The celebrity soapbox

Barbra Streisand is notorious for it. Indeed, visiting www.barbrastreisand.com is an exhausting experience because of it. But Ben Affleck, Alec Baldwin, Warren Beatty, Jon Bon Jovi, Cher, Bo Derek, Melissa Etheridge, Whoopi Goldberg, Jewel, Chuck Norris, Martin Sheen and an increasing number of other personalities also seem to enjoy playing the political game.\nThen we have the humanitarian or environmental devotees -- Sting for the Amazonian rainforests, Julia Roberts talking up neurological disorders to Congress, Kevin Richardson (of the Backstreet Boys) pointing out the faults of coal mining to congressional subcommittees, Rosie O'Donnell on gun control and Angelina Jolie as a goodwill ambassador to the U.N.\nIt's unfortunate that entertainers hold more sway over public opinion than specialists. "Having a personality endorse your cause can suddenly make it more legitimate and persuasive. This is the faith we put in a celebrity," said Martin Laba, a professor in media and popular culture at Simon Fraser University, as reported by The Toronto Star.\nCelebrity outspokenness is a complex issue. Some is good, much is irrelevant but a small portion highlights a concerning trend in today's media.\nFor the sake of argument, I'll divide the various forms of celebrity opinion into three broad categories -- the Charity Advocate, the Political Cheerleader and the Solicited Commentator.\nThe Charity Advocate is a personality who lends its name to a cause that is otherwise struggling for attention. This, of course, works wonderfully, particularly when the star involved approaches the role as an attention-getter rather than a moral crusader.\nThe Political Cheerleader is a celebrity that publicly supports a politician or political party. In this instance, stars are generally bringing their profile to campaigns already in the media spotlight. The 2000 presidential election is an obvious example. Unfortunately, by adding famous friends to the podium, politicians essentially forfeit a policy driven campaign and, instead, encourage a popularity contest mind-set in voters.\nFinally, and the most worrying, is the Solicited Commentator. Here a celebrity is invited to provide comment on current events. At a recent press conference in Italy promoting his most recent movie, "Minority Report," Tom Cruise was asked about his view on President Bush pushing for a war with Iraq. It doesn't matter what Cruise said (because his opinion is irrelevant). The point is, a reporter felt it was an appropriate question to ask an entertainer.\nThe progression from Charity Advocate to Solicited Commentator is a slippery one. The result seems to be a media that is becoming increasingly more comfortable with obtaining opinions from individuals whose professions are completely removed from the topic in question. \nOf course, it is equally irresponsible for a celebrity to reply. Cruise, and many other celebrities, would do well to follow Tiger Woods' example, who has previously met ill-directed questions with an 'I'm a golfer, not a politician' attitude.\nIn a country where actors become presidents, the line between celebrity opinion and credible opinion is increasingly blurred. Actors and musicians have the right, as everybody else, to take the soapbox and promote issues they feel passionate about -- in many instances, we are the better for it (i.e. the Charity Advocate). But the problem arises when the celebrity soapbox is raised significantly higher, through fame and not qualification, than everybody else's.