Stars risk popularity for politics

USA Today ^ | November 6, 2002 | Michael Medved

[arual]

For show-business stars, the adoration of the public provides far more than ego boosts; it is the very basis of their success and survival, the ultimate source of privilege and power. Why, then, do so many Hollywood celebrities recklessly place this popularity at risk with edgy, outspoken, confrontational political posturing that's sure to insult some substantial segment of their fans?

[Savage Beast]

Who cares? The American people told this crowd what their opinion's worth in no uncertain terms.

By the way, I wonder if Jessica's planning to spend Thanksgiving in Minnesota. Maybe she could drop in on the Mondales.

[Trust but Verify]

I am sooo with you. I can't stand 99%of Hollywood's so-called 'satrs'! I refuse to do anything to support them monetarily. I don't go to, buy or rent ANY movies. If they aren't on broadcast t/v/. I just don't see them. I rarely watch any of the networks programming. News and educational television is all I care for.

[Texbob]

A good example of this is Texas famous baseball player Nolan Ryan chose to go on TV ads for a major Liberal contestant for Lt. Govenor race named Sharp. Ryan claimed to be a conservative republican and Claimed Sharp was really a conservative, which is a bald face lie. I would like to buy Mr. Ryan now for what he is worth and sell him for what he thinks he is worth.

[Texbob]

P S Sharp lost badly.

[skeeter]

I just know she cried last night because she couldn't vote at the kids voting booth because the poll workers had taken it down an hour early.

I hope you let her punch your card...

[Savage Beast]

And speaking of the Mondales, isn't Eleanor Mondale a friend of the Clintons???

Maybe they could all get together for a nice Minnesota Thanksgiving celebration.

[Notforprophet]

I happen to agree with secretagent. garyhope's comments were definitely in the grey area when it comes to threats of violence. His statement was suggestive of desiring the very violent action he was deploring.

And there's no place for such comments in a respectable forum.

[Landru]

"...you to might feel your opinion on world affairs is the 'end all be all'."

Sure.
And [I] would be dead-wrong, too.
In fact?
The only thing that'd truly be an, "end all be all" -- in reality -- would be my career.
Ended all, all the time.
Right?

So you see for that reason alone?
It's pathetic and it's funny.

...simply gut-busting hilarious.

[Landru]

"I happen to agree with secretagent."

OK.
Great.

...so what?

[Tennessee_Bob]

I took my daughter to see Jonah! The Veggie Tales Movie. I haven't been able to find anywhere that Bob the Tomato or Larry the Cucumber has said anything bad about the President.

But then, I do wonder about Archibald Asparagus.

[demosthenes the elder]

someone familiar with the actual laws or statutes please tell me:
Isn't a pledge of allegiance to a foreign and hostile power grounds for revocation of american citizenship???
If it is, let us petition to have this law followed, revoke the citizenships of these darling children, declare them citizens and loyalists of a hostile power to whom they have so sworn, PNG their sorry leftist asses, and forcibly deport them.

[monday]

"Gee, I hope nobody gets the wrong idea and assassinates any of these ungrateful SOB's. I wonder how many of these "stars" would be so outspoken after the first few were bumped off."

lol...errr, thats a little creepy dude. You are not a serial killer are you?

[tiki]

When I was voting the 1st grade teacher brought her class to the gym to watch.

[kapj]

He looks a little too "Green" to me - LOL!!!!

[Notforprophet]

...so what?

What are you, 12?

garyhope's comments were definitely in the grey area when it comes to threats of violence. His statement was suggestive of desiring the very violent action he was deploring. And there's no place for such comments in a respectable forum.

This is a discussion forum. If you had read the rest of my post, you'd have seen I was discussing the comments with you.

[Notforprophet]

Oops. See my #35.

[scan58]

When I was voting the 1st grade teacher brought her class to the gym to watch.

My husband and I have always taken our daughter (now 8) with us when we cast our votes. Yes, unfortunately they didn't talk about the election in class, but MY kid knows what's up, regardless.

[secretagent]

Well secretagent, it's kinda in the same vien as what Craig Kilborn said on his stupid show concerning our -- a sitting -- POTUS??

Don't remember exactly, something about a crosshairs superimposed...yes, in the same vein.

Only what was said above was somewhere around 1x106 LESS suggestive of anything meaningful; if, it were suggestive, a'tall. ~Suggestive to anyone other than you, that is. Understand?

It suggested assassinating Hollywood celebrities. Perhaps you disagree. Give me your alternative interpretation.

Know what I think? Maybe your mainspring's a tad tight.

Insult - not argument.

The question then becomes, "why"? What's your motive for seeing these "threats"?

Perhaps you see a metaphorical meaning for "assassinates", rather than the literal one I saw. Please share.

You're not thinking of doing anything stupid -- as inspired by, "those words" -- are you?

Indeed no.

I mean, let me clarify this for you, OK? There's trouble & then, there's looking for trouble. ...~eh?

Please expand. I don't see your point.

[Nick Danger]

What goes for Hollywood stars in this regard ought to go double for businesses. Unless it is part of a deliberate marketing strategy by a niche player (Working Assets Long distance, Ben & Jerry's, etc.) it makes absolutely no sense for a business to align itself with some controversial political issue. And yet we see again and again where some ditzy PR type ("Gee, isn't everyone for gun control?") signs up a big company to sponsor some highly divisive effort.

[secretagent]

You and I have interpreted garyhope's "assassinates" (in #5) the same way.

Perhaps we err, and he will explain.