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| Robert Lopez is a senior journalism major and writes 'What's the Deal with Airline Peanuts?' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. |
Like the helicopter gunships in "Apocalypse Now," Martin Sheen and other celebrities have been swooping down on the Bush administration.
As the threat of war with Iraq looms over the horizon, movie stars, musicians and other artists have taken the offensive, and their attacks couldn't be harsher if they were armed like a $100-million action hero.
Last week celebrities spearheaded a "virtual march" on Washington, flooding congressional offices and the White House with calls and e-mails. They have been a visible presence at war protests around the world, and the likes of Janeane Garofalo and Mike Farrell have become almost as common a presence on CNN as Ari Fleischer.
Politics have been entwined with Hollywood almost since the first movie cameras flickered to life. Warner Brothers was one of the first American institutions to argue the threat posed by the Germans in the 1939 thriller "Confessions of a Nazi Spy." During World War II, actors such as Clark Gable and James Stewart enlisted in the service, and filmmakers such as Frank Capra and Walt Disney produced propaganda films.
And, of course, Ronald Reagan, a 1940s matinee idol, went on to become president of the United States.
Celebrities, like any other Americans, have a right to express their views about the war. They share the First Amendment with the rest of us. But do they really know much more than the average Joe? Hollywood is the center of self-righteousness. The city is teeming with people who use good box office or Nielsen to justify their soapbox.
The fact that Sheen or Barbara Streisand is speaking out means nothing to me. They're among the most liberal personalities in Hollywood and go into a frenzy over anything that bears any sign of being tinged by conservatism.
Others, like Sean Penn, have taken a more pragmatic approach. In December he visited Iraq to assess the matter for himself. But again, few people have the $56,000 that he spent to take a trip to the Middle East.
The artists are attracting attention but haven't influenced opinions much. In a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, 87 percent of those asked said there was no celebrity who could cause them to change their position on the war. There has even been a backlash of sorts. Sixty-four percent said they considered it inappropriate for celebrities to voice their views on the situation.
A group calling itself Citizens Against Celebrity Pundits has been formed to counter the celebrity organization "Artist United to Win Without War."
"We believe that celebrities Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell, Tim Robbins, Rob Reiner, Barbara Streisand and others with them are using their celebrity to interfere with the defense of our country," a statement on the CACP Web site read. "We believe that Hollywood celebrities use their wealth to make their own personal issues known while Americans would never have the resources to speak out in this manner."
I do personally side with the actors' position toward the war. The U.S. has too many other problems it needs to address before going to war with a country that does not appear to threaten our interests.
I respect their views, but I have to question Ed O'Neill or Lily Tomlin's qualifications to speak on matters of defense. The talk shows have plenty of competent professors, political analysts and journalists to choose from if they want an informed opinion.
Write to Robert at rclopez@bsu.edu
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