Do I Care What Is Reflected In Dick Cheney's Sunglasses? Do You?

Opinion

(A White House photo of Vice President Dick Cheney has caused people to wonder what's in the reflection of his sunglasses.)

In one of the most ridiculous hot topic news items of the latest news cycle, blogs from all over and even the media question what is reflected in Dick Cheney's sunglasses. This has hit comical levels at this time.

As McClatchy notes, as of yesterday when you do a google search of the words Dick Cheney and sunglasses, there was over 79,300 hits, today, 11:31 AM eastern time that number is up to 89,000 hits.

The question being asked? Is there a naked women reflected in Dick Cheney's sunglasses from a photo on the White House website?

This has even reached the main media outlets and as the ABC's The Blotter says, the picture "has been posted, linked, enlarged, enhanced on dozens of Web sites in the last 48 hours. While popular on left-wing sites, its sheer curiosity value appeared to have drawn interest from around the blogosphere."

A google news search shows NBC, New York Post, Atlanta Journal Constitution and it has even made it to the Melbourne Herald Sun in Australia for heavens sake!!!

McClatchy:

On DemocraticUnderground.com, the discussion starts with this question: "Notice anything ... interesting ... reflected in his sunglasses? Something that has little to do with conventional 'fly-fishing'?"

It wasn't just the blogosphere. On a Web site called sportsshooter.com, dedicated to sports photography, professionals also did a double take and debated the shot on their message board.

"Naked woman??????? That explains his heart problems!!!" noted photographer Jason Frizzelle of Greenville, N.C.

"Holy crap! Is that what I think it is?" wrote one reader of the blog "A Welsh View."

The most popular headline seen seems to be, "Is that really a naked woman reflected in Cheney's sunglasses?

Visiting the blogs and forums that they mentioned, as well as the dozens of news articles on this topic, I see that speculation has run rampant to the point where some have even mentioned aliens.

This leaves me wondering what alternate reality we seem to live in, when there is news about murder, mayhem, medical breakthroughs, gang violence, and a host of other issues, which can be seen in headlines across the globe, yet the media, in more than one country I might add, is focused on a reflection in Dick Cheney" s sunglasses?

The Vice President's office found no humor in this latest ridiculousness either, as evidenced by their reaction, "Clearly the picture shows a hand casting a rod," grumbled spokeswoman Meagan Mitchell.

In this case I do not think the "news" is Cheney's sunglasses, I think the news value of this story is the ridiculous nature of what trained journalists will waste time, money and space on in their newspapers. Remember, they have to get the approval of the editors as well!!!

So, tell me, do you care what is reflected in Dick Cheney's sunglasses or would you rather see the media focus on ....well... news?

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