Do celebrity opinions matter to you?

[aaronleland]

"Do celebrity opinions matter to you?"

In general, no. That said, it really depends on what the celebrity in question has to say about a given topic. There are celebrities here and there who are experts or highly knowledgeable in their field -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan before him, is a celebrity astronomer/physicist, and his thoughts about physics and astronomy are worth considering. Madonna is an accomplished performer, so her opinions about the music industry are worth considering. Dr. Anthony Fauci is a celebrity immunologist, so I value his insights about medicine and specifically virology. If a celeb has something to say about a policy position and that policy has something to do with matters for which it's reasonable to think the celeb is very knowledgeable, sure, what they have to say matters.

Now there are some celebrities who are well understood to be very bright individuals in general. I may be interested in what they have to say, but I can't say their remarks go beyond challenging my high level views that I may not have previously examined on a more detailed level. For example, James Woods wrote in a tweet, "The prospect of the #ClintonCrimeCartel back in the #WhiteHouse is so utterly appalling, #Republicans are reacting without common sense." Being aware that Mr. Woods is very bright, that remark may, if I've not already done so, inspire me to conduct my own rigorous examination of what might be appalling about Mrs. Clinton or in what regard the Republicans behave absent common sense.

Am I going to take his remarks as the "be all end all" on the matter, or conclude that because he says so, I should agree? Not at all. That they are smart in general is indicative of just that; it doesn't make them experts on everything. I know that because I have a high IQ (not the highest but well above average) and I'm no expert on everything either, but I have the "smarts" to, if I look into a matter to become quite well informed about it and arrive at a non-fallaciously rational conclusion about it. Take some of the topics I've discussed here on USMB, for example. I didn't come to USMB knowing a ton about them, but in reading some of the remarks others expressed about the topic, I thought to myself, "Hmmm....That doesn't make sense to me; it just doesn't pass the "sniff test." Indeed I'm not even sure that some of the assertions on which the writer's conclusion is based are even true. I should probably look into the topic by checking some very rigorous and objective sources to learn more about the topic before I express an opinion of my own." When that happens I go to my favorite resource for obtaining very credible objective information -- Google Scholar, not Google -- to find out what the facts actually are and, after obtaining the, I figure out what can soundly be inferred from them versus what inferences would be "going too far," and what weight those facts and related inferences should be given in arriving at a conclusion.

Merely hearing a celeb say something about a given policy matter tells me they have formed an opinion, but it doesn't tell me anything about the nature and extent of inquiry they conducted to arrive at their opinion. Celebs are like everyone else in that sometimes they go with their gut and other times they actually put in the effort to fully understand a matter. Which approach they use depends on how much they care about the topic. That behavior too is like everyone else's, no matter their intellect.

Did you just compare DeGrasseTyson to Madonna?

 

[320 Years of History]

You don't know them, and you know it.

Well, how can you know that's true? I think you've made that judgment call a bit too quickly. Pretty much everyone who went to "the right high schools" is at the very least acquainted with famous and/or "important" people.

I am acquainted with some celebs, but not a lot of them, yet I haven't any celeb among my closest friends. I imagine that's the case for a lot of folks. A boy in my high school class is a prince, and I should think that makes him celebrity, yet I don't give a damn what he thinks about the current election. A Texas Congressman was also in my class. I'm not "best buds" with either of them, and not currently in regular contact with them. Were I to have a good reason to reach out to them, I could and they wouldn't think it strange.

Take my mother as another example. She went to high school with Jacqueline Bouvier and knew her -- How could she not for even though they were in different grades, the student body is so small that everyone is at least acquainted with everyone? -- and though they weren't "BFFs", they certainly recognized one another and exchanged pleasantries when their paths crossed socially.

 

[320 Years of History]

"Do celebrity opinions matter to you?"

In general, no. That said, it really depends on what the celebrity in question has to say about a given topic. There are celebrities here and there who are experts or highly knowledgeable in their field -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan before him, is a celebrity astronomer/physicist, and his thoughts about physics and astronomy are worth considering. Madonna is an accomplished performer, so her opinions about the music industry are worth considering. Dr. Anthony Fauci is a celebrity immunologist, so I value his insights about medicine and specifically virology. If a celeb has something to say about a policy position and that policy has something to do with matters for which it's reasonable to think the celeb is very knowledgeable, sure, what they have to say matters.

