Celebrity Political Involvement -- Is it helping or Hurting?

[bigbroodmaster]

I have been browsing Youtube looking at different things on the election, and I've noticed that Rock the Vote is doing a bit of a Youtube blitz. I was sort of wondering what other people thought about celebrities and their role in promoting, contributing to, and talking about the election.

I know that many people take a stance that says celebrities only think one way (liberal) and that they try and push that ideology on other people, but I think the opposite way. I mean, look at this video:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOk9B1hYr4g]YouTube - Flobots Rock the Vote PSA[/ame]

Flobots are a pretty liberal band, but you wouldn't get that from that PSA. They're basically just telling people to go out and vote.

Other celebrities don't have a secret agenda at all. They don't overtly support one side or the other, and they're just genuinely telling people to go out and vote like here:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvpLaMdc3M]YouTube - Buckethead & Bootsy Collins (Rock The Vote)[/ame]

Like, do you think that Bootsy Collins is trying to corrupt young minds with his syrupy sweet funk rhythms or something?

I just think that a lot of the celebrity bashing that I hear going on is unwarranted.

 

[DiamondDave]

The day I take political advise from the likes of George Clooney or Tim Robbins is the day I go get checked for dementia

 

[xsited1]

There is no doubt it helps... the other candidate.

 

[bigbroodmaster]

The day I take political advise from the likes of George Clooney or Tim Robbins is the day I go get checked for dementia

Are you just ignoring what people have to say, just because they happen to be famous?

 

[Andrew2382]

I think it helps a lot.

I was sort of on the fence but when I heard Matt Damon was for Obama....that sealed it for me

/facepalm

 

[bigbroodmaster]

I think it helps a lot.

I was sort of on the fence but when I heard Matt Damon was for Obama....that sealed it for me

/facepalm

Well, that's pretty funny, but I mean, certain celebrities are pretty politically concious and have a real, educated position.

Not all people might like what Bill Hicks has to say, but he's an example of someone who has an interesting, researched opinion.

Going the other way, Charlton Heston was considered to be intelligent and important enough to be made the figurehead for the NRA. Arnold Schwarzenegger was made governer of California, based mainly around him being a celebrity.

I would say that both Heston and Schwarzenegger could be seen as having successful political (Heston as a political lobbiest) careers.

 

[strollingbones]

Well, that's pretty funny, but I mean, certain celebrities are pretty politically concious and have a real, educated position.

Not all people might like what Bill Hicks has to say, but he's an example of someone who has an interesting, researched opinion.

Going the other way, Charlton Heston was considered to be intelligent and important enough to be made the figurehead for the NRA. Arnold Schwarzenegger was made governer of California, based mainly around him being a celebrity.

I would say that both Heston and Schwarzenegger could be seen as having successful political (Heston as a political lobbiest) careers.

did you mean to leave out reagan?

 

[bigbroodmaster]

did you mean to leave out reagan?

Yes. He wasn't really all that famous as a celebrity, so I sort of hesitated to use him.

My point being that celebrities have been a very important part of the political process, yet people (like the ones above) seem to pay them almost zero credence. Is there a reason for that?

Is it because they're predominantly liberal?

 

[strollingbones]

Yes. He wasn't really all that famous as a celebrity, so I sort of hesitated to use him.

My point being that celebrities have been a very important part of the political process, yet people (like the ones above) seem to pay them almost zero credence. Is there a reason for that?

Is it because they're predominantly liberal?

you havent been here long....the people above...welll you would pretty much expect that reaction from them. i am a liberal but found the celeb endorsements rather meaningless. Mr. Heston was an excellent spokesman for the NRA and slandered by those so called docudramas of michael moore's. before you can point the finger much at liberals you must know that rush is the darlin of the cons...rush is nothing more than a self promoting radio personality in all reality....but how the cons flock to him....or lets look at all the talking heads....from wolf to bill oreilly how much importance do they really have or deserve?

 

[Bern80]

Yes. He wasn't really all that famous as a celebrity, so I sort of hesitated to use him.

