What is it with Americans falling in love with mediocrity?

[Editor's note] I have a sinking suspicion that America's love affair with the inane stems from some sort of identification between ourselves and stupidity. These notions of "soccer moms and Joe Six-packs," of failures and false celebrities making movies, recording albums, running Wall Street, and leading the country are the norm nowadays. One need only follow current politics or the entertainment world to find a slew of untalented, uninformed, and otherwise uninteresting people making headlines and filling airtime.

Take shows like America's Got Talent or Auditions week of American Idol, for instance. The contestants on these programs, often times with little or no talent to speak of, vie for a chance to become rich and famous at the expense of what's left of their dignity. The sad reality is that they achieve what they seek all to often. I mean, who can forget the meteoric rise of "talents" like William Hung and Sanjaya Malakar? Almost overnight, these two became nation-wide phenomenons with albums and advertisement deals.

Then there are the train wreck celebrities we love and support despite because of their short-comings. Names like Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse splash the pages of blogs and magazines on a daily bases and who can get enough? Resistance is futile. Their talent may not always shine through, but God bless their hearts. How refreshing to see someone who's supposed to entertain us have problems of their very own. Compared to them, our lives are a cake walk.

And of course, no discussion on the mediocre would be complete without America's new favorite pastime, Sarah Palin. Following in the standing tradition of Kid Dubya, we have a down-home gal who's boardin' the straight talk express. Choo! Choo! She's a mom, and pretty, and a little folksy just like we likes 'em. Never mind that during her two years as governor, she requested $453 million in earmarks. Make believe that she's fought the big oil companies... fought them long and hard over cocktails at the inaugural ball BP sponsored for her. Forget that she supported the "Bridge to Nowhere," then opposed it, then kept the $223 million intended for it. Forget, because she forgot. Just like her for her. Like her because despite siding with Big Oil, lobbying to increase pork spending, and abusing her public power to carry out personal vendettas, she's a soccer mom who just gets us!

What a frightening reality to consider this our reality.