It's about priorities, I guess...

Jack Shafer at Slate pathetically defends the Anna Nicole Smith feeding frenzy...

I'd be the last to deny the prurient appeal of the Smith story, or of the O.J. Simpson, Natalee Holloway, Laci Peterson, Chandra Levy, and runaway-bride stories that cable news capitalized on previously. But such stories captivate readers and viewers not just because they're tawdry but because they're complex. To stay on top of the Smith story once it got going, you really had to pay attention. Far from being useless pop entertainment, cable's coverage taught viewers reams about civil procedure, pharmacology, and police work. I'll admit that I learned a thing or two in the 30 minutes I watched.

So, many Americans could figure out the quantum theory-like complexity of the bimbo thing, yet couldn't figure out Bush was lying on Iraq until now? Why am I reading Free Inquiry and science magazines when I could be reading any of the fine publications to be found in your local supermarket next to the candy and the little horoscope books? What am I missing here?