Snookie, the fire-hydrant-shaped member of the New York-sourced "Jersey Shore" cast, is in the news. Having recently been arrested, she is quoted as saying, "I'm too pretty to be in jail."Of course, her being in the news is not news. Snookie is merely the latest in a string of persons who, despite having no discernable skills, talents, or virtues, have become household names and whose exploits are chronicled in the media.
What distinquishes these people from others who have gained some fame -- say, persons who have successfully landed an airliner in the Hudson River or hit 600 major league home runs -- is that these people have a knack for staying in the news for no good reason at all. Paris Hilton is perhaps the prime example.
Paris Hilton has, thankfully, begun to fall from sight. Snookie's days are similarly numbered.