Posted on 03/07/2003 4:40:21 PM PST by LurkedLongEnough
Now that we know what actors Martin Sheen and Sean Penn think about a possible war with Iraq, the burning question is what do their fellow celebrities Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson have to say about it?
Given their high-profile status as Hollywood murder suspects, surely they would bring a unique Tinseltown perspective to the great debate over America's new hard-line foreign policy.
That's certainly the case with Penn. No doubt his anti-war stance was forged and fashioned in the fires of his own violent behaviour over the years.
This is the film star, after all, who long before he went on his peace mission to Baghdad did 30 days in jail for punching out a movie extra who tried to take his picture.
And let's not forget the time Penn fired a gun at the media helicopters covering his wedding to Madonna, reportedly stalked one of Madonna's old boyfriends with a pistol, used a poster of his ex-wife for target practice, harassed her with obscene phone calls, and tied her up and slapped her around for a few hours.
I don't know about you, but I'm dying to hear any insights this guy might have about the best way to avoid conflict and hostilities between nations.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that celebrities have no business pushing their political views in the media.
After all, former U.S. president Ronald Reagan was once a Hollywood actor and he helped bring down the Soviet Empire.
No, I believe everyone in showbiz should feel free to sermonize on the Iraq crisis, even bubbleheaded singer Sheryl Crow, whose inspired observation that the best way to solve problems is not to have enemies made me realize that the best way to become a big star is to be popular.
Sure, these people are exploiting their privileged positions as celebrities to get access to a soapbox. But that's bound to happen in an escapist culture that's elevated yesteryear's table-scrap eating jesters, jugglers and minstrels into today's pampered nouveau riche narcissists.
That said, it's important to note that the opinions of actors like Penn, Sheen, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, Woody Harrelson and others who have come out against the American government's handling of Saddam Hussein are deeply compromised.
The truth is, many of these politically conscious thespians have made millions of dollars from starring in graphically violent movies that, according to many studies, can lead to a blurring of the line between real violence and make-believe, particularly among vulnerable kids.
You don't have to be a philosopher to see there's a logical and ethical disconnect between their moralistic opposition to war and the gratuitous movie violence they condone, promote, and profit from.
Although the debate about the impact of movie violence on kids is far from over, a national U.S. study suggests that viewers who watch violence run the risk of learning violent behaviour and becoming desensitized and more fearful of being attacked.
Many anti-war actors are not only contributing to that danger, they also have a hand in the disturbing statistics cited by former U.S. president Bill Clinton that the typical child sees 200,000 dramatized acts of violence and 40,000 dramatized murders before the age of 18.
Think of Penn in Bad Boys, Clooney in From Dusk till Dawn, Harrelson in Natural Born Killers, Baldwin in The Getaway, and Jackson in Pulp Fiction. Even so-called anti-war films like Sheen's Apocalypse Now and Clooney's Three Kings are questionable, given the loving focus on blood, gore, and firepower.
The fact that many of these movies are R-rated and not supposed to be seen by kids doesn't much matter since, as a recent Darmouth medical school study suggests, a surprising number of young teens see them anyway.
Even if the hearts of these anti-war celebrities are in the right place, their actions speak louder than their limousine liberal words. And for many of them, that means churning out socially suspect hard-core action movies full of gunplay, terror and strong violence. That's a pretty shaky soapbox to preach from even by Hollywood's flimsy standards.
Andrew Dreschel's commentary appears in The Hamilton Spectator Monday, Wednesday and Friday. adreschel@thespec.com or 905-526-3495.
And let's not forget the time Penn fired a gun at the media helicopters covering his wedding to Madonna, reportedly stalked one of Madonna's old boyfriends with a pistol, used a poster of his ex-wife for target practice, harassed her with obscene phone calls, and tied her up and slapped her around for a few hours.
This guy is all about peace and love.
There is one thing worse...a victorious, Iraq liberator, re-elected, increased Congressional majority, paving the way for his successor, Christian Conservative President!
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