The Back Fence

As society became faster, women moved into the workforce, and cultural values changed, so did the back fence.

In the olden days (back when we had things like records and TV antennas and transister radios)women would meet over the back fence while they were hanging out the laundry or gardening and discuss the scandals of the community.

The community has expanded. It's bad form now to talk about who your neighbor is sleeping with if you even know who your neighbor is. I live in a small town in the country and I know 1 neighbor out of 100. Most relationships these days are formed at work, school, or church.

So celebrities have filled our gossip void. I may not know who lives two houses up the street but I know who Paris Hilton is and odds are anyone I want some idle chitchat with will too.

So, in an homage to the back fence of old...

Did you hear about that Hilton girl, Paris? I hear she broke up with that finance of hers. The one with the same name. Seems to me they really broke up quite some time ago. Wonder why they're just fessing up to it now?

And speaking of been broke up, what's up with Nick and Jessica? They ain't seen happy for a long time. But you know what they say about those Preacher's daughters...

And Tom and Katie are having a baby? I heard tell he couldn't make babies?

Wonder if Brad's gonna marry that woman he left his wife for? Well, I guess no one really knows what goes on in a mariage but the two people in it. Anyway, he looks happy.

And Britney had her baby. Wonder if that husband of hers will get a job now? Hard to believe she married someone that's even trashier than she is.

And that Lohan girl got in another car crash, bless her heart. Like her life wasn't enough of a wreck. Someone should take that girl's keys away from her.

In a way, the new celeb-culture is an improvement over the old days. The people that are gossiped about now at least put themselves out in the public eye. They wanted attention. They may have had no idea what that attention was going to be like but they did go seeking fame and success.

In the old days, it didn't take much to be the hot topic of you community and it was rarely sought out.