Oh, Lord, it's hard!

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way.
I can't wait to look in the mirror 'cause I get better looking each day.

Thus began a fun song by Mac Davis a few years ago. Everyone loved that song - first, because of Mac Davis. Second, because the tongue-in-cheek lyric was so useful.

If, say, you won a sports trivia argument with a buddy and wanted to gloat a bit, just burst into song: "Oh, Lord it's hard to be humble."

I even had a salesman friend who strove to bolster his own self-confidence by wearing a T-shirt that paraphrased Mac Davis by declaring "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow 'cause I get Better Looking Every Day."

Sadly, it wasn't always tongue-in-cheek. Too many took the Hard To Be Humble attitude seriously. We've all seen the Hard To Be Humble athlete who, having received unspendable millions for his sports prowess, suddenly became an authority on any subject at hand.

But, the entertainment industry is where you most often find it hard to be humble. Hollywood is awash with Hard To Be Humble devotees. Kids are born with a beautiful face. Through luck or training grow into a beautiful adult body, and acquire an acting, or perhaps a musical skill. Then they traipse about the world, spreading their often idiotic views on politics, the economy, or whatever alse you want to discuss.

The most glaring example in this summer of 2008 is Barack Obama. His handlers parade him into a crowd of screaming fans, more interested in having fun than a serious policy discussion. He shouts his teleprompted speech into the microphone, girls faint, and everyone says he is an eloquent speaker.

In an entirely different song, Billy Ray Cyrus worried that the wrong kind of information might cause his Achy Breaky Heart to blow up! Like the sparrow that arrived at the Wedding Chapel just after the big ceremony and gorged itself on rice thrown at the bride. Inside the sparrow's craw, the rice expanded and the poor bird exploded like an Achy Breaky Heart.

With Barack, I worry more about his head. Signs are already showing. He no longer just walks on stage... he swaggers to the podium. He speaks of his promised accomplishments and makes pronouncements that are almost spiritual. Another three and a half months of non-stop adulation by adoring fans; another coronation by the media and poor Obama's head may just become too overloaded and, boom!