Pardon Me While I Enjoy A Little Rant 

     Today I noticed a news blurp reporting Caitlyn Jenner saying, “Trump seems to be very much for women.” First of all, that statement doesn’t tell us anything, so why is it news? Only because it’s Caitlyn Jenner saying it.
     And who cares? 
     The answer to that question is the company producing the news. They know that enough people will read the news report and the ads that go along with it, just because they want to know what Caitlyn has to say. And that’s the bottom line for the purveyors of the news. They are big business just like General Motors, or the pharmaceutical companies. They need to make a profit to satisfy their stockholders, and if using some inane statement from Caitlyn Jenner to attract the reader’s attention and draw them to the advertising, then so be it. And I don’t blame them for a second. They have to make a profit to stay in business. 
     But back to where I was going with this at the beginning. Why is it such news when a ‘celebrity’ makes some political pronouncement? When they support this or that candidate, why are we subjected to their opinions? Again, only because of their celebrity status. 
     When George Clooney (he just happens to be another one I’ve noticed lately), announces his support for Hillary, why is that news and why should I be influenced by what he thinks? Now I have nothing against George Clooney. He’s a better than average actor (that’s my opinion), and he’s maybe a nice enough person (I’ve not met him). But I’ve no evidence at all to gauge whether he has the background or the inherited or learned skills to determine accurately who would make a good president.
      It’s like someone asking me what type of nuclear reactor they should put into their next submarine. 
     Now I could give them pointers on the management abilities of the people doing the work, because I have some expertise in that area, but nuclear reactors? No way. And no one with any sense would be influenced by my opinion on that subject. 
     But if a ‘celebrity,’ like Sean Connery (remember The Hunt For Red October?), gives an opinion on which nuclear reactor to use, a whole bunch of people would say, “There you go, that’s the one we should be using.” Now again, I think Sean is one of the better actors and I enjoy his work, but I’m guessing his knowledge on nuclear reactors is about as limited as mine. If I’m wrong, Sean, I apologize. 
     It would be refreshing if a reporter would ask Joe Somebody’s Neighbor, who he was going to vote for, then printed his answer in a news report. You know why they don’t? The few people who would start reading would finally say, “Who’s Joe S. Neighbor anyway, I never heard of this guy,” and last, “why am I reading this?” 
     The determining factor for the company producing this news report is that their readers would stop before getting to the attached ads. There would not be any possible profit in this news story. 
    What I’m trying to say is that it bothers me a little that people will take the advice of some ‘celebrity’ on any subject, just because they are a ‘celebrity’. 
    The fact that the news producing company takes advantage of this tendency to make money, is just business.