Our Annoying World

MY GRADE:

Well, I guess us novices were a little thrown by Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize awarded to him a scant nine months after he was elected president.  Even the Nobel committee felt the need to clarify their choice by stating:

“We are hoping this (award) may contribute a little bit for what he is trying to do.”

Which makes sense to me, at least.  I mean, we all need a little day to day encouragement, right?  I guess I just didn’t realize that the Nobel Peace Prize was the grownup equivalent of the Perfect Attendance Award. You know, that Miss Congeniality-like accolade some of us less-than-stellar students won back in Elementary school to placate our self-esteem.

I guess the Nobel committee just felt after all the stress and strife of a harsh 2009 the Prez needed kind of a pick-me-up to keep him going.  And, in a nice gesture I thought, they sent him the Nobel Prize along with an encouraging bumper sticker for Michelle Obama to stick on her Toyota Rav4 SUV:  “Proud Wife of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner.”  Along with sort of edible flower arrangement.  And a basket of mini-muffins.

So don’t think of the Nobel Prize as an award given “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” No, it’s really more of a welcome wagon gift to help the new President get settled and comfy.

Now I’m sure many Obama’s detractors (and despite my snarkiness on this issue I am not one of them) will see all this hoopla as just the latest example of an overhyped, underperforming President.  But that’s really not the issue here.

No, if you think about it,  awarding him the Nobel Prize is kind of perfect in its own way.  It’s a great metaphor for the age we live in…

Come on, we’re a busy people.  We don’t have time to wait for Obama’s greatness. We know it’s coming.  Right?  Probably?  Maybe?  Good enough.

Giving him the Nobel Prize now is right in line with the modern day mindset that decided to start Christmas in September.  That TiVo’s through commericials.  And Twitter’s during slow parts of a congressional session.  Cooks Minute Rice.  And microwave popcorn.  And bequeaths those who squeeze out more than 5 kids as “celebrities.” And Uses the 10 minute marinator.

It’s the same ADD-riddled mentality that would rather spend 10 minutes mastering Guitar Hero than 10 years mastering the guitar.  That signs on for no-money-down mortgages.  That caused our economic collapse.  That lost the Republicans the election.  That elected Obama president.  That won him the Nobel Prize.

Ohhhhhh.  Well.  There we go.  It makes sense after all, doesn’t it?

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Media Ridiculousness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.