The Hunger Strike: A potent form of protest for peace, justice, and apparently, "American Idol"

I can say one thing about FOX news...the people know how to write a damn headline.

The latest hook that pulled me into the vast wasteland of FOX programming had such a ludicrous title that I couldn't stop myself from reading it: Reality Check: 'American Idol' Fan on Hunger Strike Until Sanjaya Gets the Ax.

While I was absolutely dumbfounded to read something so absolutely asinine, I also had the good sense to know that it was an American who made this "hunger strike" claim, and as we all know--Americans from my generation aren't really known for their follow through. We are, after all, called the "boomerang kids," an entire generation of children that are content enough in their tech toys and shiny new cars that we feel it unnecessary to find housing and our own paths in life. We move back in with our parents and continue to be teenagers well into our twenties.

Anyway, I seem to have wandered a bit. While some idiot girl has claimed that she's going on a hunger strike to protest the participation of an American Idol contestant, it's a whole different thing to see that strike through to the end.

"Yes, it's true," writes Anna David of FOX NEWS. "The Sanjaya haters feel so passionately...that some are even willing to risk starvation to prove their point."

Well, I'm glad that members of my generation have found passion enough to threaten de-nutrification and starvation. They've proven my harsh words of cynicism wrong. Contrary to my prejudices against my peers, at least one girl has found the strength and resolve to fight--at risk of health and life--for what she believes in. it's simply unfortunate that the cause she's taken up has to do with a game-show contestant. I have no doubt that, with the girl's help, prime-time network justice will be served in this endeavor.

I apologize for the saturation of sarcasm in my words. Fuck it: SUPER-saturation. The sarcasm is actually crystallizing as it escapes the word/idea solution.

I'm overreacting a little bit here, but where are the people starving themselves to death for the sake of our soldiers? Where are the people starving themselves for the sake of injustices OUTSIDE of the realm of entertainment?

They're probably out there...they just don't make the news. It's the same thing as anything else, and one of the real ugly issues is that instead of writing about those people, I'm writing about this misguided fool of a girl, whose name I don't even know.

Part of the problem of the press, as I'm making even more clear with my 500 word article about this idiotic girl, is that we focus on insignificant stuff because it has shock value.

Loop back: the situation at hand only has that shock value BECAUSE it's something so insignificant. It's a gruesome shame.

At the same time, here I am, writing about it. Where do Anna David and I differ? In the end, we don't. She's writes and finds the shocking in the insignificant--I write and find the appalling in the insignificant.

In the end, we're both wasting our time on things that don't matter.

Problem is: when I write about trade deficits or international politics, how many readers do I have? How many journalists face the same issue day to day?

We're paid to write about what you people want to read about. You might be sickened or disgusted or shocked or pissed or beleaguered--but you've bought it and read it, and you've casted your vote. With your click, on the mouse or the remote, you've told us that you want more.

Loop back: I'm inciting more of this media by reading it, being outraged by it, and responding to it. Is there any way to win?

Yup. Let's make a deal. I'll write about something I consider important, and you read it. Don't worry, I'll make it easy on you. I'll give you a headline you can't resist getting angry at.