The World According to Steve

Apparently the New York Post is reporting that Mariah Carey did not attend last Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama, because she was upset at the seating arrangement which left her mingling with lesser celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, and "The Boss" (that's Springsteen for those of you still clinging to The Carpenter's and your Peter, Paul, and Mary records). The alleged report states she felt as though she should have been seated closer to the First Family during the ceremony.

First of all, the secret service was probably a little leery of having Nick Cannon that close to Shasa and Malia - who knows what kind of influence he may have over those two impressionable little ones. Next, I assume she thought she would have the opportunity to actually sit on President Obama's lap during the ceremony, then when he got up to speak his open chair would be hers. She could just pretend to be the girls "stand-in" nanny.

On a more serious note, Mrs. Carey probably should have just been honored to be a witness to history, irregardless her site lines at the event or whether or not she was within arms length of her own private porta-pot. It sounds to me as if her and dozens of other regular Americans like you know....Sean Penn, Ashley Judd, Melissa Ethridge, Tom Hanks, and many others; should be thankful they were able to get such a ring-side seat to history, even if it was only 20-30 feet away instead of standing directly next to Supreme Court Justice John Roberts.

You know who should have gotten a better seat than Mariah.....anyone who attended Dr. Martin Luther King's march on August 28, 1963 in Washington D.C. overlooking the reflection pool. There his dream was spoken and last Tuesday in-part it was fulfilled. You know who else should have gotten a better seat....anyone that actually votes regularly in all elections. Because they do their civic duty every year whether a rock star is running for president or a bag lady is running for school board.

I can think of others as well....how about anyone who works for the government. Postal workers, CIA officials and the FBI, people who work for the Department of Labor, the people that print the money, stay-at-home mothers that run the PTO/PTA or whatever it is called nowadays, mayors, governor's, congressmen and congresswomen, members of the CDC and SEC, the people who pick up our trash and recycle bins, future cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, Oprah (wait she only worked for the Obama campaign not the ENTIRE government...opps), and even the little old librarians that spend countless hours dusting off 60-year old bookshelves deserve a better seat than Mariah because they actual do something that makes a difference each day to civic service throughout our country.

You see, if Mariah and other celebrities were to actually sit where they SHOULD HAVE sat, she and her colleagues would have been watching the show through binoculars from Silver Springs, MD miles away. It never ceases to amaze me how some individuals make everything and every event about themselves, when it is clearly about someone or something else.

That is why I am proud to announce that Mariah Carey will be receiving the first installment of this blogs Elmo Awards. Congratulations Mariah on being the January 2009 recipient. I can't wait to see who wins in February.