Bristol Palin on the Tonight Show:  a fun interview with lots of laughs…Enjoy!

- tdc

the TIME 100 gala: todd, sarah, piper, and bristol palin

The Palins hit the red carpet to celebrate the former governor’s inclusion on TIME Magazine’s annual TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

There were many celebrities in attendance at tonight’s gala (Ben Stiller, Betty White, Taylor Swift…), but if the number of photos snapped is indication of who was most popular for the night…the Palins seem to have that title hands down!  It looks like a great time was had by all, and Piper did her usual thing and worked the room like a pro!

Congratulations to Governor Palin and cheers to one of America’s loveliest families taking Manhattan by storm!

- tdc

*Photo credit: Getty Images (via Daylife)

the levi tales: a jive turkey, mama bears, and a tank in a china shop

It seems someone left a pen open on the Last Frontier and there’s a jive turkey runnin’ loose up there!  And by “jive turkey” I mean Levi Johnston.  What is it with this guy?

Like many of you, I am of the opinion that the less attention paid to him in the public theater, the better.  It’s sort of like when I - however briefly - lost my mind as a toddler and decided I was going to throw a tantrum on the living room floor.  After making sure I wasn’t bleeding or otherwise in mortal danger, my father would give me a disapproving “have you lost your mind?” look and I would decide that indeed I had, and it would be best for all of us if I just got up and put my toys away as I was asked.

Levi Johnston needs to get up off the floor.

The spectacle that is Ricky Hollywood is becoming more unseemly by the day.  If he’s not giving a Palin-bashing interview on television, he’s doing one in print.  One day he’s dressed up in Armani for a photo shoot, the next he eschews his clothes altogether and ends up in Playgirl.

I’ve addressed my thoughts on why Levi behaves as he does in a previous post, so I won’t rehash them here.  Suffice it to say, though, that he’s getting some bad advice from the two people he seems to be turning to for guidance these days:  a lawyer named Rex Butler, and a private investigator cum-bodyguard named Tank Jones.  How else can one explain the fact that Levi rarely visits his son, Tripp, and has given only a fraction of the financial support necessary to feed and clothe the one-year old?  Rex and Tank may very well be upstanding, productive members of society, but I find it hard to believe they have Levi’s best interests at heart, let alone Tripp’s.

The situation that Bristol Palin and Levi find themselves in is as challenging as it is delicate.  Raising a child and sorting out custody arrangements in the glare of the public spotlight (no thanks to Mr. Johnston) can only compound the pressure upon two young parents.  As of now, however, only Bristol seems to be up to meeting her responsibilities as a mother.  While Levi jet-sets around the lower-48, mingling with celebrities, Bristol is up in the wee hours of the morning, getting her son ready for the day and getting herself off to work at a full-time job, all the while pursuing her college degree.  She seems determined to follow the example of her own multi-tasking mother, devoted to making a good life for herself and her son.  The Mama Bear gene is alive and well in the Palin bloodlines.

In contrast, by most accounts Levi has not had the benefits of a stable home life.  His family has been in disarray for who knows how long, and he doesn’t seem to have any familial role models to turn to for guidance.  So, what does he do?  He turns to Rex and Tank.  And, perhaps here lies the key difference between Levi and Bristol - the thing that drives one of them to use her talents and intellect to pursue her goals, while the other shrinks away from the effort required to even try.

With no one to look up to, how is it that a boy becomes a man?  Are we to believe that he has no choice but to turn to his lawyer and bodyguard?

I sincerely hope that Levi comes to realize that his childish campaign against the Palin family is not just harmful to Bristol and Tripp, but to himself as well.  In the end, none of his antics will be worth it because he won’t have gained anything but a couple of heavily-taxed bucks, and few moments of notoriety.  More importantly, he may end up losing everything - and everyone - of real value that he already has.

Bristol doesn’t need Levi to be a “husband”, though it would be nice if she had a partner.  And, little Tripp doesn’t need a meal-ticket so much as he needs a father.  No one expects Levi Johnston to be perfect, but most everyone would agree that he should at least step up and be a man.

- tdc

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*Photo credit - adn.com