File this under...

"People who probably shouldn't be famous but for some messed up reason...are."
What a file tab huh?
This post may offend readers, but probably not as much as Mr. P.'s post on the same topic. Although, if you're not easily offended by coarse language, it may give you a chuckle.
Let's have a little chat about famous people and how they got that way. Last night on TLC, the Duggar family's new series began. Mr. P. and I always have some pretty interesting conversations when it comes to 2 types of shows. Baby-related shows, and wife-swapping shows. So when I mentioned to him about clan Duggar's latest effort (take that how you will), he frothed at the mouth for a bit about how their fame is just as unwarranted as Paris Hilton's. And ironically, they're all famous for about the same reasons. Wait, Mr. P., surely you aren't equating this fine upstanding Christian family to a porno-filming, consequence-dodging, media whore? Oh yeah.
But his reasoning did make me think on this most of the night. What is it that makes people either love or hate the Duggars? Likewise, people either love or hate Paris. And really, how did these people get so famous?
With Paris, it doesn't take that much imagination to figure out the how's and why's of her fame. As Mr. P. put it, she got a record deal 'cause she knows how to blow. Not that that couldn't be said of other starlets, but let's try to stick to this particular piece of work. (BTW, anyone remember her stab at musical fame? Bwah. ~shudders~)
But then we have the Duggar family. I'll admit they are not the typical family, what with 17 kids and all. But, and this is a big but, they certainly are not the only large Quiverfull family out there. They're merely the one captured by the media most often. And if we're gonna go down that road, Mrs. Duggar doesn't even hold a childbirth record. So why the buzz over them? Is it the "J" names for the kids? Is it the throwback clothes and hair? Is it just shock and awe at the notion of a married couple never using birth control? Egads how irresponsible! I think it's a variety of those reasons. That, and people like to snoop in on others' lives. (After all, that's the meat and potatoes of reality tv. A chance to legally pry into someone else's life for an hour of so every week.)
I think I agree with Mr. P. to a point that the Duggars wouldn't have half of what they do if it weren't for their fame. Then again, their fame has also challenged people's notions of what a family is, should be, or could be. I know that it's been my friendships with QF mamas that has begun to change how I look at my own kids, and how I think of other people's families as well. I'm of a mind that a little tolerance goes a long way, and isn't a fresh outlook always a good thing?
So, maybe the truth is I'll be filing this all under "Things I haven't really figured out but will still blog about and hound Mr. P. about til that day I do clear the brain fog". Hey, that's even better tab! Let's go with that for now.

Til next squeak,