Paris is burning -- and itchy too!

This is the World Cup edition, plain and simple. In fact, I dare you to go through each page and see how many times you find the words “World Cup”. But with all this talk about soccer, transport, how well the country did, what a rousing success it was, how much the tournament unified us, how much of a legacy the World Cup (there it is again!) will leave for the nation, how much it has done to change the perception of both our country and the continent at large, no one is talking about our biggest achievement – the arrest of one Paris Hilton. (One wonders why she was allowed into the country in the first place without some sort of National Herpes Medication Distribution programme preceding her arrival -- we must protect ourselves, after all.) I’m no celebutant-hater, (I’m already planning My Super Sweet 20-something birthday party for next year), but stupid is only cute for so long.

Now before those of you on Team Paris come to her aid and rise up to defend her like, well, herpes sores, I know the facts. She wasn’t really the one who did anything wrong; it was her friend (translation: dealer) who had the marijuana, yada yada yada. Whenever I think of Ms Hilton, all I can do is shake my head and say “No”, and I’m oh so glad that the SAPS finally caught wind of what I’ve wanted to do for so long – lock that young woman up so the rest of us can go on living with one fewer pestilence to worry about.

I suppose I’m just bored with her because I’m easily bored with anyone who aims to derive some glory out of nothing. Yes, she has modelled, acted, starred in a “reality” show, and produced an album of what some people loosely refer to as music, but she’s also opened the door for other rich wannabe-famous people to think people will crowd around them like moths to a flame – except, unlike flames, all they do is shine with alternating layers of bling and desperation. All I’m asking is: do something. If your ego is bigger than your talent or if it eclipses your work entirely, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself how exactly you developed such a superior self-image. In a university setting, one shouldn’t really be proud about the fact that they attend Harvard (or the Harvard of Africa) if they’re consistently failing or not taking advantage of every available opportunity – a phenomenon I see more and more with each step up and down these illustrious corridors.

Not sure about you, but I came here to do the damn thing. And do the damn thing I will...

Trust and Believe!