In explaining to someone recently why I had zero interest in The Grammy Awards I resorted to brevity. Rather than delve into its laughable history, questioning the nebulous governing body, or debate the diminishing import of the music industry, I instead gave a flashcard reason — The Baha Men won a Grammy in 2001 for “Who Let the Dogs Out.” No further explanation needed. Yet there is a hidden fact behind the provenance of this grating dance-floor grinder: One of the most reviled songs of the past decade came to us courtesy of the movies.

Earlier this week, when documentary film maker Josh Fox was escorted out of House chambers it was the perfect marriage of drama and optics. And like most instances of Hollywood visiting D.C. the facts become something closer to art; everybody sees something different in the end product. Watching the director cuffed in chambers provokes instant reactions in many yet the details were quotidian, rather than dramatic. Fox did not secure credentials to shoot the meeting, but he showed up with cameras anyway and when he refused to leave the bracelets came out.

Word came out of Sundance that there was a jarring incident of fainting during a showing at a film in Park City. I’m not referring to Tracy Jordan ending up in the hospital due to excessive revelry (OK fine, it was for “altitude-induced exhaustion”). No, the latest is that during a midnight screening of the found-footage horror anthology “V/H/S/” the content of that film caused adverse reactions in the seats. According to comprehensively accurate media reports one audience member fainted, and a second became sick in the lobby surrounding the viewing. This was reportedly due to some of the footage displayed on screen being too intense. Sure makes this unknown independent production seeking interest from movie conglomerates suddenly a must-see title!

Currently we are inundated with lists pronouncing the best cinematic offerings of the year, with every critics group, industry guild, and entertainment publication arguing for the merits of their chosen titles. Sometimes debates erupt between these institutions, backing their selections or denigrating those made by others. Less intense is the discussion of which were the most embarrassing, misguided, and culturally offensive movies foisted on audiences over the past calendar flip.

Penn State University burst into a mushroom cloud Wednesday night as head coach and college football icon Joe Paterno was forced out of program he has guided since the 1950s. There has been all level of debate over what would happen to Paterno over the past few weeks and whether or not he would be able to end his career on his own terms. This very discussion is a glimpse into why sports journalism is often considered a lesser form of the craft.

After weeks of rallies and protests springing up all over the country the Occupy Wall Street movement has certainly shown it has traction. The crowds, the visuals, the inherent drama — all have garnered its share of attention. The media has been rapt but that brings with it another unintentional collateral effect. The presence of cameras also draws an unavoidable scourge: celebrities.

As the mounting Occupy Wall Street protests are showing up in cities across the country, many things are being reported, save for some statistical details. Over the past few weeks , the coverage of OWS has trended either to the organized groups and their signs, or the images of conflict and unrest. What scant attention [...]