There are some things that never cease to amaze me. Getting away with using clichés is one of them. A comic book character that flies around wearing a cape and a mask engaging in fights with a delusional clown has become the phenomenon of the summer.
Amazing.

It has entered our dialogue as an ice breaker. It’s small talk for those awkward run-ins at the water cooler with people you work with that you secretly wish would get laid off.
Who cares how their weekend was or how Johnny is getting ready to enter kindergarten.

Did you see The Dark Knight?

That question is usually followed by some statement about how Heath Ledger’s performance was legendary and that he should win an Oscar.

I am not surprised by that. Everyone loves the dead guy, especially if his cause of death was an overdose. It’s just so glamorous these days to meet your maker covered in vomit.

What really gets me is this guy, who is growing out his hair to win best Halloween costume as the Joker in October has suddenly put Ledger in the same category as his other top five screen actors of all time: Pacino, De Niro, The Rock, Damon and now Ledger.

Hmmm ... which one does not belong?

A few years ago, this is the same person who almost choked on his water when I asked if he had seen Brokeback Mountain. The same guy who repeatedly made jokes about cowboys and saddling up. Throw on some makeup, dye your hair and you rank right up there with Tony Montana.

Amazing.

Holy smokes, Batman — the Joker is gay? And so is Lindsay Lohan?

Which segues to my other astonishing discovery this summer — the alleged budding romance between LiLo and Samantha Ronson. Are they or aren’t they? Does it even matter?

According to the Los Angeles police chief it apparently doesn’t. Since Lohan “went gay” as he says the paparazzi have not been a problem in L.A.
Wow — that’s all it takes. Someone better tell Lauren Conrad.

The princess of The Hills better known as LC is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly complaining about being hounded by cameras all the time.
Huh? Does she realize she is the “main character” of a reality television show?

Amazing.

E-mail your discoveries to lowellita@lowellsun.com.