Papal Concave Surrounded with Scandals And Intrigue

Pope Benedict will resign the papacy at the end of February 2013 citing the deterioration of his health for the decision. This is the first time in hundreds of years that a Pope has resigned before dying in office. Critics say that Pope Benedict may influence the decision of his successor. 

The bureaucracy of the Vatican and the secrecy of the election leave room for media speculation.  Just as it happens in presidential elections, the media begins scrutinizing the possible candidates for the soon to be vacant papal position, especially those who may have played a role in the sexual scandal that erupted in 2010. 

In recent days, Italian reporters believe that the American Cardinal, Roger M. Mahony, who protected priests accused of sexually abusing minors, should no be invited to the conclave- the assembly of cardinals for the election of the next Pope. Also, new sexual accusations are being leaked in the media and are already being firmly denied by people who work in the Vatican. 

As Cardinals from around the world are arriving at the Vatican for the choosing of the next Pope, it is more likely that the successor will be European as it has been for a very long time.

Can Sport Superheroes Be Human Beings?

Lately, an epidemic of imperfect sport superheroes are filling up the news and not necessarily for their athletic achievements, but by the antagonist behavior of a superhero such as lying, cheating, and murdering.

Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee who became an exceptional runner on carbon-fiber blades in the Paralympic and Olympic races, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp who died after 4 gunshots on the night of Valentine’s Day. Pistorius initially declared that he confused his girlfriend with an intruder but as details emerged in the ongoing investigation, she was shot through a bathroom door and neighbors heard the couple fighting previous to hearing the gun shots.

While sport fans are seeing their hero plummeting down, sponsors are quickly withdrawing millions of dollars from Pistorius. Sponsors release statements as if they were as important as the statements from the victims’ families or lawyers.  “In light of the recent allegations, Oakley is suspending its contract with Oscar Pistorius, effective immediately,”an Oakley spokeswoman said.

 We live in a society that is obsessed with sport superheroes that have unique stories of overcoming unthinkable challenges and therefore their life becomes a sort of untouchables journey, or at least that’s what we think.  

 Sponsors play a big role in creating that fallacy. For example, Nike helped Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong to polish a perfect image of undefeatable superheroes in order to profit from their images. Without a doubt those athletes have unmistakable talent and perhaps are the best in their fields. However, the high expectation and the pressure to be a sport superhero make them fall to the darker side of a human being.  

CBS Playing Conservative At Grammy Awards

A few days before the 55^th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS sent out a dress-code memo to make sure that “…buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic…” If we consider that Katy Perry’s green dress with full view cleavage is within the rules, then people chose relatively conservative outfits.

 Although throughout the history of the Grammy Awards there have been crazy outfits from extroverted personalities, last time an attendee wore a  “problematic” costume was 13 years ago, when Jennifer Lopez chose to wear a sexy green Versace dress that looked more like a semi-open bathrobe. So, why is CBS so particularly interested in forcing a dress code this year as opposed to the year after Jennifer Lopez’s almost naked gown exhibition? 

I don't exactly know the answer to that question, but Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl almost cost CBS a half million dollar fined by the FCC for obscenity, so is it understandable that CBS producers want to be safe than sorry.

Ironically, it is not hard to agree that popular media currently has much more explicit sexual material on TV programming or advertisements than the outfits celebrities wear on the red carpet. CBS carries images as part of its commercial culture in which women are being treated as property and commodities, but there is no rule for regulating these images.