Now there are some celebrities who are well understood to be very bright individuals in general. I may be interested in what they have to say, but I can't say their remarks go beyond challenging my high level views that I may not have previously examined on a more detailed level. For example, James Woods wrote in a tweet, "The prospect of the #ClintonCrimeCartel back in the #WhiteHouse is so utterly appalling, #Republicans are reacting without common sense." Being aware that Mr. Woods is very bright, that remark may, if I've not already done so, inspire me to conduct my own rigorous examination of what might be appalling about Mrs. Clinton or in what regard the Republicans behave absent common sense.

Am I going to take his remarks as the "be all end all" on the matter, or conclude that because he says so, I should agree? Not at all. That they are smart in general is indicative of just that; it doesn't make them experts on everything. I know that because I have a high IQ (not the highest but well above average) and I'm no expert on everything either, but I have the "smarts" to, if I look into a matter to become quite well informed about it and arrive at a non-fallaciously rational conclusion about it. Take some of the topics I've discussed here on USMB, for example. I didn't come to USMB knowing a ton about them, but in reading some of the remarks others expressed about the topic, I thought to myself, "Hmmm....That doesn't make sense to me; it just doesn't pass the "sniff test." Indeed I'm not even sure that some of the assertions on which the writer's conclusion is based are even true. I should probably look into the topic by checking some very rigorous and objective sources to learn more about the topic before I express an opinion of my own." When that happens I go to my favorite resource for obtaining very credible objective information -- Google Scholar, not Google -- to find out what the facts actually are and, after obtaining the, I figure out what can soundly be inferred from them versus what inferences would be "going too far," and what weight those facts and related inferences should be given in arriving at a conclusion.

Merely hearing a celeb say something about a given policy matter tells me they have formed an opinion, but it doesn't tell me anything about the nature and extent of inquiry they conducted to arrive at their opinion. Celebs are like everyone else in that sometimes they go with their gut and other times they actually put in the effort to fully understand a matter. Which approach they use depends on how much they care about the topic. That behavior too is like everyone else's, no matter their intellect.

Did you just compare DeGrasseTyson to Madonna?

Compare? No, not beyond their both being celebrities. I have no idea why you may think I drew any connection beyond that.

 

[aaronleland]

"Do celebrity opinions matter to you?"

In general, no. That said, it really depends on what the celebrity in question has to say about a given topic. There are celebrities here and there who are experts or highly knowledgeable in their field -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan before him, is a celebrity astronomer/physicist, and his thoughts about physics and astronomy are worth considering. Madonna is an accomplished performer, so her opinions about the music industry are worth considering. Dr. Anthony Fauci is a celebrity immunologist, so I value his insights about medicine and specifically virology. If a celeb has something to say about a policy position and that policy has something to do with matters for which it's reasonable to think the celeb is very knowledgeable, sure, what they have to say matters.

Now there are some celebrities who are well understood to be very bright individuals in general. I may be interested in what they have to say, but I can't say their remarks go beyond challenging my high level views that I may not have previously examined on a more detailed level. For example, James Woods wrote in a tweet, "The prospect of the #ClintonCrimeCartel back in the #WhiteHouse is so utterly appalling, #Republicans are reacting without common sense." Being aware that Mr. Woods is very bright, that remark may, if I've not already done so, inspire me to conduct my own rigorous examination of what might be appalling about Mrs. Clinton or in what regard the Republicans behave absent common sense.

Am I going to take his remarks as the "be all end all" on the matter, or conclude that because he says so, I should agree? Not at all. That they are smart in general is indicative of just that; it doesn't make them experts on everything. I know that because I have a high IQ (not the highest but well above average) and I'm no expert on everything either, but I have the "smarts" to, if I look into a matter to become quite well informed about it and arrive at a non-fallaciously rational conclusion about it. Take some of the topics I've discussed here on USMB, for example. I didn't come to USMB knowing a ton about them, but in reading some of the remarks others expressed about the topic, I thought to myself, "Hmmm....That doesn't make sense to me; it just doesn't pass the "sniff test." Indeed I'm not even sure that some of the assertions on which the writer's conclusion is based are even true. I should probably look into the topic by checking some very rigorous and objective sources to learn more about the topic before I express an opinion of my own." When that happens I go to my favorite resource for obtaining very credible objective information -- Google Scholar, not Google -- to find out what the facts actually are and, after obtaining the, I figure out what can soundly be inferred from them versus what inferences would be "going too far," and what weight those facts and related inferences should be given in arriving at a conclusion.

