Seriously. Enough.

I realize that vampires had their fans long before "Twilight," and if I owned a store with any vampire-themed wares, I'd be promoting the heck out of them right now. I totally get it. OK?

But when I walked into Borders this weekend and saw a huge display dedicated to the Gen Y vampires of "Twilight," "Blue Bloods," etc., I was overcome with exhaustion. Maybe it's because, for the umpteenth time this year, the cover of my beloved Entertainment Weekly is devoted to some permutation of the "Twilight" saga — this time, the "New Moon" sequel. Or maybe it's because I can't walk through a checkout aisle without a publication telling me that Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Kristen Stewart (Bella) are in love/breaking up/just pals/totally doing it. And didn't I just see a commercial for the CW's new teen drama "The Vampire Diaries?"

Again, I understand that Stephanie Meyer is but one of several writers who happened to write a series of books about vampires. Hers is the biggest, and she's certainly doing her part to help keep food on booksellers' tables. (And to be fair, when the "Harry Potter" books were at their peak, bookstores were pimping every children's series that looked like JK Rowling might have had something to do with it). "New Moon" will probably be a huge hit this fall, and as I've admitted, I haven't exactly been immune to Pattinson's charms as Edward Cullen. HBO's "True Blood" seems like the kind of show I would love, and I'm looking forward to renting the DVDs and getting acclimated. But for the love of God. I feel we're at the beginning some cosmic shark-jumping moment that will end in a Disney vampire musical featuring songs by Demi Lovato.

Protest Song Of The Week

Back in the late '80s, an all-star group of rappers released the pioneering, anti-violence single "Self Destruction." It was preachy and kind of a drag, but nevertheless a responsible and much-needed message. I doubt aspiring Detroit rapper T-Baby was even born when that song made its debut, but she, too, has had enough of the madness! If only this passionate, profane commentary had been released 13 years earlier, Tupac and Biggie might still be alive.

Thanks, Crunk & Disorderly, for sharing this with the world!

Indy Overload

I am one of maybe eight people who won't be seeing "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." I can appreciate that the franchise is classic and groundbreaking, right up there with my beloved "Star Wars" ORIGINAL trilogy. But for some reason, I didn't bother seeing it when I was a kid. By the time I saw the first movie at age 30 (seriously), it was too late for me to be all that charmed or entertained by it. I've seen this happen before, like when people see SW for the first time as an adult and think, "Meh."

But even if I were stoked about this film, any joy I had would be crushed under the staggering weight of product tie-ins. Indy is friggin' everywhere. Cereal boxes. Burger King Kids' Meals. Soda cans. Lunchables boxes. I'm not buying half of this stuff; yet, I feel like I've seen Harrison Ford more in the last month than my own husband. A USA Today story describes how Mars Snackfoods took pains to create an M&M resembling Indiana Jones for its print ads.

Was "Iron Man" this bad?

Some of this is my own fault, because we occasionally watch TV. And when it's on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel, there's an Indy onslaught roughly every 10 minutes. I've been lurching for the "off" button more frequently than usual, while telling my 8-year-old son (again) that he's not going to see it. Gotta admire his tenacity, though. (While we're on this subject, why are so many parents dumb enough to take their kids to a movie that is clearly rated PG-13? Yeah, the studios shouldn't so blatantly market this stuff to first-graders, but no one's forcing you to take them. Get a sitter!)

Would I be less annoyed by the marketing if I cared about the movie? Probably. And it's not like George Lucas or Steven Spielberg need my money. For the fans' sake, I hope the movie is good, and that they aren't left with nothing but a bag of limited-edition M&Ms.