Glass Houses + Means Girls + Vultures
Things That Make Me Go Grrrr
One of my nears and dears and I “cuss and discuss” all things media and pop culture. A lot. We don’t always agree on things—and even when we do, we often come to that agreement from vastly different points of view.
It’s fascinating and fun—for me—to get a glimpse of the world through his eyes.
One thing we consistently agree on is this: We used to love Whoopi Goldberg. I still do, but I can’t help wishing she’d retire and rediscover the joy she used to radiate and spread like sunshine.
While Whoopi’s current grumpy eye-rolling role on The View can be entertaining, her once contrarian but hilarious observations about the absurdity of modern life have been replaced with cynicism and vitriol.
I truly miss the Whoopi I first came to truly love. The one who brilliantly wrote and performed Fontaine: Why Am I Straight? way back in 1988.
Goldberg’s comedy shaped—and still shapes—how I view the ridiculous intersection of media, politics, pop culture, and religion, a four-ring circus that’s been running (in circles) 24/7/365 since at least Reagan’s administration.
If you haven’t seen Fontaine, I recommend it.
It’s on YouTube…in all its “glorious” VHS quality.
“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Christopher J. Nolan, The Dark Knight
Why am I musing about Whoopi Goldberg this morning?
Well, in Fontaine—on the CD recording at least—she talks about glass houses. About how too many who live in glass houses come out swinging “big-ass baseball bats,” aiming for someone else’s glass house.
In Whoopi’s own words, “That’s how you fall.” And in 1988, that might have been true.
Sadly, today too many use “big-ass baseball bats” to gain influence, money, and power. Some even attempt to build their own glass house on someone else’s shattered foundation.
The mess and struggle are real.
“Journalists” and legacy media increasingly prioritize sensationalism over facts, blurring the line between reporting the news and creating it.
“Mean girl” celebrities and influencers weaponize their platforms to stay relevant, silencing or shaming anyone who doesn’t agree with their conflicting narratives.
Meanwhile, political cults of personality turn flawed, mere mortals into “genius,” mythic gods, pledging loyalty regardless of their policies or (lack of) principles.
This toxic mix of drama, idol worship, and manipulation has created a world where truth is an afterthought, buried beneath the spectacle. Glass houses are shattered daily, yet those throwing the stones conveniently forget their own fragility.
Worse, they’re not just breaking glass—they’re breaking laws and ruining lives, all under the guise of creating “breaking news.”
As YouTuber SWOOP aptly says, “It’s not drama…it’s dangerous.”
From tabloids to Twitter, the stakes have shifted. The new currency isn’t talent or integrity—it’s chaos and controversy. If you’re not part of the spectacle, you’re either ignored or trampled. Whether it’s a celebrity scandal, a political accusation, or a media frenzy built on half-truths, the result is the same: we’re all pawns in the fame game played by people who’ve long forgotten the rules. Or never knew them.
And as much as I love a good show, it’s exhausting. This endless cycle of mean girls (and guys) with more dollars than sense, “journalists” who confuse opinions with objectivity, and politicians more focused on clinging to power than serving the people is eroding the last remnants of trust we have left.
Whoopi Goldberg used to hold up a mirror to this absurdity with her comedy, but now it feels like we’re all just standing in the middle of one giant, global glass house, alone. Just waiting for it to come crashing down.
Maybe it’s time to stop casting stones, take a step back, and focus on rebuilding before it’s too late. Maybe it’s also time to shift our perspective—to laugh, to empathize, and to recognize the humanity in others, faults and frailties included.
Peace, love, and light!
Clint 🌈✌️
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Khloe Kardashian Calls Los Angeles Mayor ‘A Joke’ (The Independent)
Khloé Kardashian’s History Of Water Overuse (Buzzfeed)
The Side of Neil Gaiman His Fans Never Saw (New York Magazine)
ON THIS DAY
BIRTHDAYS = HIGHLIGHTS
1832 = Horatio Alger, Jr. = American novelist and journalist 🌈
1910 = Yannis Tsarouchis = Greek artist 🌈
1926 = Michael Bond = English author and Paddington Bear creator
1931 = Charles Nelson Reilly = American actor and comedian 🌈
1931 = Rip Taylor = American actor and comedian 🌈
1940 = Edmund White = American writer 🌈
1960 = Matthew Bourne = English choreographer and director 🌈
1961 = Julia Louis-Dreyfus = American actor, comedian, and producer
1966 = Patrick Dempsey = American actor and race car driver
1970 = Shonda Rhimes = American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1977 = Orlando Bloom = English actor
1978 = Nate Silver = American statistician, journalist, and writer 🌈
1990 = Liam Hemsworth = Australian actor
EVENTS = HIGHLIGHTS
1888 = The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.
1958 = In the landmark case One, Inc. v. Olesen, the SCOTUS reverses three lower court rulings and rules in favor of the First Amendment rights of ONE.
HOLIDAYS = HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A voice in my head tells me that I'm at the twilight of an extraordinary life. I say extraordinary because of the people who have loved me. I say twilight because of what people say to me in the supermarket.”
Charles Nelson Reilly
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I agree with you pretty much completely. I miss that Whoopi. One of the first steps to maturity is learning to be mindful of one's speech, and thick-skinned where possible. Keep on keeping on, good sir!
Hence I live in my Ivory Tower and stuff the rest 😎 Cheers DougT