Short Post? Yeah, I’m still on vacation!!

Actually, I’m in Indianapolis this week for the National Association of Black Journalist conference. (They should call it the National Association of Late Journalists since every session has started at least 30 minutes past schedule and ended 10 minutes early). I’ll get back to the conference in a moment.

Anyway, like many of you, I woke up this morning to find top-notch coverage on Jon Benet Ramsey (JBizzle to her family and close friends.) Forget the war, the economy, and the presidential wiretaps, let’s focus on a stale decade-old murder case. CNN had 6… S-I-X correspondents on the story.

For those who don’t know much about JBizzle, consider yourselves lucky. She was a six-year-old beauty queen (eww) killed 10 years ago by who the hell cares. Her murder also marked the first time the American media caught MWWS (Missing White Woman Syndrome.) It’s worse than AIDS.

Did you know that America is the only country in the world that holds children beauty pageants? Parents of these kids doll them up, beef up their hair, spray them down in fake tanner, and slip them into dresses fit for drag queens all to garner attention. Gross? Don’t judge too quickly. Imagine my surprise today when I walked into today’s convention and saw hundreds of grown-up JBizzles walking around (sans the fake tanner).

I’ve never seen anything like it. These women, dressed in their finest lime green suites and their biggest New Jersey hair (big up to Jersey!) and Ru Paul makeup that makes them look exotic yet not too Negro. These ladies prance up to the NBC, FOX, CBS, and ABC tables with their resume tapes and audition to become the newest Brenda Blackmen (yeah, Sistah Blackmen is a for-real Jersey reporter.) It gets worse. Also occupying the convention center are several booths with tips on how to look fly on the airwaves. As a journalist, this practice devastates me and it transcends racial and gender lines.

Sure, I can understand the need to look good in any profession, but I think we’ve gone overboard. I think now the focus has been concentrated too much on looks and less on content. I desperately wanted to ask these folks what the top news stories of the day were. I wanted to probe them on their thoughts on the War in Iraq or even ask who their Congressional reps were. I’m sure I would have been disappointed.

Sadly this industry, at a time when it is needed most, has become an awkward reality series. These days, being a TV reporter or anchor is as simple as reading a list of questions written by some ill-informed intern. When I watch the news, I wanna hear tough questions, and tougher follow ups. I wanna see the politician on the other side squirm. Enough with these clowns with no perspective.

What about the men you ask? Here at the conference, all you need is a decent shape-up, your church suit, a handful of Vaseline and you’re set. What the fuck is that about?!

Be prepared for a suprise post sometime soon...

And one more thing. I saw a dude get busted in the airport for trying to sneak on his Axe spray. Why?

~Young Lucky