~~By kenosha Marge
I am always disappointed when an actor/actress whose work I particularly admire opens their mouth and says something stupid or endorses some political candidate I don’t like or shows themselves to be a religious nut cake. I never see their work the same way again.
I don’t care who Oprah endorsed or if she thinks that Obama is the “One”. I don’t watch her program and about all I know is that she’s the country’s most inexhaustible dieter and that she tells her wide audience which books they should be reading. She’s been less than prescient about both diets and authors over the years so why would her opinion about a presidential candidate mean squat to me? When the woman gives advice about making money I’ll be all ears.
I loved Matt Damon in “Good Will Hunting” and I loved him in all three of his “Bourne” films. I’m not sure I will enjoy him quite as much as an “action hero” anymore. He gave an interview saying that Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska was “scary”. This is the big tough hombre who did the stunts for 3 action films? We know Jason Bourne wouldn’t find a female Republican Governor from Alaska scary.
Then we get a lunatic rant from Lindsey Lohan. I find this young woman pathetic. Her opinions, given her inability to have any control over her own life, are at best a joke. She’s just one more self-absorbed “starlet” who believes that because the paparazzi follow her like flies after a garbage truck she has something worthwhile to communicate to the world.
I know there are many who pity her. I don’t. I won’t waste pity on these Baby Stars and Starlets who have the world by the ass and can’t deal with it. The only thing more pathetic, to me, is the people who hang on every bit of information about people like her.
I save my sympathy for young men and women that deserve it; the ones struggling to get an education or find a job or just live through another day of poverty and despair without giving up or giving in or stuffing themselves full of booze and drugs.
There are few women I respect more in the movie business than Susan Sarandon. I love most of her work and have worn out one tape and a DVD of Bull Durham. It’s almost good enough to make me forget the complete dreadfulness of her movie “the Banger Sisters. “
That Susan has had the good taste and good fortune to spend a large part of her life with Tim Robbins is just another reason I like her. However Susan endorsed Obama. Maybe the Banger Sisters isn’t forgivable after all.
On September 11th Susan compared Obama to Jesus Christ in an interview with ET. She said, “Jesus Christ was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor.” It’s doubtful I will be able to enjoy Bull Durham as much as I once did with that bit of idiocy doing laps in my brain.
Does anyone care that Sly Stallone, Rip Torn and Tom Selleck endorsed John McCain? Even McCain?
When I read that Barbra Streisand held a fundraiser for Obama and garnered 9 million dollars it makes me nauseous. Think about what that much money could do in terms of helping people living in homeless shelters or on the street. Or with kids that can’t afford to go to college and on and on.
The event was held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel where it would be expected that the gowns and jewels worn by this collection of the rich and super rich cost nearly as much, or more than what they raised.
I wish Barbra and all the other narcissistic celebrities that somehow believe that what they think is important to the world would just sit down and shut up and let people vote for whoever the hell they want to vote for without having to listen to a bunch of limelight seeking celebrities.
Did the mindless vapidity of the Emmy’s really need the added distraction of a few moronic jabs at the Republican Ticket? Pretty please, pretty people; stop thrusting your opinions at us as if they were worthy of our attention. This boring, lengthy awards show was after all about television. Of which quality of mind, word or deed is seldom visible.
My point, if I ever get around to it is that celebrity endorsements mean nothing to any of us out here in Ordinary-voter-land. These people have nothing in common with us. The qualities they relate to in a candidate will likely mean nothing in our lives.
And they annoy me. Which in my little corner of the world is enough reason to wish they would all go back to their rich and privileged lives with their enormous salaries and their multi-million dollar homes and their ranches that take up half a state and just shut up, cast their own vote and leave me to cast mine.
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, Barbra Streisand, Bull Durham, Emmy Awards, Jesus Christ, John McCain, Lindsey Lohan, Matt Damon, Oprah Winfrey, Pontius Pilate, Rip Torn, Sarah Palin, Sly Stallone, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Tom Selleck |
InsightAnalytical -- Watching Our World 
You forgot one big point:
They might be able to keep their cushy careers. How well do you think Damon, Sarandon, et al will do at the box office if Obama loses? Oprah has already begun to feel the pain.
I think they will all feel some problems with their cushy careers whoever wins. I believe that many people, like me, are sick to death of these people using their celebrity status to insert themselves into our political process.
Susan Sarandon has all ready felt that “over forty” tanking of her career that unfortunately all women in films find hard to overcome. Some fortunate few, Angela Landsbury comes to mind, find a second career as and older woman but those roles are few and far between.
Matt Damon will also find himself joining the ranks of the over-the-hill action stars. Ask Stallone how that works out.
Whatever is behind celebrity endorsements, it also involves the general “entertainment” function of the media these days.
Actors, etc. have always been involved politically as is their right (think McCarthy era), and they have a right to express their views.
However, the media prefers now to focus on them rather than the issues in another abdication of what the 4th estate is supposed to be doing…watching out for the interests of citizens through the examination of the powers in charge…
Isn’t it strange how whatever conversation we are having about politics the really loathsome part of the equation always comes back to our media?
While I admit I don’t have much use for celebrity narcissists I find a media that refuses to do it’s job to inform the public the greatest abomination.
kenoshamarge —
I feel your pain. The thing that bothers me the most, aside from the media’s refusal to do it’s job, are these comparisons of Obama to Jesus Christ. Brazilla made them, and I’ve actually been hearing regular people using this too. While I thought somewhat funny at first (ya know like the Jesus was the first liberal bumper sticker), the use of this comparison for Obama is downright frightening! As well as atheists who wholeheartedly support Obama are just blowing the fact off that so many people seem to believe that Obama is the new messiah!
Thank God that Sarandon (who I also like as an actress) used it publicly because it just underscores how ridiculous referring to Obama as a new Jesus really is.
And this was my favorite — “She’s just one more self-absorbed “starlet” who believes that because the paparazzi follow her like flies after a garbage truck she has something worthwhile to communicate to the world.”