Celebrities Freedom of Speech

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

Freedom of speech is, in my opinion, one of the greatest things about this country. Movie stars have long enjoyed this right as much or even more than your average citizen. If I stood on a street corner and spouted my politics or made a social commentary who would care? Movie stars attract cameras and microphones. Too often they go out of their way to put out a social or political message. Yet other times you just wonder why they said something at all.

In the March issue of Vanity Fair, Ben Affleck answers a question about all of the fascination people have with him and Jennifer Lopez. "I think it has to do with race and class, the fact that I'm white and she's Puerto Rican, that's what's underneath, although nobody says it, because it's not politically correct." I have never read or heard any one ever say anything about Affleck and Lopez in regard to their ethnic or class background. I just thought the fact that they are a good looking, famous couple was enough to get their photos in magazines and names in print. According to Ben we should all read between the lines every time we read an article about them. From now on translate "Affleck and Lopez" to "white boy and Latina chick."

One of the most outspoken movie stars is activist Susan Sarandon. She did that commercial that came on just before Bush's State Of The Union address. She said stuff like, why should we go to war with the people of Iraq?

Recently she was in England promoting her movie The Banger Sisters. She made the statement that she is tired of being called anti-American just because she asks questions. I don't think she is anti-American because of the questions she asks. I think she is anti-American because of the questions she doesn't ask.

Why did she not publicly denounce the greatest intentional ecological disaster of our time? It took seven months to put out the Kuwaiti oil fields that Saddam Hussein had set on fire. Hussein has broken countless resolutions. He agreed to do many things if we did not go in and remove him from power at the end of the Gulf War. If he did break those agreements, he knew we had the authority to go in and remove him. Hussein murders the minorities of his country, the Kurds. He has attacked Israel and conquered and looted Kuwait. Despite all of this common knowledge Sarandon questions Bush and not Hussein. Susan, if you don't want to be labeled anti-American then why not direct questions at the enemy instead of your own President?

Barbra Streisand has a long standing message about defending Bill Clinton. She has made jokes in her concerts where the punch line is "how many of us could live up to that kind of scrutiny?" I am not sure what defending a known purger and adulterer says about you Streisand, but It doesn't raise my opinion of you.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn personally visited Iraq and made some nonsensical remark about it on Larry King Live. What ever he meant to say I am sure it was brilliant. Next time Penn collect your thoughts better. Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell and all the other movie stars who have been protesting the possible war with Iraq are attempting to teach us the lesson of tolerance and appeasement. Both say stuff like "wait for the smoking gun". "Give the inspectors more time". Saddam Hussein must love the Hollywood left.

Michael Jackson recently said some disturbing things in an interview. He freely admits to having had sleep-overs with minors. Sometimes sharing the same bed with them. Upon the birth of one of his kids he said he took the child home immediately after it was born and washed the placenta and every thing else off the infant himself. He said the hospital told him it was okay. Still, if Michael Jackson was not so rich and famous I think he would be put away in a special home.

I enjoy reading and hearing movie stars talk about themselves or even better, I love hearing their opinions on political and social issues. Not because I think anyone of them has a greater insight than you or I. I just like to know where they stand. It really is the best way to get to know a movie star's personal feelings with out ever actually meeting them.