Usually, most celebrities try to keep their personal political/religious beliefs to themselves.
However, sometimes, they become known to the public.
If you found out that a celebrity (actor, musician, writer, etc) had beliefs that either went against yours or you found unnnerving, how would that affect how you see them?
It depends on what the belief is, who the celebrity, is, etc.
One thing though, I have a hard time watching anything with Tom Cruise or John Travolta anymore, just for my extreme loathing of Scientology.
I have a hard time taking anything they say seriously.
I was a bit surprised and disappointed when I heard that Kelsey Gramer was a supporter of George Bush Jr.
I’ll never read or own another book by Orson Scott Card, anti-gay wackjob that he is.
From a 1990 magazine article:
“Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society’s regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.”
and
“The goal of the polity is not to put homosexuals in jail. The goal is to discourage people from engaging in homosexual practices in the first place, and when they nevertheless proceed in their homosexual behavior, to encourage them to do so discreetly, so as not to shake the confidence of the community in the polity’s ability to provide rules for safe, stable, dependable marriage and family relationships.”
Isn’t he a Mormon?
I brought this for a few reasons:
Mel Gibson. I like the Lethal Weapon movies as well as a few others. After hearing him go on and on about TPOTC, he gives me the creeps. Can’t really explain it.
Mike Nelson. Yes, MST3K’s Mike Nelson. I liked his books of essays and, of course, the show, but I’ve read several interviews with him and discovered he’s a Protestant and a Republican. The feeling is the same as Gibson.
John Travolta. The whole Scientology thing is a major creep out.
I guess I like my celebritries to be completely neutral on matters of religion and politics. Or, at least, keep it to themselves and I’ll do likewise.
I used to like Tim Robbins… hell I still think he’s a great actor…
… but then he had to go and talk about something other than his acting.
I have to admit it affects me a bit. Jason Lee was my favorite actor until I found out he was a Scientologist. My perception of him really dropped off the chart after that.
A persons beliefs are their own. I don’t care what they believe. I resent a celebrity if he tries to use his celebrity status to change my beliefs. I’m not interested.
It DOES affect my opinion of a celebrity, especially if the celebrity uses his/her celebrity status to push a cause that I don’t believe in. I was perfectly happy to watch Mel Gibson until he started talking about Christianity (and not just basic Christianity, but a fringe that really promotes hatefulness), and the Scientologists have been mentioned. I won’t watch a film starring a Scientologist if I can help it. I don’t believe that being a celebrity gives a person the right or the credentials to push a certain cause. IMO, in most cases, celebrities are not really that well-informed, and tend to throw themselves into causes without giving them much thought.
One of the curses of being a political moderate with no partisan ties is that it’s hard for me to get upset about what someone else thinks on politics.
In other words, little to no effect.
A-freakin’-men.
It’s even worse if it’s the cause du jour.
It makes a difference to me, most particularly about gay issues. I resolved never to see a Will Smith movie after he blathered on while promoting Six Degrees of Separation about how he couldn’t film a kissing scene because he could never face his homies back in the 'hood if he was on film kissing a guy (then don’t take a gay role, genius). He has since apologized and admitted that he was an immature asshole about it so he’s off my list. Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise are on it. I have trouble sitting through a movie with Charlton Heston because of his extremist pro-gun views.
How celebrities behave probably influences my opinion of them more so than their religious or political persuasions. It annoys me immensely though when they use occasions such as the Academy awards to express their personal opinions and beliefs.
So his crappy acting skills are okay, then?
It’s difficult to think that a celebrity’s beliefs do not influence how you feel about them. What if a celebrity is a Neo-Nazi or clubs baby seals to death? Don’t you think that would influence your overall assessment of that person’s talents?
I’m willing to admit that celebrity beliefs affect my overall view of that person. As is probably well-known on the SDMB, I am NO John Wayne fan. Conservative, pro-Vietnam and did not serve one day in the military. I know Cecil has a thread on this subject http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_004.html
Other conservative types - Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Ted Nugent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc never served in the US military either. To me this makes them seem phony. (All right I know Arnold was in the Austrian military - but at the time of his Austrian service, the Vietnam War was also being fought). And okay I’d say Arnold bothers me the least because he is not as obnoxious as the majority of conservative folks.
Oh yeah, and any Scientologist celebrities definitely lose serious points in my book.
I’m sure this has been discussed before around here, but why the hatred for Scientology? From what I’ve read about it (not much, admittedly), it seems like a pretty nutty set of beliefs, but I’ve never heard about its followers being bigots or anything like that. So, what’s the big deal?
I adore his crappy acting skills.
Nah, they’re not bigots, just murderers. Google “Operation Clambake”.
Yep. It influences my choices of movies to watch. Mostly for political reasons. I can’t stand the extreme left cant of a number of Hollywood types, so I generally avoid movies with Susan Sarando, Tim Robbins, Alex Baldwin, etc. Though I have to admit, Baldwin sure deserved his Oscar nomination for “The Cooler.”
Also the Scientology loons.