I have been following the Casey Anthony trial. The more I watch, the more confused I get. I really have no idea what happened to Caylee Anthony. I know Casey was involved in her death but I'm not sure how it all went down. We will probably never know for sure.
I have never actually watched any amount of a trial on TV until the past few weeks. I am amazed at how much time is spent discussing things that are irrelevant (in my opinion). I have become fascinated by the sidebars that the jury is not privy to but can be viewed by people all across America. As ridiculous at it seems, I am learning a little bit about our legal system.
Furthermore, I also find it interesting how citizens are trying to get in each day to watch the trial. I have seen footage of people running to get a seat in the courtroom. This seems to be the hottest ticket in Florida. Forget Disneyworld. This is better than a Lady Gaga concert. Maybe, dare I say, better than the OJ Trial.
Which brings me to the question I have been asking myself...Why? Why are people fighting each other to get in the courtroom as spectators? And, why am I spending even a minute tuning in to TruTV or CNN Headline News to see this mess? Don't I have better things to do?
I think the word "mess" explains a lot. Maybe "train wreck" would be a better term. Casey Anthony is a complete train wreck. She's a chronic liar. It's unclear who the father of her child is. She seems to have spent years mooching off her family and friends. I obviously have not met her personally, but it seems she has few redeeming qualities. Her family system is totally dysfunctional. The more I learn about the Anthonys, the more I realize that they are (I hope) not the typical All-American family.
Here is why I think we are all following this case. Of course, America thinks it's sad and awful that a cute young girl has died needlessly (and it is sad and awful). We are curious about what happened. It's an unfortunate true life soap opera. However, I think there is more to it.
I have my issues. I am not a perfect person. Yet, when I compare myself to Casey, I am doing pretty well. I have my act together. I also come from a quirky family. Thankfully, we are not the Anthonys. I think we like to watch train wrecks because it makes us grateful that we are at least a step better than a train wreck. Downward social comparison.
This goes for shows like Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. ("At least I know who MY baby daddy is....") I would say this is also a phenomenon that we see with the Real Housewives obsession. Many of us would LIKE to have the money and lifestyles that these women have. Then we see what a mess their lives really are, and there's a part of us that gets some satisfaction from that. We think, "I may not have your money BUT at least I've not a bitchy diva." I think that when we envy people there is a need to look for their faults and to identify areas in which we are superior to them.
Maybe an aspect of this applies to Casey Anthony as well. She's a cute girl. She's got toned abs. She can pull off short shorts and belly tops. Indeed, she won a "hot body" contest while her daughter was missing. So there is a certain smugness that comes along with knowing that a girl like this is completely screwed up. Somewhere, deep inside, maybe we are thinking, "I will take my fat thighs and inability to pull off sexy clothing in exchange for my life NOT being a complete disaster." And I don't just mean a disaster because Casey is on trial for murder. It was a disaster long before that.
So, the next time you are feeling down, be thankful that you know who your baby daddy is (or at least can narrow it down to fewer than three people), that your significant others isn't taking a lie detector test on a talk show, and that you're not related to the Anthonys. Things could always be worse, and if you need to be reminded, all you have to do is turn on your TV.
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