Late this afternoon, we are faced with a difficult choice: either stare into the yawning, unblinking void of nothingness that is the pre-Labor Day weekend Hollywood news landscape, or take a moment to soberly contemplate intermittently employed actor Ben Affleck's thoughts on the challenges facing the tabloids-and-paparazzi-plagued practitioners of his craft that he offered at the opening of his latest movie at the Venice Film Festival. Affleck wins the faceoff, if for no other reason than it gives us the opportunity to run this somewhat undermining photo of Affleck applying a punishing headlock to Hollywoodland co-star Bob Hoskins. Transcribes TMZ.com:

"I think more and more people pay attention to actor's private lives ... it makes it difficult to suspend disbelief when you are going to watch their movie because really what you are thinking about is whatever you have read about them in a magazine rather than the performance they are giving and it makes the actors job harder."

As much as it pains us to agree, Affleck does have a point. We could hardly suspend disbelief long enough to focus on his fine work in the international short film The Clicker for more than a few seconds at a time without wondering about whether or not his car was sufficiently fueled or what caffeinated beverage he might select on his next Starbucks run. The paparazzi might take the actual pictures of Affleck pushing a stroller, but we're all guilty in our own way of caring more about his baby than the last three years of his acting career.