A Celebrity on a Bike – Who Gives a $%*^
It seems that my RSS feeds are often treated to the news that various celebrities ride bikes.
Who the hell cares?
Look, I’m all for people riding a bike, but celebrities are just folks that that are paid way-too-much so that they can pretend that they’re someone else, the fact that they’re throwing their leg over one of the most common forms of transportation in the world–why does anyone care?
It doesn’t make cycling seem cooler the same way that Britney didn’t make it look more amazing to drink a mochalattachino when she did it. People ride bikes. Celebrities (despite the fact that they’re worshiped like royalty by Americans) are people. Some ride bikes. Whoopie.
Likewise not news: celebrities eat at restaurants, talk on cell phones while walking their babies and have pets.
Let’s stop treating every paparazzi sighting with a townie like a mandate from above that cycling is cool or mainstream. You’re not Brad Pitt and your wife’s not Angelina.
Now the fact that the couple has donated hundreds of bikes in Africa, that’s important news because someone (Angelina) did something (give bikes) to someone else (needy students in Africa) causing a change (better quality of life) that was unexpected. But it’s not news when Lindsey Lohan gets a pack of cigs at the boardwalk coffee shop on a fixie.