Today, Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans declared that there may be thousands of people dead as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Add to that the total devastation and loss caused by the hurricane and it makes you wonder if New Orleans will ever fully recover. However, as a society whose social conscience and global outlook is shaped by 24-hour cable news networks and their hunger for sensationalism-induced ratings, it is not difficult to lose sight of those whom the media fails to mention in the wake of this catastrophic event.
In the days of endless coverage I find myself wondering, "What about Natalee Holloway?" New Orleans this, New Orleans that...what is being done in Aruba to find this missing teen? If we are distracted any longer, she may die.
With the structural failing of so many buildings in New Orleans, it is apparent that many, if not most, New Orleans businesses will be hard pressed to proceed, leaving many without work, without benefits, and with the difficulties of finding work in the wake of losing their homes as well. But my mind also wanders to other unfortunate souls whose business will suffer as a result of this disaster.
Like, what will come of Joe Francis, creator of the "Girls Gone Wild" video franchise? A man who relies on the volitile mix of the French Quarter, open containers, and some beads on a string, found his business model shattered like the windows of the Hyatt Regency on Monday.
What about all those hot teachers who had sex with their male students? Last month you couldn't throw a rock without hitting some crazy female teacher who loved to bang students in the press box of the high school football field. Now they will probably never become Trivial Pursuit questions.
Just this month, it was reported that homocide rates in New Orleans had climbed to ten times the national average. Yet in the wake of this natural disaster nobody will stop to think what will happen to the city's murderers. With mandatory evacuations these folks will have tremendous difficulty locating someone they could murder.
I also fear that now the Government will become so caught up in the recovery efforts in New Orleans that they will fail to follow up on important matters like ridding Major League Baseball of Steroids.
And that runaway bride. Do we even know if she's okay now?
Did anyone follow up on the overboard groom? What is happening there? Hello?
Are Tom and Katie happy?
What's the deal with Brad and Angelina and that dark-skinned adopted baby?
Have Jen and Ben had their baby?
Britney's and Whatsisname's?
Is anyone looking for Olivia Newton John's missing boyfriend?
I am sure I'm forgetting so many others, but the point is that sometimes when we see repeated images of total devastation, when we think of an entire city population exiled from their own city which lies in ruins behind them, we forget to shake ourselves free from the grasp of sensationalist media to remember those other people whose lives will never be the same because of Katrina. Like Greta van Sustern. I mean, she practically moved to Aruba. What's she gonna do now?
