Greer is a Great Get in Gear Steer

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It’s fascinating, the things that pop up as most searched items on Google.com/trends. When I saw the name Madame Curie, I was flabbergasted, since she is a far cry from the typical Paris Hilton type search I find most often.

I believe this search may have come about as a result of TCM’s airing of “Madame Curie” starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Coincidentally, last night I watched 1941’s “Blossoms in the Dust” starring the same leading actors.

In both of these movies a very talented actress plays a real life woman’s selflessness in her contributions to mankind.

It’s encouraging to discover that this type of entertainment can still spark enough interest to show up on Google’s search rankings. With Reality TV shows like “Big Brother” and “Jersey Shore” that glorify the worst in human nature it seems unlikely anyone could enjoy something that is admittedly a bit Pollyanna-esque (don’t ask).

It seems that “Reality” in the 21st century has come to mean depravity. The base instinctual manner of human kind is celebrated and these shows’ influence on our culture goes pretty much unobserved. So much in entertainment and advertising promotes the hypothesis that because it is natural, it is acceptable, even admirable. Flatulence is natural, but so far there is no reality show to celebrate it yet. Rage is quite natural to many of us but unchecked, it can also be quite illegal.

To see something wholesome and inspiring, such as “Madame Curie” or “Mrs. Miniver” (another great Greer Garson-Walter Pidgeon pairing) is like a fresh breath through a 60 year old breeze. The things we mediate on are the things that color and shape our decisions and lives.

A constant diet of Jerry Springer can’t, not affect your perspective. IMHOToday, decide who you want to be and then feed your mind the stuff that will bring you to that end.