I'd like to quote the late, great Kurt Cobain here:

"I hope I die before I become Pete Townshend."

What in the world was Pete thinking? Even if his explanation, that he was researching for an upcoming book he'd planned to write, were legitimate, what made him think that the means of research he was pursuing would go unnoticed? Especially in Britain where such crime is rigidly enforced, no less.

Another dent in the legend known as the Who.

Do aging rock stars actually feel the need to go out of their way to tarnish their own legends? The Who were a great band, no lie. I think albums like Tommy, Quadrophenia, and Who's Next are among the greatest works in the realm of classic rock, right up there with Sgt. Pepper and Dark Side Of The Moon in terms of creativity and innovation. And there's no doubt about it, Pete Townshend is one of the greatest songwriters ever, and his growth can be heard in the chronology of the band. It takes a very versatile writer to go from the likes of "My Generation" and "Substitute" to "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

But let's be honest here, folks, this band should've ended when Keith Moon bit it. Even following the passing of John Entwistle just this past year, it's just not the Who without those two guys. Thank the good lord that Zeppelin didn't make the same mistake when Jon Bonham died. They knew it was the end of an era, time to call it quits and pursue other venues. But, to get back to my point about the tainting of legends, even those guys couldn't avoid boners.

Did Jimmy Page really need to do the score to Death Wish? For that matter, did he have to team with David Coverversion? And Robert Plant, while musically sound in his solo career, is such a huge prick that he's been practically blackballed by all the rock magazines that used to be hot for the lowdown on the ever-mysterious Led Zeppelin. Hey, Robert, they just released Fellowship Of The Rings in a four-disc DVD set, and The Two Towers is still in theaters everywhere. Why don't you do us all a favor and just devote yourselves to those films and don't bother us again until Return Of The King is released on DVD?

And now to return to the matter at hand, let's all be realistic, there's no legitimate excuse for child pornography. I don't care if you're in the process of writing a four-volume desk reference set chronicling every disgusting Internet web site to warn parents. Your credit card number shows up on a scan of said sites, you go to jail, I don't care who you are, rock legend notwithstanding.

There's no rhyme, no reason, and no logic to Townshend's arguments. Admitting that his actions were "foolish" now isn't going to do him any good, because we can now officially put rock legend Pete Townshend on the same level as one-hit wonder and godfather of the stadium fight song, Gary Glitter.

And Pete, don't try to bullshit us. We won't get fooled again.

Goodnight, and have a pedophilia-free tomorrow.