Stop It. Now.

Add this to your list of "things that must go:" tacking "-gate" on to anything and everything that is perceived to be scandalous.  

Just this week there have been two "scandals" reported on, and both are from the same television show.  The show, Dancing With The Stars, is notoriously campy (and horrible), and only perpetuates the lie that Michael Bolton is still relevant.  

First, there was "Boo-gate" (coined by, of course, Fox News), where Sarah Palin was reportedly booed by the audience.  While Sarah Palin is definitely a person worthy of being booed, the fact remains that she wasn't, in fact, booed; the media just has the judgment of a 7th grader when it comes to what qualifies as newsworthy.  

And the second "controversy" is that judge Bruno "I'm All-Up-In-Your-Face" Tonioli was overly harsh in his criticisms of (allegedly famous)singer Michael Bolton.  Two things here:  First, Bruno was doing his job and second, Bolton deserved it.  

The only scandal that can get away with it is the Watergate Scandal and that's because "gate" is actually part of the name of the hotel.  (Boy that Nixon was a bad guy, I don't care what Ben Stein says.)

So please, for my sake, let's all just stop adding "-gate" to the end of anything mildly (or not at all) controversial.