Hooray For Hollywood!
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
June 25, 2008 8:42pm CST
Last night was just the latest Hollywood fundraiser for a Presidential candidate as the stars turned out and brought their checkbooks for Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001998.html
The list of entertainers who have given their time, efforts and cash to the Obama campaign and other candidates before him is very impressive and is sure to include some of everyone's favorite actors and actresses. Whether you agree or disagree with many of them you can't deny that at least some of them are not just "pretty faces" but are actually quite intelligent and informed about the current issues. They may have all the money they'll ever need and they surely won't ever have to worry about the price of gas or getting laid off from their job but it's still their country too. They have kids and parents and believe it or not some of them actually care about others who are less fortunate than they are financially.
What I'd like to discuss here is why are so many people so against celebrities speaking out or being active in political matters? Frankly, I never seem to hear or read any complaints when the celebrity in question is a conservative but let someone make a comment or do a political ad for a Democrat and look out, suddenly they're supposed to have fewer rights than the rest of us have. Let's have a civil and entertaining discussion about this.
Annie
3 responses
@bravenewworld (746)
• United States
27 Jun 08
I'm with you on this, Annie. We're not talking about just any celebrities, these are some of the country's top artists - musicians as well as actors. They are articulate, well-informed, and clearly highly intelligent. Thy have a pretty unique global perspective, plying trade around the world. They are strong humanitarians.
The only reason they are vilified by the right is because the right fear their influence. But we're meant to think that bone heads like O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, have a right to spout off their invidious opinions for a living, artists are supposed to shut up and just sing/act.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
3 Jul 08
Right on! It's just so unfair that some people, mostly those on the right, seem to assume that if someone is an entertainer they must be stupid. Why they assume that, I have no idea. Sure, there are some who are just as there are some journalists and politicians who are rather stupid but there are also some that are just as you said - "articulate, well-informed, and clearly highly intelligent" - and I applaud them for often putting their money where their mouths are and really trying to DO something about some of the world's problems instead of spending their time attacking others in order to line their own pockets as do Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity and their pals.
Annie
@skinnychick (6905)
• United States
26 Jun 08
I think many celebrities when they speak out in politics have no idea what they are talking about but they pretend like they do. I can't stand those types. But I have no problems with anyone standing behind a candidate. California is a hard core Dem state anyway. It's a good thing as long as celeb's know what they stand for.
1 person likes this
@cobracar (142)
• United States
26 Jun 08
I wonder if Obama is going to come out and say he wants Public Funded General Elections again now that hes earned a lot more money. haha just kidding, but it is kind of funny he flipped about that. Anyway, im not suprised that hollywood supports Obama, most people out there are liberal and if your a conservative in hollywood and voice your opinion everyone jumps down your throat
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Great response, toledomark, you're right about the 527's and about McCain's flip-flopping. If you ask me, Obama is right when he says his campaign is being funded by public financing in the truest sense of the word because it's from contributions for the most part of less than $100, so he owes no favors to any special interest or big money group.
Not, to cobracar - you said "... if your a conservative in hollywood and voice your opinion everyone jumps down your throat."
On what do you base that statement? I don't think Arnold, Ronald Reagan, Fred Thompson, Charlton Heston, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and other right wong celebs have had (or did have) too much of problem. Which is fine, don't get me wrong, I was just wondering who is jumping down whose throat.
Annie
