ATLmalcontent

“Entertainment Tonight” was continuing its breathless coverage of Jett Travolta’s death when, finally, the contempt overtook me.

The goddawful Bette Midler dirge, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” played over a montage of creepy family photos. Travolta’s fans shared in his heartache, one of the anchors reported, mournfully. Another surmised whether John Travolta could use this tragedy to speak out on seizures (only if his message is: “Do the opposite of what I did”).

Then came the onslaught of “American Idol” promos. “What will Simon say this year?” Something catty, perhaps? On the radio some jackass sports talk show host praised Idol and the NFL as superior entertainment, citing their high ratings. Popularity and quality are synonymous, you know.

Now the local news asks: Whatever happened to past Idol stars?