What does it matter if Sean and his fellow left-leaning ilk flaunt their allegiances? After all, they are not our elected officials, they don't make policy, and they don't control our government's decisions. Well, it is a problem of influence.A large number of people in this country only get their news from "infotainment" channels, and those channels use these images of celebrities to get viewers to watch. People, especially young people, tend to put a lot of stock in their role models, and like it or not, celebrities are role models. Unfortunately, they are also often completely disconnected from the real world.
Cuban-born actress Maria Conchita Alonso, who grew up in Venezuela, and as such is actually qualified to speak about life in the South American country, said Penn is lending support to a "totalitarian" leader who wants increasing control of society. Alonso said although she respects Penn as an actor, she hopes he "comes to his senses and he realizes that he's being used."
And that's the crux of their role. Their position among the glitterati gives them a platform from which to preach, and their status as role models gets them into people's homes. If it were Hillary Clinton talking, people might change the channel. But George Clooney makes people linger for a minute. It's no surprise that the liberals use celebrities to their own ends.
A recent Democratic fund raiser was covered by all the major media outlets, including the TV tabloids. Most of the coverage I saw was voice overs of the candidates, quick cut with smiling celebrities like George Clooney. The message that is being implied is clear - if you're hip and cool in Hollywood, you support the democrats, who by their association with hip, cool Hollywood, become hip and cool themselves. By being seen with politicians, the celebs raise their image from actor to activist. Never mind that most of them have no more education or political savvy than the average person working in corporate America. The only difference is that someone in paycheck to paycheck corporate America has a lot more at stake than your left leaning actor.
Does anyone support the Republicans in Hollywood? Ah-nold does, and Bruce Willis used to. Though in Willis' case, it was only news after he switched his registered political party to Independent, as in "Willis comes to senses, leaves Republican party." It's almost a sin to be anything but left if you're in pop culture.
Patricia Heaton of "Everyone Loves Raymond" had a hard time getting work after speaking out that she was pro-life vs. pro-abortion. Hollywood is aghast at the 3000 American soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, Sean Penn and Hugo Chavez consider the war to be genocide on the part of the US, Madonna wants the US to stop the genocide in Darfur, and if it were up to her and Angelina Jolie we all would be raising an African orphan. But Hollywood has no concern for the 27 million abortions performed worldwide so far this year To say, as Heaton did, that she thinks abortion is wrong landed her on a black list for years. The left preaches tolerance for all, but only practices tolerance for their own, which may explain why people like Sean Penn are so comfortable in the company of dictators.
The great thing about this country is that everyone, including celebrities, are free to think as they please. But it would be a tragic thing if anyone in America thinks that the opinions of Sean Penn or Alec Baldwin or any of their left leaning brethren matter more than their own. I just hope people can see through the glitz and make their minds up for themselves and not let the media do their thinking for them.
[UPDATE 08/24/07: Here's a link to an interesting article by Gustavo Coronel, former member of the Venezuelan congress until it's dissolution in 1999 by Hugo Chavez. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=21930]
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