A broccoli stand in a candy shop...

A broccoli stand in a candy shop...  This conclusion seems obvious, given the pap published by the lamestream media.  What I'd really like to understand is why.  Why do the majority of Americans find it preferable to read about (say) the latest hair fashion in Hollywood than (say) the underlying causes of the Middle East conflict?  It seems pretty clear to me that the former will have exactly zero effect on my life, while the latter has quite a large one.  Is that not clear to most Americans?  Or do they just not care enough to study and think about the “hard” news?  This has puzzled me for a very long time and I've never come across an answer that I find satisfying; it remains a puzzle...