As Capt. Reynaud said, "I am shocked ..."

TMZ.com: News - Exclusive: Underage Stars Party Illegally at Clubs:

"A Hollywood nightclub promoter, who asked to remain anonymous, was blunt: 'Authorities know that there are underage celebrities inside drinking and if they don't care, why should we?' He added the obvious: 'Celebrities help to make our clubs more exclusive.'

"California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is charged with enforcing the State's underage drinking laws. TMZ has obtained every citation the ABC issued in the City of Los Angeles for 2005 -- 207 in total. Mood was never cited. Indeed, TMZ's record search revealed that Mood has never been cited since opening its doors. The ABC seems far more interested in busting mom and pop liquor stores, often using underage decoys in sting operations."

This is what wealth and the social prestige and political power that flows from it means - you don't worry about the law and the law won't worry about you. On the other hand, I can't help but compare the muted reaction of the major media in these cases to the occasion when Jenna Bush made headlines getting a drink in a Georgetown bar before she was 21.

I wouldn't care much, except that I think the 21 drinking age is a serious error in public policy. First, because several states had to be blackmailed into it by the threatened withholding of their share of federal motor fuel taxes; and second, because it does not serve the reasonable goal of encouraging people to learn to drink responsibly. Finally, it seems quite unfair that the kids who go to the movies and buy the music get criminal records for underage drinking while the actors and singers just get richer and more pampered.

Note: For the cinematically illiterate, the movie reference is to Casablanca where the police chief expresses shock at the illegal gambling at Rick's Cafe Americaine just before the waiter brings him his night's winnings.