Tabloid Extravaganza: A-Rod, C-Rod, Madge and Lenny

One bit of celebrity melodrama has virtually taken over the print, broadcast and Web media.

It’s simultaneously being reported as a news, entertainment and sports story and is crowding out coverage of the war, election and economy.

It involves baseball star Alex Rodriguez, a.k.a. A-Rod, Rodriguez’s wife, a.k.a. C-Rod, material girl Madonna, a.k.a Madge in the U.K., Madonna’s husband Guy Ritchie and rocker Lenny Kravitz.

Here’s the skinny: C-Rod found out A-Rod was involved with Madge, who was supposedly divorcing husband Ritchie. C-Rod fled to Paris to stay with Kravitz and reportedly blames Madge’s Kabbalah religion for luring husband A-Rod to her side. According to the New York Daily News’ sources, C-Rod found a note written to Madge from A-Rod that read: “You are my true soulmate.”

All of the parties involved are denying the romantic aspects of the reports.

The really amazing story, however, is the way the press has been going full court tabloid over the tale.

Here are a few of the headlines:

– “Lenny Kravitz: Cynthia Rodriguez’s Grand Slam?” (New York Magazine)

– “New adventures of old Madonna (co-starring A-Rod)” (The Boston Herald)

– “A-Rod and wife heading into foul territory” (The Miami Herald)

– “Wife: Madonna lured A-Rod with kabbalah” (United Press International)

– “Let’s play six degrees of Madonna” (The San Jose Mercury News)

– “Madonna and A-Rod and Lenny? (Oh My).” (Gary Post Tribune)

It’s enough to make you long for good old hard news.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor, and teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University.