Halloween gives the young (and the young at heart!) a chance to dress up, play a role, wear a mask, and be something or someone they’re not. For a day. That’s the key.

On this Halloween, I’ve assembled a list of top five media masquerades. These “masquerades” are the people and issues that (for the most part) bug a faith-based fan of pop culture like me because they are always in the media or always covered by the media.

5. Non-stars that get treated by the media like real stars. Like Paris Hilton. I mean, really, what has she really ever done that’s redeeming, even on the surface-y Hollywood scale?

4. Non-inspirational shows that pretend to be authentic inspiration. Notably, many televangelist shows and, most notably, the time they spend selling product.

3. Any Halloween movie claiming to be the champion of all other Halloween movies. John Carpenter’s “Halloween” (1978) is still the original and the best Halloween flick. It’s complete with neighborhood flavor, homegrown fears, and hometown heroes. In some ways, it actually plays better now as an older flick, though interestingly, it’s not being shown on TV this Halloween season.

2. News reporters who don’t behave as serious newsmakers. For example, this year a media corps surprised by McCain’s VP choice took it personally and their bias has (again) shaped our future. The media corps was so angry that some anchors (led by CSNBC) even got mad at each other. On the air! Where is the Fifth Estate to watch the Fourth Estate?

In a different spin, this last masquerade is my favorite, and it’s one that actually shows the positive side of media coverage.

1. “Saturday Night Live” masquerading as weekend comedy fare. “Saturday Night Live” continues to be a smart, satirical, and steady voice of commentary on cultural situations. The crew was brilliant during this election season, bringing both roaring laughs and intelligent cause for reflection.

What other media masquerades have you noticed? What are the negative and positive ones you see?