How can I live in this culture and not recognize the names which dominate the Google top 20 search lists? Quite simply, I don't spend my time watching TV, which apparently constitutes the supreme tranfer medium of culture. I'm shockingly, culturally blind.

I have nothing against television. It just doesn't compete for my attention. Apparently, I'm in the minority with this point of view, n.k.a. culture blindness.

It continues to surprise me that the majority of Googlers search for celebrity gossip, i.e., brief descriptions of sightings, scrambling for little bits of a celebrity's life. Of course, by joining the party, I can very quickly discover that the hyper-searched names all belong, not just to celebrities, but to celebrity couples.

• Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley (ESPN sex scandal!)
• Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto (public shows of wealth!)
• Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian (gold manicure!)

Even so, I still don't feel the draw in focusing on the TV faces who apparently constitute cultural leaders. I feel sufficiently intrigued by the relationships among the folks whom I know personally. I've never seen American Idol. I don't get it.