The Scoop: The president and Ozzy a unique pair
For the last three decades, Ozzy Osbourne has been frowned upon as a satanic, heavy metal rocker. Now he’s eating dinner with President Bush.
It’s amazing how a profanity-laced, reality TV show can change a man’s image — for the better. Fresh off the success of his MTV sitcom, “The Osbournes,” Ozzy was recently invited to the annual Correspondents Dinner at the White House.
I’m not really sure why George W. decided to invite Ozzy to the dinner, other than the fact he’s the president and he can invite Ozzy. If I thought Ozzy would eat dinner at my house, I’d invite him too.
But I find it almost eerie how Ozzy is being applauded for his MTV sitcom. Dan Quayle, a former vice president, has even spoken up and said he approves of how the show sends an anti-drug message that also stresses family values.
I’m struggling to determine if Quayle has watched the same show I have. I find the show mildly entertaining, but wholesome it certainly is not.
In one episode I watched, Ozzy provided this intelligent opinion about Christmas. “I hate [bleeping] Christmas.”
Ozzy then loudly complained when his wife, Sharon, came to their hotel room with approximately 10 Gucci bags full of Christmas gifts.
“When I was a kid,” Ozzy recalled, “I had one [bleeping] present under the tree.”
In another show, Ozzy was upset when his dog used the bathroom inside the house. To express that anger, Ozzy told his wife, “The [bleeping] dog just took a [bleep] on the [bleeping] floor.”
That’s 11 words and three bleeps – not exactly my idea of good, clean fun.
Yet producers of the show have been praised for the fact they opted to bleep every curse word that’s uttered. Never mind the fact we can tell what Ozzy is saying even with the bleeps.
The end result is the show doesn’t sound much different than a hospital room with all the bleeping going on. Keep in mind, Ozzy’s wife and children don’t exactly watch what they say either.
I think it’s a sad testimony about the state of TV when a former vice president applauds a family for cursing in every sentence. And I find it curious more folks in Washington didn’t throw a fit about President Bush inviting Ozzy to dinner. I can only imagine the tantrum conservatives would have thrown if, say, President Clinton invited Ozzy to the White House. How many jokes do you think we would have heard about Ozzy and Clinton inhaling in the Oval Office?
Keep in mind, Ozzy is a man who has written such quality songs as “Bloodbath in Paradise,” “Suicide Solution” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” And now since he is courteous enough to bleep out his obscenities, he’s an American hero.
When President Bush mentioned Ozzy by name during the White House dinner, the rock legend climbed on a chair and threw his arms in the air. That prompted Bush to say, “Maybe Ozzy was a mistake.”
When Ozzy pointed to his stringy pink and brown hair and told the president, “You should wear your hair like mine,” Bush responded by saying, “Second term, Ozzy.”
The bottom line is Ozzy Osbourne is a rock-n-roll singer. He’s been known to drink too much and take a few too many drugs. That’s what most rock stars do.
His rock-n-roll act and his song lyrics have been controversial at times. I’m sure that’s by design and it’s all fine and dandy. I can accept that.
But I find it hard to tolerate the fact Ozzy Osbourne is being dubbed a role model because he is not. He has no business eating dinner at the White House. And a popular reality TV show isn’t enough to change that.
(James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at standard@blomand.net.)