My point being that celebrities have been a very important part of the political process, yet people (like the ones above) seem to pay them almost zero credence. Is there a reason for that?

Is it because they're predominantly liberal?

I think it's because they are considering a slighlty different context. That is the celebrities that just talk and have no credibility at all in what they say. Tim Robbins, Pink, Bill Mahr, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, etc. have very little real intellect to go around.

In contrast Reagan and Schwarennager have shown that they aren't complete idiots when it comes to politics. Though about the only celebrity I would encourage people to actually listen to would be Ben Stein. He is incredibly objective and actually does have the brains to back up what he says.

 

[strollingbones]

you are young..reagan was well known in his time...he hosted a western for a long time....very well know...the 20 team borax show...cant think of it for the world.

 

[strollingbones]

ben stein is hardly objective....he has been the lap dog of many republicans

 

[random3434]

I think it's because they are considering a slighlty different context. That is the celebrities that just talk and have no credibility at all in what they say. Tim Robbins, Pink, Bill Mahr, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, etc. have very little real intellect to go around.

In contrast Reagan and Schwarennager have shown that they aren't complete idiots when it comes to politics. Though about the only celebrity I would encourage people to actually listen to would be Ben Stein. He is incredibly objective and actually does have the brains to back up what he says.

Funny, the celebrities that you admire are republicans, the ones you say have no credibility are democrats.

That is SHOCKING Bern80!

 

[bigbroodmaster]

I think it's because they are considering a slighlty different context. That is the celebrities that just talk and have no credibility at all in what they say. Tim Robbins, Pink, Bill Mahr, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, etc. have very little real intellect to go around.

In contrast Reagan and Schwarennager have shown that they aren't complete idiots when it comes to politics. Though about the only celebrity I would encourage people to actually listen to would be Ben Stein. He is incredibly objective and actually does have the brains to back up what he says.

Was Arnold just an idiot celebrity before he became governor?

 

[Luissa]

you havent been here long....the people above...welll you would pretty much expect that reaction from them. i am a liberal but found the celeb endorsements rather meaningless. Mr. Heston was an excellent spokesman for the NRA and slandered by those so called docudramas of michael moore's. before you can point the finger much at liberals you must know that rush is the darlin of the cons...rush is nothing more than a self promoting radio personality in all reality....but how the cons flock to him....or lets look at all the talking heads....from wolf to bill oreilly how much importance do they really have or deserve?

The sad part about Michael Moore interviewing him in those movies is he already had alzheimers and Moore should have never been interviewing him!

 

[bigbroodmaster]

Ben Stein also said that hedge funds were "literally making trillions of dollars" shorting the market. A totally untrue statement that just smacks of not understanding how things work.

 

[Luissa]

I have been browsing Youtube looking at different things on the election, and I've noticed that Rock the Vote is doing a bit of a Youtube blitz. I was sort of wondering what other people thought about celebrities and their role in promoting, contributing to, and talking about the election.

I know that many people take a stance that says celebrities only think one way (liberal) and that they try and push that ideology on other people, but I think the opposite way. I mean, look at this video:

YouTube - Flobots Rock the Vote PSA

Flobots are a pretty liberal band, but you wouldn't get that from that PSA. They're basically just telling people to go out and vote.

Other celebrities don't have a secret agenda at all. They don't overtly support one side or the other, and they're just genuinely telling people to go out and vote like here:

YouTube - Buckethead & Bootsy Collins (Rock The Vote)

Like, do you think that Bootsy Collins is trying to corrupt young minds with his syrupy sweet funk rhythms or something?

I just think that a lot of the celebrity bashing that I hear going on is unwarranted.

I almost thought about voting for McCain when I heard Heidi and Spencer were supporting him. And why the hell did he have to endorse her back?

 

[bigbroodmaster]

The sad part about Michael Moore interviewing him in those movies is he already had alzheimers and Moore should have never been interviewing him!

I particularly agree with this. I thought the way he put the photo outside Heston's house was disgusting and an act.