Election Day 2006 – After greeting my students this morning, I put on my most serious face and said to my students:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, there is BIG news coming from the United States. Have you heard?”

Their collective response was blank stares at me coupled with knowledgeable nods. One student replied for the nods by telling me and the rest of the class that “There is an election in the US today.”

“You are so smart.” I smiled. “There IS an important election going on in the United States today. So what do you think CNN’s top headline is?”

Confused looks all around.

“Uh. Duh.” I told them. “Britney filed for Divorce!” Their reaction: startled laughs and chatter around the room. “Ladies and Gentlemen this is big news! You want to know about American culture at its finest? This is a perfect real-life example. On the day of an important election, the top news story: Britney Spears!”

You gotta love real life American culture.