Celebrities Jumping the Iraq Bandwagon

The BBQ Pit
1

Are you sick and tired of an incresing amount of celebrities getting themselves ‘involved’ in this lame campaign against Iraq, people like N.E.R.D, George Clooney, Ms Dynamite (eugh) and George Michael.

Really, what is it about them? their opinion matter, do I want these types of people, especially N.E.R.D, to shape my opinion about global politics? it just seems a fad for them to higher their status on the celebrity ladder.:mad:

Sometimes it just makes me laugh with the shit that they come out with, I mean I saw N.E.R.D on Mtv, really putting their heart into explaining the ‘Iraqi problem’ the lead singer said ’ This is serious man, theres a fucking world war happening’ I looked at the bemused interviewer and felt sorry for him.:o

To all celebrities, when something really matters to your heart, then tell us about it, but don’t go whining about things that are beyond your comprehension, for example decisions that really matter to people and not your celebrity status.:rolleyes:

(Am I the only one who thinks this?)

2

Come on, no one has an opinion about this?

3

I never realized it was compulsory to listen to anything a “celebrity” said. That includes their professional output, never mind interview witterings

So don’t.

4

Yeah, but doesn’t it just bug you though?

5

It bugs me, but that’s only because of the inordinate amount of influence these celebrities tend to have on people. It’s similiar to how I feel about people who go to a baptist minister to learn about evolution, geology and/or cosmology. Not to mention my cynicism that such anti-war sentiments have a great deal more to do with the desire to appeal to a “counter-culture” demographic than any reasoned evalutation of the issues at hand.

That said, they can say whatever they want, I just don’t have to like it. There are many reasoned and articulate anti-war arguments. Perhaps I wouldn’t be as annoyed if the choking anti-intellectualism prevalent in popular culture made it so impossible to appeal to them.

6

There’s already a long thread going on about this in GD.

7

And I’d call this a “rant.”

A doofusy rant, but a rant.

It certainly has nothing to do with the Arts or Entertainment.

So here it goes, drop-kicked to the Pit.

8

Debate? How can you defend an advertisement that has less intellectual content than a good Cheez-its commercial.

9

My god Liam! Celebritys have opinions just like ordinary people, and they can misunderstand situations just like ordinary people!

if you don’t like celebrity’s speaking their minds, do you object to news programmes doing Vox Pops?

10

Why listen to any of the people on this board? You don’t even know their names, let alone whether they have a profession you would deem adequate to comment on anything important.

Just listen to what people have to say, and judge the argument on its own merits. Don’t give a celeb and more or less credence than say, your neighbor or coworker.

11

I watched George Michael on BBC’s Hard Talk on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised at how clued-up he was and how coherently he argued. He clearly had a much better grasp of the issues than 99% of those who leapt to criticize him for daring to open his mouth on an issue he obviously cares a lot about.

He made all his money years ago, he has no ambition to further his celebrity, and he is certainly no bandwagon-jumper. The others you mention I don’t know about (who is N.E.R.D.?) but I think George is on the level.

12

My 2 cents-
One of the reasons Celebrities jump on the bandwagon, so to speak, is because they, too, have opinions. They also know that, as celebrities, their opinions get heard. I mean, let’s call a spade a spade; if you had the option of going on TV and putting forward your opinion on whatever you liked, you’d do it, wouldn’t you?
It’s the media’s ‘job’ (right or wrong) to show things people want to watch. These things usually end up becoming either 1) causes or 2) celebrities. When the media can show both, they kill two birds with one stone.

13

Hey, if celebrities can counter the rhetoric coming from the White House just a little bit, I say it’s all good.

14

We’ve been listening to celebrities spout off about gun control (both pro and con), eating meat (both pro and con), abortion (both pro and con), endangered species all around the world, and any number of diseases, not to mention just-plain-politics, for ages and ages now. Why is this any different? Just tune it out, same as the rest.

15

There has been a great deal of news management in the BBC, sometimes it is very subtle, like using certain words unchallenged.

Our politicians in the UK do have influence over the BBC news output and this is often, usually, unseen.

News can be slanted many ways, briefings by political leaders are slanted certain ways.

So we have “security lines” when what actually happens is that people are kicked out of their homes which are then bulldozed flat, we have “collateral damage” when we mean our bombs went off target and killed children.

So now we get celebrities who use their voice as a counter to all this, they know they will be heard, and often the opinion of the ordinary person is either ignored or marginalised.

If you think celebrities are spouting their own agenda, then perhaps you should think about what our elected representatives are doing.

If there was overwhelming evidence, incontrovertible proof of Iraq having WOMD, you can bet your sweet bippy that Bush et al would have it broadcast day and night.

The news media are not very interested in what I have to say, nor are the politicians, and yet those nations who are percieved as being cautious are portrayed in our media as being obstructive, niaive, self-interested etc.

We do not get a balanced debate in the US leaning nations, there is way too little examination of just what is going on and why, merely media outputs that toe the US-UK national line.

I do not think the French are stupid, nor the Belgians, nor the Russians, nor the Chinese, nor the Germans, and these certainly have access to high level intelligence similar the that of the US.
Yet these nations do not believe that Iraq should be invaded until other avenues are exhausted.
I do not recall any debate abpout the reasons for their stance, only a media induced certainty that they are wrong.

Celebrities are about the only people in the US-UK who are not politicians who seem to be reported upon as having another point of view.

No these celebrities should not really command such ab exalted postion in public debate, but frankly they are the only ones who are being given a chance to put another view, and a view that is held by very many others who are not given a voice.

16

Question: People (particularly children) are regularly killed by land mines left on old battlefields, which can constitute a large part of a given small country. Princess Diana felt strongly about the problem and became quite outspoken in favor of taking action to find and safely detonate or destroy them. Was she abusing her celebrity status?

It’s incumbent on all the citizens of a democracy to guide their leaders by saying what they feel, and by using whatever means are at their disposal to make their views clear. If I were famous for playing classical oboe or drawing a daily comic strip and felt strongly about an issue, I’d ensure that the fans who have taken the time to let me know they like my work know what I feel about the issue and why it is that I feel strongly about it.

17

You are so right, Ryan_Liam. I propose changing the first amendment, so that it has the words …except for celebrities included at the end.

18

Still waiting to find out what N.E.R.D means…

19

Who or what is “N.E.R.D”?

20

NERD is a hip hop group who perform and produce. If you have ever listeneed to mainstream radio over the last 2 years you have heard a song they have produced.