TBTS TalkRoach™: Gossip That Refuses to Die (Week Ending December 4, 2010)

(The Brown Tweed Society’s TalkRoach™ highlights mundane, ridiculous, and outright unbelievable pop culture stories that should have fizzled after a day—or should never have been news in the first place—but have somehow survived.)

Sir, your dreaminess is interfering with the navigational instruments.

1.  Josh Duhamel Gets Kicked Off A Plane:

Fergie’s husband was recently kicked off a plane for allegedly refusing to turn off his Blackberry.  According to witnesses, a flight attendant requested three times that Duhamel put away the device, but he refused, even “laughing” the last time.  The attendant called security and had the actor escorted off the flight, which was already delayed.  Duhamel’s rep says, “He’s sorry.”

Celebrities can be assholes, just like normal people can be.  Some total-asshole celebrities act sanely sometimes, and some non-asshole celebrities act like spoiled brats sometimes.  Again, just like normal people.  From the reports of fellow passengers, which aren’t always reliable, Josh Duhamel acted like a real asshole.  I don’t know if he’s that way all the time, or just when his flight gets delayed.  Either way, both celebrities and regular folks have been known to pitch a fit when asked to turn off a cell phone or iPod, or to put up a tray table or seat back, or to lower their voice, or to stop drinking so much.  This one got in the paper because the guy’s moderately famous, and because people have come to expect such behavior from famous people.  If this had happened pre-Transformers, it barely even makes Duhamel’s hometown paper.

2. Eddie Montgomery Gets Cancer Diagnosis, Divorce Papers Back-To-Back:

Country singer Eddie Montgomery, half of Montgomery Gentry, has had a bad couple of weeks.  Shortly after he revealed that he has prostate cancer, his wife filed for divorce.  He announced the news early Tuesday morning via Twitter (the comment has been taken down since): “U find out u got cancer then u found out ur wife can’t handle that so she seek of and files for a divorce ,,, merry christmas.”

I feel for the man.  I don’t know Montgomery or his wife personally, and I’m definitely not placing blame, but I’d guess things haven’t been right for a while, whether both parties knew it or not.  Most people don’t just pop off with divorce papers the same way they decide to go to a matinee or buy an ice cream cake.  Maybe the one-two punch of cancer and divorce didn’t happen at the ideal time, but does it ever?  I’ve known people who have been kicked while they were down with almost exactly this sort of thing.  Staying in a relationship where both parties know that one wants out, however, never once worked out.  Better to find out now than to keep trying to fix something that’s irreparably broken.  Now is the time to ask for help from friends and family, Eddie, and employ the money that you’ve worked hard for.  Stay strong and good luck.  I mean that.

3.  People Still Care About What Bristol Palin Says:

That fact that anyone cared to begin with is ridiculous.  If there is a G-list of stars (if not, I’m sure we could create one), she might not even make it that high.  That’s why she was on Dancing With the Stars.  But now that she’s had a brush with fame that didn’t involve her mom being on camera at the same time, or at least not most of the time, Bristol feels that she needs to keep talking about…things.  Please, Bristol, realize why the people who like you like you and why the people who hate you hate you.  None of the reasons might be fair or accurate, but I don’t think “hearing you opine on weighty topics in an extremely uninformed manner” is on the list.  Go ahead and squeeze every last bit of fortune from your fame—hell, that’s the American way—but be smart about it and know your audience.  In other words, listen to Mama.

4.  Taxes:

By the end of this year, Congress will either vote or not vote on expiring tax provisions that include extremely important patches, extensions, and (snore…..)

Thanks, entertainment media, for giving the relatively unaccomplished child of a politician the public soapbox and attention she so richly deserves!