DarrenBarefoot.com

heh, i feel the same way about this subject. every time i see angelina jolie in her UN “ambassador” role, i cringe.

http://home.planet.nl/~napel/angie.htm

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Hmmmm …while yours is an interesting opinion I’d rather that these celebrities, who make millions and millions of dollars, put their money where their mouth yammers and attempt to make their small part of the world a better place, rather than not. I attempt to do so, with what little resources I have, and getting the few people I have access to, to do the same seems like a pretty good idea. Celebrities simply have wider access. Being aware of a world outside our immediate self is a big step in evolution. Sitting on your ass, not speaking up for what you believe in, not trying to make life better at all - that’s old, and boring. You may not trust Sean Penn’s opinion, you may think he is an awful writer, hell, you may think I have no right to write or speak because I can’t spell or punctuate or I invest too much right brain… how are you going to do better than I? Than Sean Penn? You aren’t. Hopefully you contribute differently, and then we can cover more territory. Feisty today, aren’t I? “You cannot appease me” (Buffy, Season 5, OLAF). I enjoy being riled. I work better this way. Must get back to writing…

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Glad to see you spared Tim Robbins. If anyone deserves respect, it’s him.

Penn’s article is in fact, an account of his latest trip to Iraq. I think people, even celebrities, are entitled to recall and reflect on their own experiences.

Sean Penn has put more effort into his concerns than many others with similar resources at their disposal. It’s something he has chosen to care about. Good for him. A lot of other people care, too.

Many bloggers write pieces on topics they are not ‘experts’ on. Myself, I frequently make reference to space exploration in my posts. I do not have an aeronautics degree, and have very little direct experience with the industry. I have followed it for a very long time and know more than some others. I don’t expect everyone to become excited by my rambling and linking, certainly not the 2 people that actually read my page. That doesn’t mean I can’t indulge in my interest, share my observations, hopes, and concerns, using the platform available to me.

Penn happens to have a bigger soapbox than you or I ever will. And he uses it.

I for one am happy there are still a few prominent Americans with the guts to speak out against the problems of the Bush administration and US foreign policy. Certainly the media fails in this area.

Maybe celebrities won’t make a difference, but that doesn’t rob them of their right to try.

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To borrow a line from Stan Lee, “with great power comes great responsibility.” You didn’t refute my core point, which is: celebrities are treated as experts in our culture. That story only runs because Sean Penn writes it. He shouldn’t be writing it–someone with greater expertise and experience should. If he wants to help out, he should do something within his purvue–throw a benefit concert or donate some cash.

I’m sure, Jeff, that you’re happy that Mr. Penn and others are speaking out against the Bush administration. I’m sure, however, that you’re not happy about the dozens of famous people who have publically supported the war in Iraq. Why don’t we leave the postulating and pontificating to the experts and the elected officials?

It’s interesting that you cite your own blog, as that’s a valid comparison. Anyone who knows much about space exploration is going to be able to judge whether you’re worth reading. That is, readers will be able to validate your writing based on their own experience.

With celebrities, we generally don’t apply the same filter. That is, if a celebrity says something, then it must be important and right. Obviously, that’s not the case.

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Tracyv makes a good point. In the seventies there was this series of Sanka commercials that was very successful. The ads featured Robert Young, who played Marcus Welby MD on tv. People knew he was an actor, not a doctor, but they were willing to listen to his ‘advice’ on calming caffeine-jangled nerves with Sanka decaf. It makes no sense, but them’s people for you.

And I think that’s the heart of what Darren’s getting at - people shouldn’t let themselves be persuaded on the basis of celebrity. But should celebrities only speak on issues through their core competency? If Penn made a compelling movie about the Iraq invasion to express his views, and he was then interviewed about the movie and expressed the core values behind it, would he be speaking within his competency or outside of it?

Celebrities definitely get more than their due when it comes to trust, and for no really good reason. But I don’t think it wholly discounts the value of their participation. If it were less crass and self-serving I think I’d be more willing to give them a chance.

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Going on that line of logic, I believe your education is fine arts, yes? Why should anyone take your Yaletown techie column or other hi-tech comments seriously? A film or theatre review, sure.
(If I’m missing information and you also have a techie-type education, my apologies in advance.)

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Having read the Penn piece, and assuming it came from his own pen, he is not at all a bad writer. My own sense is the more first person accounts from Iraq we get the better the picture we have of what is going on there.

Better still, Penn was there before Iraq was liberated and he makes some interesting points as to the contrasts he observed. There are very few people who have that insight.

(Though I agree with the general point that celebrities thinking their fame gives them expertise. Thus I am not terribly interested in Madonna’s endorsement of General Clark. Or Michael Moore’s either.)

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Of course, whether it’s Spielberg or Heston, an artist is going to have an artistic bias. By ‘responsible artist’, I meant that they had done their research and could speak knowledgably about the subject.

Let me separate ‘Schindler’s List’ from Spielberg’s knowledge and activity related to the holocaust. Regardless of the film’s message, I’m confident that Spielberg is well-read on the holocaust. Hence, he could speak on that subject with credibility. As a listener, it’s my job to critically examine his viewpoint and decide if I agree. Which is exactly what I fear people don’t do when celebrities–public figures which they ‘trust’ in other contexts–speak out.

As you point out, I do, in a way, trade on my name. However, as you also point out, people return to my writing because they liked previous writing and thought me a credible source of information, humour, whatever. They don’t come or return to my writing because they liked my acting, hair style or Prada shoes. See the difference?

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