Merely hearing a celeb say something about a given policy matter tells me they have formed an opinion, but it doesn't tell me anything about the nature and extent of inquiry they conducted to arrive at their opinion. Celebs are like everyone else in that sometimes they go with their gut and other times they actually put in the effort to fully understand a matter. Which approach they use depends on how much they care about the topic. That behavior too is like everyone else's, no matter their intellect.

Did you just compare DeGrasseTyson to Madonna?

Compare? No, not beyond their both being celebrities. I have no idea why you may think I drew any connection beyond that.

I was honestly critiquing your comparison. Next time compare Michio Kaku and Snookie.

 

[320 Years of History]

"Do celebrity opinions matter to you?"

In general, no. That said, it really depends on what the celebrity in question has to say about a given topic. There are celebrities here and there who are experts or highly knowledgeable in their field -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan before him, is a celebrity astronomer/physicist, and his thoughts about physics and astronomy are worth considering. Madonna is an accomplished performer, so her opinions about the music industry are worth considering. Dr. Anthony Fauci is a celebrity immunologist, so I value his insights about medicine and specifically virology. If a celeb has something to say about a policy position and that policy has something to do with matters for which it's reasonable to think the celeb is very knowledgeable, sure, what they have to say matters.

Now there are some celebrities who are well understood to be very bright individuals in general. I may be interested in what they have to say, but I can't say their remarks go beyond challenging my high level views that I may not have previously examined on a more detailed level. For example, James Woods wrote in a tweet, "The prospect of the #ClintonCrimeCartel back in the #WhiteHouse is so utterly appalling, #Republicans are reacting without common sense." Being aware that Mr. Woods is very bright, that remark may, if I've not already done so, inspire me to conduct my own rigorous examination of what might be appalling about Mrs. Clinton or in what regard the Republicans behave absent common sense.

Am I going to take his remarks as the "be all end all" on the matter, or conclude that because he says so, I should agree? Not at all. That they are smart in general is indicative of just that; it doesn't make them experts on everything. I know that because I have a high IQ (not the highest but well above average) and I'm no expert on everything either, but I have the "smarts" to, if I look into a matter to become quite well informed about it and arrive at a non-fallaciously rational conclusion about it. Take some of the topics I've discussed here on USMB, for example. I didn't come to USMB knowing a ton about them, but in reading some of the remarks others expressed about the topic, I thought to myself, "Hmmm....That doesn't make sense to me; it just doesn't pass the "sniff test." Indeed I'm not even sure that some of the assertions on which the writer's conclusion is based are even true. I should probably look into the topic by checking some very rigorous and objective sources to learn more about the topic before I express an opinion of my own." When that happens I go to my favorite resource for obtaining very credible objective information -- Google Scholar, not Google -- to find out what the facts actually are and, after obtaining the, I figure out what can soundly be inferred from them versus what inferences would be "going too far," and what weight those facts and related inferences should be given in arriving at a conclusion.

Merely hearing a celeb say something about a given policy matter tells me they have formed an opinion, but it doesn't tell me anything about the nature and extent of inquiry they conducted to arrive at their opinion. Celebs are like everyone else in that sometimes they go with their gut and other times they actually put in the effort to fully understand a matter. Which approach they use depends on how much they care about the topic. That behavior too is like everyone else's, no matter their intellect.

Did you just compare DeGrasseTyson to Madonna?

Compare? No, not beyond their both being celebrities. I have no idea why you may think I drew any connection beyond that.

I was honestly critiquing your comparison. Next time compare Michio Kaku and Snookie.

The point I was making does not depend for its validity on the manner in which a celeb gained that status.

