Celebrity Politics.

[RumblePen]

Since the Clooney thread is about economics and the Tom Cruise thread is about scientology and dingbat closet homosexuals, I figured I'd start a new one.

A couple of questions.

When you're famous you should no longer be allowed to have an opinion and voice that opinion?

Or is just when it's a liberal opinion?

Should Ronald Reagan and Arnold Swarzeneggar have just shut the hell up and stuck to acting?

What makes a celebrity less qualified in politics than anyone else when the only qualification for being a politician IS popularity?

I just don't understand why everyone gets so pissed when some famous movie star gets politically active, or simply states an opinion.

And one another thing that's been on my mind recently. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are hypocrits. They criticize other celebrities for voicing a political view, yet they do the same damn thing with South Park!

[Hammerhead]

Originally Posted by RumblePen

When you're famous you should no longer be allowed to have an opinion and voice that opinion?

What makes a celebrity less qualified in politics than anyone else when the only qualification for being a politician IS popularity?

Good question. I guess we'd have to go down the list of which liberal actors have known enough about anything to achieve office.

All kidding aside, I think the point comes down to credibility. Just having something to say doesn't mean they're credible when they say it. And when they say it, what comes out of their mouths just doesn't add up. The word "opinion" is perfect in this case, because it means: A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof. Yup. Sounds about right to me.

In the case of Schwarzenegger and Reagan, obviously their experience in life other than just acting was enough to convince the public in California to vote for them. Somehow, I just don't see Barbara Streisand or Susan Sarandon being competent public officials.

Regarding South Park, I don't watch the show regularly, so I can't comment intelligently about something with which I haven't adequate knowledge. A principle that I think the Cruise and Clooney threads were trying to make.

[Da Klugs]

Enjoy Gentleman.

[carbonbased_al]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

Enjoy Gentleman.

Good one klugs. Seems like every thread in this forum degenerates into a liberal/conservative bash lately.

[SeanGAR]

Personally I hate professional politicans and elected idiots.

Of course, I believe there should be a test before anybody is allowed to vote as well. I'm not joking ... why should ignorant idiots get the same vote as somebody who is smart and eductes themselves on the issues?

If we allow dummies to vote then it doesn't really matter who is up there for election, we'll get the worst candidate most of the time.

In VA we are in a Governors race and the attack ADs are coming hot and heavy. I have no idea what Kilgore stands for, all I know is that he presents attack ADs on the radio and thats pretty much about it.

Lovely ......

[rjose]

Originally Posted by RumblePen

.

And one another thing that's been on my mind recently. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are hypocrits. They criticize other celebrities for voicing a political view, yet they do the same damn thing with South Park!

You have to realize that everything with them is tongue in cheek. Sure they made fun of celebrities, rather directly, for voicing their political views. But at the same time they were criticizing the war on terror and blind nationalism in a slightly more subtle way (at least as subtle as one can get while saying "America, **** yah"). Have you ever seen them come out and say, "vote for candidate X"? I haven't. I don't think that they endorse one party over the other, but just call it like they see it. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with making your TV shows, movie, book, poetry, etc., political as long as you remain objective and refrain from blatantly endorsing one camp or another.

[rjose]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

Of course, I believe there should be a test before anybody is allowed to vote as well. I'm not joking ... why should ignorant idiots get the same vote as somebody who is smart and eductes themselves on the issues?

That would work if idiots didn't have to pay taxes.

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by RumblePen

I just don't understand why everyone gets so pissed when some famous movie star gets politically active, or simply states an opinion.

I agree.
People will always say what they want to say.
We should have the same attitude towards celebs as we do to people posting on CS: if you don't like what they have to say, don't listen to it.

[SeanGAR]

Originally Posted by rjose

That would work if idiots didn't have to pay taxes.

I think you'd find that, by and large, the people who are ignorant are on the receiving end of government support, not the giving.

But I like that .... you don't pay taxes ..... or you're on government support ..... you don't get a vote. Why should people who aren't paying get a say in how $ is spent?

[rjose]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

I think you'd find that, by and large, the people who are ignorant are on the receiving end of government support, not the giving.

But I like that .... you don't pay taxes ..... or you're on government support ..... you don't get a vote. Why should people who aren't paying get a say in how $ is spent?

I have no way to support this statement, but I would say the majority of people who are too lazy to work are also too lazy to vote, there's just so much good stuff on TV during the day.

[PadronMe]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

I think you'd find that, by and large, the people who are ignorant are on the receiving end of government support, not the giving.

But I like that .... you don't pay taxes ..... or you're on government support ..... you don't get a vote. Why should people who aren't paying get a say in how $ is spent?

When are you running for office. I would say I'm conservative but I find myself agreeing with you more everyday.

[AAlmeter]

Originally Posted by rjose

I have no way to support this statement, but I would say the majority of people who are too lazy to work are also too lazy to vote, there's just so much good stuff on TV during the day.

Not if you give them t-shirts or cash to vote. Or hell, we'll just send a bus or two.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/796396/posts

[cigar no baka]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

I think you'd find that, by and large, the people who are ignorant are on the receiving end of government support, not the giving.

But I like that .... you don't pay taxes ..... or you're on government support ..... you don't get a vote. Why should people who aren't paying get a say in how $ is spent?

Here's a good one - you get one vote for every point of IQ and one vote for every $1000 you pay in taxes.

[croatan]

I think anyone who has an opinion should be able to voice it whenever he or she wishes. The problem, as I see it, is that unintelligent, uneducated lemmings blindly believe what some of these celebrities say. Basically, I think that most of what they say is complete crap, but I'll defend every day their right to say it.

I also think fault lies with those reporting the statements of certain celebrities. Why is Justin Timberlake's view on global warming newsworthy? That, to me, is a bigger question.

[dannyboy]

Originally Posted by croatan

I think anyone who has an opinion should be able to voice it whenever he or she wishes. The problem, as I see it, is that unintelligent, uneducated lemmings blindly believe what some of these celebrities say. Basically, I think that most of what they say is complete crap, but I'll defend every day their right to say it.

I also think fault lies with those reporting the statements of certain celebrities. Why is Justin Timberlake's view on global warming newsworthy? That, to me, is a bigger question.

Only your not stupid, thats why I agree with you

As Americans there is too much of a focus on celebrities and their lives. This applies to all facets of their lives. Why is it interesting for Cameron Diaz to eat ice cream???? Why do we care who J Lo is marrying now??? Expressing political views is somehting that I think most people do, the fact that there is somehting in America which says that we should pay more attention to what famous people say is not the fault of the famous person.

Celebrities have every right to use this popularity to promote their cause/goal/agenda. From the sound of how opinionated people get with their poliitcal debates on here, I would not be surprised if many of us would use additional popularity to promote our ideas.

I think the blame should not be placed on celebritites for speaking their mind, it should be placed on the media and anyone stupid enough to listen without researching their claims and making a decision based on your own fact finding, instead of trusting someone's opinion.

OK, that was my