Times are tough these days.

I know you’re all thinking about the economy, swine flu, final exams, Darfur, global warming, etc. etc. I think we could probably go on all day. But there’s something more important that needs to be discussed: former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s bangs.

More specifically, we need to discuss how Mr. Blagojevich’s bangs (and the rest of his body) may be appearing on a reality TV show for NBC called “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s indeed true.

If the show sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The show is a remake of a British TV show of the same name. ABC had previously tried to remake the show, but that failed in the ratings department.

NBC is determined to create another version (don’t ask me why), and Blagojevich has been asked to be a contestant. A judge ruled that the former governor can’t travel to Costa Rica to film the show alongside the other cast members, but Blagojevich told reporters last week that he is discussing “several potential options” with NBC.

I was pretty much dumbfounded when I heard the news. I really didn’t think it was real – until I did a quick Google search and saw both the Associated Press and Reuters had a story. But then again, we should have realized that the guy was a media whore. Instead of appearing in court for his impeachment trial, Blagojevich instead did the talk-show circuit. Further proof can be seen from this quote taken from a CNN story about it:

“I’m here in New York because I can’t get a fair hearing in Illinois, the state Senate in Illinois,” Blagojevich said in between TV appearances. “They’ve decided, with rules that are fixed, that don’t allow me as a governor the right to be able to bring in witnesses to prove that I’ve done nothing wrong.”

I think it’s safe to say the guy loves being on TV. I think it’s also safe to say that a disgraced politician on a reality TV show with Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag is about as ridiculous as two gorillas juggling flaming swords in front of Ted Turner’s house on Easter.

I created a mathematical formula a while back that shows a politician’s success after scandal. It’s not scientific (and I’m not even sure if the math is right), but I think Mr. Blagojevich can learn from it:

[(Scandal + Media Whirlwind Proclaiming Innocence + More Denial) divided by (bangs + Larry King’s suspenders)] is directly proportional to {[(the number of books you sell) multiplied by (the number of weeks on top of the NY Times Bestseller List)] divided by Bill Clinton}. Bonus points if you’re actually impeached. Minus points if you utter “a relationship with Monica Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong.” That’s already been said.

Does that formula include stints on reality TV? No, it does not. Why? Because personally, I don’t see how a successful, serious career can be accomplished after reality TV. Unless he’s aiming to be a laughingstock, of course – then he’s all set.

-Meredith Shamburger

News Editor