Caracas Chronicles

I woke feeling a bit contrarian, so I’m going to propose a topic regarding last night’s Miss Venezuela (which I did not watch, by the way).

Every country has its rituals. Spain has its Real Madrid vs. Barça and its royal weddings. The US has its Super Bowl and its Academy Awards. France idolizes Jerry Lewis. Hell, even Germany indulges in crappy kitsch once in a while (er … Dinner for One? Anyone?).

Why should we be different? Why is it OK for a whole nation to be glued to the TV set watching grown men kick around a little ball, but not OK to watch grown women starve themselves, undergo the knife, and compete for a glorious career in broadcasting?

I know what you’re going to say. Soccer requires actual skill and extensive physical preparation. It requires stamina, strategy, and years of preparation.

But when you come down to it … so does winning Miss Venezuela.

So is there really any difference? Is one national obsession really much more acceptable than the other? Who are we to say that, yes, obsessing about Spanish football is superior to obsessing about Miss Península Guajira and who did her gown?

Isn’t it all just pointless in the end, just like 98% of all human endeavors are? Yes, the whole world laughs at countries such as ours, where beauty pageants still mean something.

But is that right?