Politics

Celebrities & Politics

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by ashleytwigg on February 21, 2012

I don’t hate or even dislike celebrities. I value genuine talent in acting, music, crazy Youtube stunts- whatever propels people to earn fame. However, I also believe that people need to form their own opinions. It’s no secret that, these days, Celebrities use their platforms and status to promote political figures.

This is a free country and they are welcomed to do so, but if Lady Gaga tweets to her nine million followers that she’s going to vote for whomever, that doesn’t mean the rest of the “little monsters” should jump on that bandwagon. Anti-bullying bandwagon? Absolutely. Voting people into office you have no knowledge about? Please don’t.

Pro-Voting- YES:

When it comes to any type of power, people can use it for good or they can use it for evil. As much as I am not a fan of Puffy Daddy, P-Diddy, Shawn Puffy Combs- whatever his name is, he did a lot of work  with the Rock the Vote campaign and urged people to go out and vote. The celebrities involved in that campaign weren’t pushing youth in any political direction- they were simply promoting the importance of voting. Whether we like to admit it or not, a great deal of the population can be swayed by celebrities and the media.

For those of you who don’t think we live in a “monkey see, monkey do” society, you may want to take another look around. We all have minds of our own and I wish more people used them ALL the time, but if celebrities are promoting something GOOD- it will only benefit the rest of us “little people”.

Copy Cat Voting- NO:

People need to be informed on issues and about candidates. I’m sure some celebrities do take the time out to research and truly understand the candidates they support, however, just because you like their movies or music doesn’t mean you see politics on the same level. We are talking about celebrities with huge sums of money. How can we assume their political values would necessarily even compare to ours?  You are adults and I’m sure  (like me) you are more than familiar with our old friend Google. Learn about the candidates on your own and vote according to the TRUTH that you learned.

Welcomed Attention:

Now I don’t want to completely rag on celebrities because, like I said, power can be used for good. Instead of celebrities simply supporting a candidate, they sometimes use their power to support a CAUSE. The money celebrities have donated, the awareness they have brought, and the impact they have had on AIDS, cancer research, homelessness, and thousands of other causes in the past few years is incredible.

These are the things people should be jumping on board for and following. Politics and “your vote” should be a personal endeavor. Family members, celebrities, boyfriends, girlfriends- what have you, these people shouldn’t effect who and what you vote for! You are an adult, form your own opinion don’t take the easy way out by following someone else’s.

Do you vote based on celebrities? Do you gain political awareness from TV, Twitter, and the media? Do you think celebrities affect the way people vote?

 

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Between the passing of a music icon and all the craziness in the political world, this has been a wild week in the news. Here are a few things people have been chatting about this week.

Whitney:

Whether you were a die hard fan or you are simply sick of hearing old songs playing on the radio, the fact is, Whitney Houston was a legend. Yes, maybe she had issues with addiction or other problems, but that does not take away from her vast amount of accomplishments. She was a singer, an icon, and also a mother and, regardless of ones opinion of her, it is a sad event. Although her funeral was originally going to be an invite-only event, it has been announced that the star-studded memorial will also be streamed live online… which I think is in seriously bad taste. The press have field days with saddening things like this and, regardless of her stature, cashing in on a tragedy is never okay.

Poltical Mayhem:

I’m sure everyone is starting to get overwhelmed (or annoyed) with the political jargon and nonstop Republican media coverage.  Quite frankly, it is hard to keep up with. We still have a ways to go until the actual elections so I don’t feel compelled to get too involved just yet. However, between Romney and Santorum, the crazy seems to be enough to go around. I realize that people say we should vote on how candidates “govern” and not on their own personal beliefs.  HOWEVER, this is 2012. Gay people deserve to get married. Women should be allowed to choose if they want to take birth control or not, and while I personally am anti-abortion, no man should ever be dictating what a woman chooses to do with her body.

Grammy Buzz:

As many of you know the Grammy Awards were last Sunday.  Adele cleaned up at the Grammy’s this weekend bringing home SIX awards. The fact that she is ACTUALLY talented, not a super-stick thin celebrity, and seems to do what SHE wants in life and in her career,  is ridiculously refreshing. I think it is time that people value real talent without voices being altered, transformed and covered with loud background music and fireworks. Good for her.

 

What did you hear buzzing in the news this week? What are your thoughts on the trending topics?

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Every January, independent film makers, actors, and thousands of fans gather in Park City, Utah for the momentous Sundance Film Festival. Too often we go to the movies and see the same old stuff pushed on us by Hollywood. Sundance is an opportunity to see real the artistic side of film making, find a few hidden cinema gems, and sometimes even catch a soon-to-be Oscar-nominated flick. Here is a look at some of the most exciting films that debuted at Sundance this year.

5 Broken Cameras

Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer from the village of Bil’in, documents his life with the help of his cameras. His film follows not only his own life, but those around them as they struggle against the militant forces in their country. Holding nothing back, Burnat depicts the death of his friend and an attempt on his own life. This gripping documentary is one you don’t want to miss.

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry

The film follows Ai Weiwei- someone who’s definitely better known in China than he is in America. Ai Weiwei is an interesting artist with a very personal style, but he is also a determined activist against the oppression of the Chinese Government. This film captures Weiwei’s mission in a compelling and telling way.

Excision

This movie is about a teenage girl named Pauline. Pauline is…well, she’s messed up. To put it lightly, she is plagued with bloody psycho-sexual fantasies (okay, maybe that wasn’t so “light…” sorry…). This movie is gory, REALLY gory- so gory that I probably can’t even post a screenshot from it. Regardless, this teen romance horror film has totally peaked my interest and is sure to supply an interesting, if not just weird, movie night.

V/H/S

Ok so the whole “found footage” thing is getting really old (anyone who saw Devil inside knows what I’m taking about), but what about a movie about actually finding the footage? Yup, that’s really the setup for V/H/S. When a group of criminals is hired to find some footage, they come across a dead body instead. This looks like one “found film” worth watching.

Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie

This comedy pair is famous for their wild, over-the-top style of comedy, so a full length film of these two is going to be nothing less than hilarious. Long story short, the Tim and Eric receive one billion dollars to make their own movie, only to lose it all unexpectedly. Will they ever earn their fortune back? You’ll have to check it out and see for yourself.

 

Do YOU love Indie films/Sundance? Got other movies from Sundance to share- or maybe just something you’re dying for me to review for my column?

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