Entertainment industry’s best friend

Man’s best friend – that’s how dogs are portrayed in the media, and you know what? I agree.

There isn’t anything better than coming home to a creature that is so happy to see you.

Staring up at you with those big, brown eyes and wagging his tail so hard you’re almost afraid it might fall off. There’s no better feeling.

It’s no secret that the media have learned to exploit this feeling. I specifically remember a day in an introductory journalism class in which my teacher told us, when we were trying to think of ideas that would fit with the stories we were writing, that any picture with children or dogs will be sure to please readers.

Now, I’m not so sure about the children, but I definitely understand the dogs.

As someone who recently suffered the loss of a best friend (my family’s dog of 11 years, who in my opinion was, frankly, the best dog ever), I can appreciate the entertainment industry exploiting the bond between man and dog.
Nothing else could explain the widespread popularity of a book such as “Marley & Me,” the story of what author Josh Grogan describes as life with the “world’s worst dog.”

The simple answer is that we all can relate to what Grogan and his wife Jenny feel for their pet. Marley quickly became part of the family, and I understand the pain the author felt when Marley was inevitably put to sleep at the end of his 13 years.

The book was recently made into a movie, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, which is set to release on Christmas Day.

I’m pretty excited for this movie, and I’m not quite sure why. Normally I don’t get excited about movies where I know exactly what is going to happen from beginning to end, but there is just something that appeals to me about sitting and watching someone love a dog as much as I love(d) my dog.

Call it validation, call it lame, call it whatever you want, but just this once, I’m going to buy into those fake, syrupy sweet emotions that the movie is sure to induce. And I’m not afraid to admit it.

Yep, mostly everyone loves dogs. And if they don’t, they at least can understand the feeling of unconditional love they give you. Why else would paparazzi shots of stars and their dogs be so popular these days?

It’s something we all can relate to. The love of someone who never judges and accepts you for exactly what you are – there’s nothing better than that.