim.

Now, I would love to think that he's doing this because he actually doesn't want you to pick up the paper. Through a somewhat dubious altruism, Good Ol' Charlie is doing his part to save the Earth by giving you one less reason to pick up (and probably leave on the subway) one more wasteful paper printing.  He knows how busy you are, and how tough times are; maybe you can't afford a newspaper. 

Still; Charles Gibson is getting paid to read you the newspaper.  He's not even doing his own reporting of events.  He's not conversing with world-wide correspondents.  He's not on the "front lines."  He's sitting there in a nice, comfortable studio, on a nice cushy chair, curled up with the New York Times.  And there happens to be a camera in the room.  Jeez Chuck, at least cook me some damn breakfast too.

I'm in the wrong business.