Icon·o·clast : one who attacks settled beliefs or institutions

I don't actually mind Renée Zellweger, I don't. It's not her fault, really.

She's just a pretty actress, who does a fine job with her roles, who like many other fine, young, pretty, promotable actresses like Gwyneth and Hillary, happened to win an Oscar. Big box office movie, big publicity machine, a beautiful girl--and ya get an Oscar.

So it's not Renée's fault we live in an image-obsessed culture with the attention span of a fruit fly, where news that's any longer or more serious than a music video, just isn't considered watchable. Where celebrity has somehow become as intrinsically interesting and praise-worthy as the more tradional accomplishments--like, I don't know, writing masterpieces or leading social movements or whatever, just to name a fw of the fusty old things we used to admire. I mean, everyone knows the name of Paris Hilton's dog, but do you know the name of this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize? Or last year's?

No, it's not Renée's fault that in the current Sundance Channel's series called Iconoclasts--which is allegedly devoted to the "innovators, rule-breakers and ground-shakers who have transformed our culture through their passions" and highlights "the lives of provocative leaders"--it's not her fault that Renée is featured tonight along with fellow "creative pioneer"...Christiane Amanpour.

Because Renée is totally an iconoclast, right? She's completely super-accomplished and has totally attacked settled beliefs and institutions what with her roles in Chicago and Bridget Jones and...well, the second Bridget Jones.

I mean, she won an Oscar. She deserves her place in the canon.