Being anti-war is just so darn cool these days. Television has been flooded recently with Hollywood celebrities weighing in on "Bush's war," as they so often refer to it. While the great thing about America is that everyone has a right to an opinion and a right to express it, unless they're prepared to offer policy solutions to Iraqi-American relations, movie stars and musicians should stick to what they know and stop bombarding the rest of us with their watered-down political views.
Matthew St. Patrick of "Six Feet Under" recently said that "everybody has their own opinion, and we live in a country where supposedly everyone has a right to express their thoughts." Yes, Matthew, this is true -- it's just a question of whether anyone wants to hear what a television actor has to say about international relations.
This in no way suggests that actors are uninformed politically. No doubt that a few are just as informed as any political commentator out there. However, America looks to these personalities for entertainment, and when they start spouting political commentary, quite frankly, it's just annoying.
Take, for example, the 2003 Grammy awards. Fred Durst, of the band Limp Biskit, was an award presenter. Those who watched the Grammys watched it because it is a show that honors musicians. Durst, however, decided to take the opportunity to put his two cents in, saying before announcing the award winner, "I hope we are all in agreeance [sic] that this war should go away as soon as possible." The Grammys are a chance to honor musicians, not a political forum, and thus political commentary has no place at such a show. Next time Durst should just tell us who won and not subject us to random political commentary.
Celebrities should use their talents to convey political messages and leave the commentary to political commentators. There have been excellent films and television programs through the years which have brought many political issues to the surface. America responds to talented actors who can raise awareness through their craft, not through rambling political lectures.
Likewise, one of the most powerful forms of protest is found in music. Some of the best music of the last 30 years has stemmed from anti-Vietnam sentiment in the 1960s and 1970s. American responded to these songs written by politically-minded musicians. Madonna and John Mellencamp, both decidedly anti-war, are reportedly now recording protest songs. Other musicians should follow their lead and stick to what they know, expressing their thoughts through their music and not playing politician to the rest of America.
Hollywood, however, is fickle. While many actors and musicians are firm in their political stances, others have followed their peers onto the anti-war bandwagon with no solid backing behind their opinions.
Sheryl Crow recently made headlines by wearing a guitar strap that read "No War" while performing at the 2003 Grammy Awards. Previously, at the American Music Awards, she stated, "I think war is never the answer to solving any problems." Crow, however, accompanied then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, D-NY, to Bosnia during the Clinton era to perform for U.S. troops, later saying, "Once over there, I felt extremely patriotic. Here are these people, from 18-year-olds to military veterans, enduring real duress for the cause of peace." Apparently Crow is only anti-war when a Republican is in office.
Many of the same celebrities who have spoken out against war supported former President Clinton's use of force in Afghanistan, Sudan and Kosovo. Comedian Janeane Garofalo, a staunch critic of war with Iraq, admitted when questioned why celebrities didn't protest Clinton's military actions, that "it wasn't very hip." For the majority of celebrities who are anti-war, they do not hold that opinion because of their informed political beliefs, but because it's the cool thing to do.
With a few exceptions, these political comments from Hollywood stars are little more than sound bites, a chance for the celebrities to complain publicly. They rarely do more than blast the Bush administration or the notion of war, much less offer an alternative solution to current international affairs.
All of these celebrities, however informed or uninformed, have the right to an opinion. America, however, quite honestly shouldn't care what they think. The public should keep looking to entertainers for just that -- entertainment. Actors and musicians should use their talents to reach people in a way that the people can respond to, and stop subjecting the rest of us to silly political lectures.
(Kristin Brown is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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