Hollywood Activism

Celebrities have been getting more and more involved in activist movements

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George Clooney works on Darfur- hoping to shine some light on the region, traveled with a video camera

Celebrity activism has been around for decades News and entertainment industries continue to morph into one another

“The problem with the humanitarianism of the entertainers is that it perpetuates a confusion of politics with culture.” (New Republic columnist Leon Wieseltier)

He says “This teaches Americans to live vicariously…in slavish imitation of people luckier than themselves.”

Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy by Peter Schweizer

Schweizer reports that Barbra Streisand spends $22,000 a year watering her lawn and gardens but lectures Americans on the need to cut back on water and gas consumption by hanging out their wash and junking their SUVs

Entertainment idols are usually image conscious If they put their careers on the line for a cause, you’ve got to figure they are serious about their positions

Martin Sheen- arrested for protests more than 60 times Has stood with impoverished migrant workers, speaks out about hazards of nuclear waste

Angelina Jolie- adoption and Namibia, child starvation

Jolie has visited victims of violence in Africa, Pakistan, and Cambodia, has used her fame to draw attention to the plight of the helpless

Jolie spoke with Newsweek about Darfur refugees in Chad

Jolie: “I started traveling about 7 years ago with film. I would go to places like Cambodia and hear about the many refugees in Thailand and hear about the land mines and hear about the history…”

“I remember sitting up for 2 days straight and reading everything obsessively. I read about the UNHCR and I realized it was an agency that I didn’t know anything about:”

“That they were taking care of 20 million people…And I remember realizing that I couldn’t understand how I had not known that my whole life.”

Brad Pitt: Africa, worked on ONE campaign to fight global AIDS and poverty Interviewed by Diana Sawyer, he wanted coverage of his ONE campaign

Two days after the broadcast, ONE had recorded a 560% leap in Web donations and a sevenfold increase in the sponsoring of needy kids

America Coming Together (ACT) and The Media Fund are “determined to bring people back into the political process”

Natural Resources Defense Council Environmental activist organization- has become one of the hottest causes in Hollywood

Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Short, Rob Reiner, Larry David, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Tobey Maguire, Ray Romano to name a few

Need to protect and defend the planet from corporate polluters and their allies

Alan Horn, of Warner Brothers HBO, MTV Networks, Fox Group

2002 election: 80% of entertainment industry’s party contributions went to Democratic candidates compared to 20% going to the Republican party

Barbra Streisand: for years, has been one of the single biggest individual funders of liberal causes in America

Many members of Hollywood don’t pay- but that isn’t usually mentioned

Robert Redford and Paul Newman- major celebrity donors Neither of them really wanted much to do with Hollywood

Some feel as if Hollywood is more out of touch with reality than elected politicians-

Hollywood is naturally going to attract a more liberal group of people Protect environment, rights to abortion, homosexual rights

Most opposed almost every aspect of Bush’s foreign policy Hollywood had supported Obama- now support is lower than before

David Geffen: billionaire entertainment mogul Raised $20 million for Clinton In return he got to sleep in Lincoln’s Bedroom

Susan Sarandon: “If my privacy is going to be invaded and I’m going to be treated as a commodity, I might as well take advantage of it.”

Cyndi Lauper: “True Colors” lyrics “your true colors shine through” Longtime gay rights supporter

“True Colors” tour- hit major cities nationwide to promote gay rights Deborah Harry, Erasure, Margaret Cho

Those who attend would get wristbands with the slogan “Erase Hate” from Matthew Shepard organization

Entertainment Community: Backing Barack Obama George Clooney, Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey