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Stars get too political Clay McDaniel CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST I swear, if I have to listen to Susan Sarandon tell me one more time who to vote for, I'm never watching Bull Durham again (all right, maybe one more time). Where does she, or any other Hollywood windbag, get off even having a political opinion, not to mention having the opportunity to tell me about it? Sure, these people have been touting their cause du jour for quite some time now. As a matter of fact, instead of actually wearing a dress to the Oscar's next year, some actresses are just strategically placing their ribbons instead - to save the albino wolfsheep, to find a cure for hangnails, etc. But Hollywood is leaving its mark all over this year's presidential election, and frankly, it pisses me off. Just because they happen to be a whole lot prettier than the rest of us has absolutely no bearing on the stock we should put in their political opinions. In fact, I would contend that there is an inverse relationship between the strength of someone's stardom and their political acumen. Take Alec Baldwin, please (is this thing on?). He's a big star, sure, but he's also, politically speaking, a complete idiot (although with Alec Baldwin I could probably leave out politically speaking). This guy carries the intellectual weight of a retarded salamander, yet the other day I caught a friend of mine nodding her head as he proposed his theory on what the role of government should be. Fortunately, Mr. Baldwin has reportedly laid down the ultimatum that if Bush wins in November, then the self-absorbed left-winger will leave the country. With a Republican in the White House, Mr. Baldwin would apparently feel more comfortable lounging naked with Kim Basinger in his hot tub in the south of France than lounging naked with Kim Basinger in his hot tub in Malibu. I believe I speak for myself when I say, "Don't let the door of your personal Bombardier Learjet 60 hit you in the arse on the way out, Alec." But what truly amazes me is how much stock this country puts in a profession in which few have earned a college degree. Not that the level of one's education and the level of their intellect are synonymous, but having virtually none should at least disqualify someone from being a member of the nation's intelligencia. And believing that fame somehow infers political gravitas might prove more dangerous than any of us realize. After all, what kind of message is Alec Baldwin sending when he threatens to leave the country if his side loses? Frankly, it's a message of cowardice. Pure, unadulterated, sausage-spined cowardice. Now, I have a certain amount of respect for several Hollywood elites, like Rob Reiner and Rosie O'Donnell. Despite the incoherence of their ideas, they do a tremendous amount of work on behalf of the people they claim to speak for. They put their money, and more importantly their time, where their mouth is. But the respectable few do not excuse the contemptible many who refuse to stay out of matters they do not fully understand. Perhaps if they would take their sunglasses off indoors they might realize that fame does not come with the obligation to ram it down our throats at every opportunity. If they truly want to help, they should stick to playing for their favorite charity on celebrity "Jeopardy" (And now, Final Jeopardy: Spell dog) instead of calling presidential candidates murderers for doing their jobs. It's not so much that I mind their idealism, but rather how they look down their noses at those who do not share their disillusion. In Hollywood, it is common knowledge that you're better off coming out as a homosexual than as a Republican. They have become so obsessed with being politically correct that they have lost touch with what it means to simply be correct. But I guess what irks me most is that while Hollywood has been focusing on its own political agenda, the movies they get paid to make have been about as noteworthy as my Sunday morning bowel movements. With precious few exceptions, most of what comes to the big screen these days belongs in the Treat Williams: Straight to Video‚ section at Blockbuster. So I'm proposing a trade: make a decent movie, then the star gets a few minutes of air time to wax political. But if they have the gall to make Anywhere But Here II, then Alec has to save them a seat in November. |
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