 

[HaShev]

Michio Kaku and Ray Kurzweil would make me believe the candidate was serious about changes and progressing.
Basically like having a more publicized version of me without the baggage a lepper like me would bring to any candidate.

 

[Bush92]

Of course, the first thing I expect people to say is "it depends on the celebrity," as if the celebrity in question is someone whose ethics and thoughts they're familiar with.

Hell with that.

You don't know them, and you know it. So I'm addressing those who don't get star-struck.

The Dems in particular love to play the celebrity card. Is the left really that easy? Because politicians who claim to be on the left (and in Hillary's case, I don't understand why leftists don't recognize she's anything but) seem to think you are.

I don't give two shits for how a celebrity votes.

 

[xyz]

I might care if it was people other than Hollywood actors, frivolous commercial pop music stars, and sports heroes too, I guess. But I guess only people who are written about in tabloids count as celebrities.

Actually I'm not against all sports figures commenting...and I'll watch some Hollywood movies once in a while, but that doesn't mean their opinion is that important to me.

 

[320 Years of History]

And what has Michio Kaku to say about some of the notions that have been advanced by Trump?

​

The full video is here?

​

 

[NYcarbineer]

Donald Trump has a long history of being a celebrity.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Donald Trump has a long history of being a celebrity.

Shillary can also be called a celebrity

 

[miketx]

Every time one of them pops off, I delete them and never watch them again.

 

[Auld Phart]

Don't be jealous. The right has support from celebrities too!

Crazy Gary

Weird Meatloaf

Crazy Ted

Chachi

James Woods and his granddaughter

Dirty Chairy

HIllary rally with celebrities

Hillary rally without celebrities

 

[emilynghiem]

Celebrities are how the Democrats garner millions of stupid votes. As in "Duh I dunno nuthin, but I like Katy Perry's songs so I guess I vote for the fat Lady".

Dear MarathonMike and OKTexas
What do you think of the idea to form a petition around demanding to the Electoral College to split their votes proportionally to reflect the population in their states and nation, so all parties are represented and creeds protected from exclusion, and we announce that we do NOT consent to govt endorsing the creed of Democrats who don't believe in equal protection from discrimination by creed but practice it as part of their creed. (Such as by passing and enforcing mandates on right to health care as a belief forced on others while denying right to life as a belief, and endorsing right to marriage and LGBT expression through govt while attacking right to prayer and Christian expression, when the Democratic political beliefs are just as faith based as religious beliefs.

Can we make a public statement and either influence Electors not to cast votes for a discriminatory creed, or else risk getting sued by taxpayers who agree this constitutes conspiracy to violate equal civil rights to vote for candidates and party of such a creed.
OR use the petition to galvanize ppl of all parties to form a coalition type Parliament to represent ourselves by party as a check against such a lopsided creed being imposed on us through govt that it violates our own beliefs and equal free exercise as any other citizens regardless of political belief or affiliation.

 

[owebo]

I have shit stains in my toilet bowl that interest me more.....

 

[Carla_Danger]

Don't be jealous. The right has support from celebrities too!

Crazy Gary

Weird Meatloaf

Crazy Ted

Chachi

James Woods and his granddaughter

Dirty Chairy

HIllary rally with celebrities

Hillary rally without celebrities

Romney crowds are surging!

 

[AntonToo]

The Dems in particular love to play the celebrity card. Is the left really that easy?

Really? Thats news to me since never have I seen anyone say "...yea but Will Smith likes her!"

 

[Auld Phart]

Don't be jealous. The right has support from celebrities too!

Crazy Gary

Weird Meatloaf

Crazy Ted

Chachi

James Woods and his granddaughter

Dirty Chairy

HIllary rally with celebrities

Hillary rally without celebrities

Romney crowds are surging!

You think Romney is running?

tsk tsk

 

[esthermoon]

Absolutely not. To me famous people are just people like everyone else. I don't think fame and wealth make you different from others!

 

[320 Years of History]

Donald Trump has a long history of being a celebrity.

Shillary can also be called a celebrity

I think it fair to say there is no such thing as a political rally that doesn't have at least one celebrity appearing and speaking or performing on behalf of a given candidate.