Lies, liars, and lying.

Falsehood they speak - one to another.

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I watched The Apprentice last night while I had supper. I don't like Donald Trump or Joan Rivers, but I have to admit it was interesting to watch a human being with a plastic face speak and attempt to show emotion when the only thing that moves is her tongue and eyeballs - not Donald - Joan. Although Trump's hair is kind of fascinating to watch - it doesn't move either.

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Anyway - the show is superficial, vain and stupid, just like Joan's character (yes, she plays herself) who happened to be lying through the whole thing - while viciously bashing her competitors, calling them liars. You had to see it, and yes - she was on camera lying about an incident that sabotaged the competition. Yet Joan won the apprenticeship - in fact the entire audience seemed to be on her side - despite the fact they witnessed the way in which Rivers - along with her mutant princess daughter - screwed everything up, only to kick and scream and lie their way out of it.

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The show was like a car wreck attracting gawkers - which is why I watched it through to the end - convinced Joan Rivers should have been fired. You can imagine my surprise when she wasn't. I think the show is actually a metaphor for the state of our country. We embrace and support lies, lying, and liars. Look at the politicians we elect, the celebrities we admire, our screwed up morality, and so on.

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Such things trouble me. Before going to bed I received a couple of emails demonstrating my point. Both emails contained news stories involving progressive Catholics, each protesting aspects of Church teaching associated with the popular deceptions of our time. This morning while at prayer, I reached for my copy of The Imitation, and it fell open to the following:

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"From such tales and such incautious people defend me, O Lord, that I may not fall into their hands or even commit the like. Give to my mouth truth and constancy in my words, and remove far from me a crafty tongue." - Imitation, Bk III, 45:4

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I continued reading the entire chapter, finding consolation and encouragement: "Whom shall we believe, O Lord but you? You are the truth who cannot deceive or be deceived.

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On the other hand, every man is a liar (Ps. CXV, II) infirm, unstable, and subject to fail, especially in words; so that we ought not readily to believe even that which in appearance seems to sound well." - Imitation, Bk III, 45:3

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Photo: Joan Rivers' doll-face. The facade.