He sat thinking about self-indulgent, childish, pampered

celebrities

reflecting the worst of our shallow, self-absorbed,

hedonistic, lonely, isolated society.  A society whose

most memorable words are

“Not a problem,” when there really isn’t a

problem and “Whatever”

when there really is.

 

He thought about pimply-faced kids mugging for mug

shots while parents wait

outside the jail ready to take them to the next party

as long as the gravy train is up

and running

and the fuel is the kiddies’ bulging bank

account. “Not a problem,” they wave to the

teeny-boppering Whatevers.

 

In his mind, he just waves off these small-talent phenoms

and says facetiously

to his wife, “They’ll probably be dead

before they are fifty.” Fifty? 

What about thirty? Whatever.

 

And then there was this one, the one four-years-short of fifty

reported dead as a door-nail

who wasn’t a free ride for the folks, wasn’t a

one-note Johnny.

 

No, this one was the real deal — a genius actor,

Oscar under his belt and needle in his arm

and empty dope bags on the floor.  

No problem. Whatever.

 

He wonders if he is to feel sorry for a character actor

apparently so short on character who

couldn’t cope with fame or

couldn’t cope with this, that or whatever,

as he sought to blow

off his loneliness,

or insecurities or perhaps

just to indulge his outsized ego – taking it to the limit? 

No problem.

 

The man may feel sorry for the dead actor and his family

on down the line,

but now, right now he is angry enough to say,

“Too bad he didn’t pop a ‘selfie’ in the tub with the needle

in his arm and then post it

before he died so our voyeuristic culture

could feast upon it for

Warhol’s fifteen minutes.”

 

Young waiters and waitresses always say,

“No problem,” when the

service requested, of course, isn’t a

problem and if brought to

their attention gather with other waiters

and waitresses and

utter “Whatever.” 

 

He thinks no, not “No Problem,” but problem, real problem,

big problem and no, not

“Whatever,” but ever

and ever and

ever.

 

Then, as a tear formed in his eye, the man

wondered why he was

so angry and, in that moment,

he felt so, so sad for the dead actor’s

family because now it’s

forever.