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Why Do We Give A Damn?

Simple really... it is someone using their celebrity status as a way to promote a political point of view. The other way around is also true, as in a host or the media using a celebrity's political point of view for potential ratings. You drag in some guy off the street and it is rare that their political stance becomes front page news. You take a celebrity, like Morgan Freeman, and all of a sudden people (right or wrong) listen and then respond. It is no different than politicians wanting celebrity endorsement for their own political objectives during campaigns, or political groups using celebrities to advance their agenda in advertisement. But, I will agree that if you base your opinion off of a celebrity over your own beliefs, there is a problem. You could argue well that is being pretty weak and I would tend to agree, yet we have plenty of examples of celebrities using or being used for their opinion. Little evidence to suggest that will change.

so what? everyone has the right to their opinions, and i wouldn't hide mine if i were in the spotlight. people who base their ideologies on celebrities thoughts are idiots.
 
When a celebrity says something political, why do we react as if an elected offical or government employee said it?

I love Morgan Freeman, think he's a fabulous actor.....don't care what his political POVs are.

I love Michael Moore movies, think they're hilarious and some of them quite moving, but again, don't care what his POVs are.

Rachel Maddow is a media whore (said in the nicest possible way), not running for office. Again, don't care.

I can keep adding to this list. Point is, we overreact to the news that some celebrity has spoken about our political system as if they had any special insight. They're good at what they do (at least some of them) but what they do is not politics.

WHY do we care so much?


Simply, I don't.
 
Some celeb's are politically active and well-versed in the subject. Others just spout their uneducated opinions (both left and right). Ronald Reagan was an actor who parlayed his popularity as an actor into a political career. While I didn't agree with RR's views, I cannot honestly say he was just an actor spouting uneducated opinions. Arnold Schwarzenegger is another actor turn politician who can't be dismissed as a blowhard. Jessie Ventura is another - though I'm not sure about the brainpower on that one....
 
Is there any reason to believe that an actor is well-versed in our political problems? No? Then why do WE debate what they said as if the President had spoken?

I thought I explained that already - no one is claiming an actor is well versed in anything except possibly acting. WE debate what celebrities say because we know who they are and since we know who they are, the celebrities pander to those who know them. Let me give you an example, if someone told you Bill Whatshisname was on TV or quoted in the NYTimes saying something for a politicians, the first question would be, "Who's Bill Whatshisname"? Now replace Bill with Steven Spielberg.... the first question changes, from a "who is that and why should I care" to "I know who Steven Spielberg is and (may) like his work so what did he say and what's behind it?"

See how that works?
 
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