If George Clooney, Mia Farrow, Angelina Jolie and bands I like can't change the world, is there really anyone who can?
While reading Joel Stein's (frequent Vh1 commentator and inhabitant of my dreams) profile of George Clooney in the new issue of TIME, I was struck by the fact that Clooney was so forthcoming about his doubts toward a solution and aid for the genocide in Darfur. Of his trip, Clooney stated "I've been very depressed since I got back. I'm terrified that it isn't in any way helping. That bringing attention can cause more damage. You dig a well or build a healthcare facility and they're a target for somebody." He said, "A lot more people know about Darfur but absolutely nothing is different. Absolutely nothing."
Undoubtedly, celebrity endorsements can do lots of good for book sales and trucker hats, but can a cause benefit from the paparazzi flashbulbs?
For reasons that lead me to curse the gods of the entertainment industry, celebrities get the sort of access to lawmakers and dictators that we normal folk can only dream of, but does the public image of crotch-shots and drunken brawls actually detract from the seriousness of a cause or group? Or are their humanitarian efforts bringing the causes of faraway places into the homes of everyday people?
And the most probing question of all... Stars: Are they really just like US?!
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No. For me, it makes me take the cause less seriously.
And I don't gain an ounce more respect for celebrities because they filmed a commercial for a cause.
I tend to agree with you. It tends to ignore the work that many other people do and sometimes even discourages people from volunteering.
i think celebrity endorsements can be much more useful when done in a much more discreet manner.. showing that they actually care about the issue enough to not benefit from publicity, is rare but can be useful.
and they are totally like us! how could they not be.
Why do you think it would hurt a cause? They get more money if a celebrity endorses them. Besides, every celebrity should find out more about what it's like to live in poverty and so forth. Maybe they'll donate a few million instead of buying a new limo.