By Katie Hallan, Scottsdale, AZ

There are already a thousand parodies, YouTube mockeries, and generalized articles expressing illicit opinions on Kanye West’s behavior at the 2009 VMA Awards. Everyone agrees his arrogance was both deliberate and astounding; the look on Beyonce’s face was enough proof considering it was her video he was announcing as the “greatest ever.” But beyond the stupidity of West’s actions, I feel there’s an even bigger issue at hand: who the hell cares what the greatest video ever is? Our planet is dying!

It started a long long time ago, but perhaps the signs were so subtle, not even the keenest minds could detect its snowball effect. My mind, though sharp, remained focused on the positives of the celebrity world — the possibility of becoming one, the entertainment value, the fashion, and of course the realm of fantasy the music and movie world encapsulate. Anyone can be anybody, and a nobody can become a somebody. But for the necessity of the now, the present, I must confess, all that shimmer and lacquer (aka bullshit) of the stars being “Just Like US” has turned over its darker, edgier leaf. West damning Taylor Swift to a thousand interviews asking the same question was NOT the beginning. I think West has just become the poster boy of what a lot of money truly “earns”.

I know many of seen that commercial for the dying population of polar bears or one similar to it. The off-white carnivores parade around an empty and lonely Alaska searching for food that seems to be fading quicker than the celebrity voice-over endorsing it. It’s sad. Yes, the polar bear situation, but sadder yet is a man who makes ten million dollars a year telling me to get off my high horse and send in $16 a month disguising his candor with a dramatic narration and the promise of a I SAVE ANIMALS/I AM NOW GOD t-shirt. Does this same celebrity have $40,000 in credit card debt like most of my fellow Americans? Does this superstar call the same 1-800 number for unemployment every week like so many of us who’ve just lost their jobs? Does he not more than likely drive a different car for the days of the week like a silly trend of underwear? Perhaps not, but don’t tell me to use my daily gas fund to save an animal I have no way of saving in the long run because our earth crumbles beneath our feet on a daily basis. It isn’t just the animals that are endangered…it’s earth. It’s our world. It’s our status as survivors.