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This is a discussion worth having -- particularly in light of the power pop culture has in society today.

I may not have expressed myself clearly enough on some points. When I said the "craft" takes up time, I meant in an obssessive manner. Many of these people, and I've met quite a few of them, actually re-program themselves to do their "jobs." There either isn't much there aside from the craft or they think in a very shallow manner about all other issues, including politics.

As for people working hard at other jobs, this is certainly true. However, no other job compares to the arts. You kinda half to be half-mad to enter the field to begin with. And, it's safe to say, normal, well-adjusted people don't decide that painting or acting is a good career choice. Edmond Wilson wrote an excellent essay on this subject called The Wound and the Bow. Worth reading.

Actors' political stands have little relationship to their craft. I'd say that Sean Penn -- who really is a gifted actor -- can say more about the human condition in 45 seconds of Mystic River than all the hours and hours of political nonsense he spouts.

"Actors' political stands have little relationship to their craft. I'd say that Sean Penn -- who really is a gifted actor -- can say more about the human condition in 45 seconds of Mystic River than all the hours and hours of political nonsense he spouts."

Durasell, you just about summed it up for me. Like I said, I'm a die-hard movie fan, but it has never ceased to amaze me the gap (hell, chasm) that can exist between the humanity, wisdom, sharp intelligence and strength an actor can bring to a role and the Kool-Aid drinking imbeciles most of these same people are in real life.

Penn is as good an example as any. Winning a well-deserved Oscar for his "Mystic River" role of a loving father willing to do whatever he feels is necessary (even risk being gravely wrong) to avenge a murderous attack on his family, Penn the actor cannot bring himself to care about his own family and friends enough to support the people who want to help protect them from murderous threats (like Bin Laden and Hussein) in real life.

Ah, well. I just guess that's why they call it "acting".