Two things happened this week that left me utterly stunned.
The first was a bright yellow orb that suddenly appeared over Erie and the bare pavement that subsequently resulted.
The second came from another coast, a place where celebrity is king and that bright yellow ball is out more times than not.
It was there, in the shadow of Hollywood, among the glittered and the pampered and the neo-royalty that someone (grab a chair) refused to make fun of someone else.
It started as the lead story for KABC 7 at 11, complete with live shot and exclusive banner.
“We are the FIRST to bring you these EXCLUSIVE images of Britney Spears shaving her head and getting a tattoo. We’re LIVE from the scene as only we can be.”
Oh boy.
Britney Spears, no stranger to bizarre behavior in recent months, had brought her bodyguards to a salon where she asked the owner to shave her head. When owner Esther Tognozzi asked her if she wanted to think about it for a day or two, Britney jumped out of the chair, grabbed an electric shaver, and proceeded to make the salon self-serve.
Not done just yet, Spears then throws the hood of her sweat suit over her new Mr. Clean ‘do, jumps back into her SUV, and with entourage in tow takes off for the closest tattoo parlor to have a small pair of red lips inked on her wrist.
After breaking the story Friday night, KABC continued with live shots throughout the weekend, interviewing the tattoo artist, fans of the singer and fellow celebrities.
None of that is surprising given America’s love of celebrity and Los Angeles’ role as ground zero for Planet Paparazzi.
No, for me, the surprise came Monday night, during the opening monologue for CBS’ “Late, Late Show.”
Host Craig Ferguson, the witty Scot who made his reputation as Drew Carey’s sitcom boss, drew a line of his own by refusing to turn Britney Spears into an easy punch line.
“Comedy should have a certain amount of joy in it,” he insisted. “It should be about attacking the powerful, the politicians, the Trumps, the blowhards, going after them. We shouldn’t be attacking the vulnerable.”
I don’t know if I can remember anyone drawing that distinction before. Indeed, many would argue that Britney Spears longed for the attention and looked for ways to get in front of the cameras by any means necessary. They might even argue that this latest episode was nothing but more craving of publicity.
But Ferguson sees something else, a kid from Louisiana who had too much too soon and now struggles to find footing in a world turning mighty fast.
I don’t know which caricature of Spears is closer to the truth, but just for the attempt, let me say this:
Bravo, Mr. Ferguson. Well done.
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