While many Ball State University students began making their trip home last week for Thanksgiving Break, Muncie officials announced that a new reality television show would be filmed in Muncie tentatively titled "Armed and Famous."
The show's premise includes celebrities training with the Muncie Police Department to become short-term officers - enacting swift justice on townies willing to stand in the face of the law.
By early Sunday, Muncie was blessed with the presence of highly respected celebrities such as Erik Estrada, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Trish Stratus and Wee Man.-á
Muncie is already falling in love given that a crowd formed on the first day of shooting.-áOnce students learn en masse of the show, I envision certain members of the student body going out of their way to garner attention from these celebrities and working to establish connections with them at all costs, regardless of the circumstances.-á
I base this on Muncie's previous touches with celebrities.-áWhen Tom Green came to Muncie, people packed Muncie for a parade fawning over the idiot's ravings.-áTwo years before that, Muncie residents and Ball State students packed Dill Street to watch porn star Ron Jeremy grace us with his slovenly presence.-á
Because Muncie has little, any touch of Hollywood becomes magical.-áJust look at Muncie and Ball State near mythical reverence for David Letterman.-áWhen Ball State football really struggled some years ago, Dave Letterman found it amusing to slam Ball State on national television, much to the delight of locals who thought any publicity is good publicity.-áNo, bad publicity is bad publicity - just ask Michael Richards.
Local businesses have responded with a kind of fervor that is unusual for Muncie.-áThe Hotel Roberts, Muncie's greatest standing hotel, closed on Halloween.-áThe managers alleged that a lack of clientele did not generate enough income to keep the hotel open.-áYet, when Hollywood came knocking, the managers magically found a way to operate for a handful of Hollywood rejects and the ensemble crew.-á
The Hotel Roberts is not alone.-áEstablishing once again that our local newspaper is a citadel of journalistic principles, The Star Press has taken on the burden of providing its readers every detail of the series' production thus far - informing us early Monday afternoon that one celebrity failed the fitness test.-áThank God almighty for the News Update section on The Star Press' Web site - many of us would have been up all night wondering if the entire team ran the entire 1.5 miles.-á
I do like the idea of Muncie receiving something unique.-áIn the wake of losing every major industry in the city except higher education, having anything new and fresh appears to be positive for the community.-áNevertheless, the reality is that an arrest by Jack Osbourne is nothing more than a farce and will never be taken seriously - not to mention the legal ramifications of how legitimate such an arrest would be.-á
However, the biggest problem lay with the leadership of our fair city.-áEarly this year, a supposed computer glitch caused Muncie officials to inaccurately account for income that did not exist.-áTherefore, Muncie went over budget and had to borrow funds to operate in 2007.-áMayor Canan has suggested that layoffs of police and firemen might be necessary to balance the budget.-á
Due to this kind of mismanagement, how can any city official authorize the use of police personnel for a television show when resources are so low?-áIs this not a gross misuse of public funds? Instead, local officials gushed over the idea that Muncie might meet Hollywood's rejects and opened wide to swallow it whole.-á
Please, please, please ignore these people as much as possible.-áIf you do find yourself getting arrested by an Officer Estrada or an Officer Wee Man, please sue and sue hard.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
