Activists in La La Land - Who Supports What Causes?

By: Megan Hazel


PETA is a big hit among some women celebrities in Hollywood. Pamela Anderson is probably the most well-known of the famous PETA supporters, but there is also Alicia Silverstone and Steve-O, the crazy guy from Jackass. All three of these celebrities have bared it all for PETA's ad campaign "I'd rather go naked than wear fur", including Steve-O. I'm not sure who wants to see this ad, but I'm sure people are lining up to see Pam and Alicia. Alicia Silverstone's ad was recently banned from Comcast Cable TV in Houston, TX because of the nudity.

Now some celebrity activists are power moguls and much more serious about their activism than baring their skin. Take Oprah Winfrey, for example. Can you think of a more powerful woman in Hollywood? Unlikely. Oprah gave over $50 million dollars to charity last year, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She has visited the schools she built in third world countries, and puts her money where her mouth is.

Same goes for Angelina Jolie. This country-hopper spends more time outside the United States with other people's kids than inside the states with her own! She is exceptionally hands-on in countries like Haiti where she is said to donate as much as one-third her salary to charities.

Bono, lead singer of the mega-band U2, began a campaign for AIDS awareness called "ONE", which has gained the following of other major celebrity players like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Elizabeth Taylor started the wonderful trend of supporting AIDS many years ago.

The environment is a worthy cause and sometimes controversial, as it can be quite expensive to take environmentally protective measures. We see celebrities making environmentally conscious efforts on TV on shows such as HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm", where Larry David drives a Prius, the well-known hybrid car. In real life, a number of celebrities own this car. Other stars who are big supporters of environmental clean-up and awareness are Woody Harrelson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Woody Harrelson is one who drives a biodiesel powered car and uses solar power in his home. He is also a vegan, as are actors Alicia Silverstone and Drew Barrymore.

Lately, we have seen a swarm of political activists, especially in the music and comedy industries but also by actors. The emphasis seems to be on the comedians in this realm. We can all remember when Bill Maher, the controversial talk show host who was kicked off prime time television and had his programming relegated to HBO, had political discussions amongst other comedy shticks. Now, his actual panel is usually comprised of at least one politico and the conversation always involves politics. Today, it is usually to insult our current president and the war in Iraq. Jon Stewart is probably the next most well-known political comedian. His popular "The Daily Show", also on cable television, is full of political jokes and commentary.

Of course, there are non-comedic actors who are quite politically active as well, for better or worse. Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are both quite active and present a united married front for anti-war efforts. George Clooney supports many causes, and has spearheaded some of his own such as "Save Darfur".

Being an immensely popular celebrity activist can bring a great amount of awareness to people who would otherwise remain in the dark about important causes. So why is there ever a problem with it? Why do some people balk at the idea that the stars promote certain causes? It probably stems from the questions about their motivation. Some stars speak out publicly just before a red-carpet event or album release. It's similar to when someone lands themselves in the tabloids for publicity, except it's worse. Instead of making blatantly bad public headlines for the sake of notoriety, these stars are using philanthropy as a guise for their true motives of shining in the limelight, and it just doesn't ring true.

However, there are some celebrities who are activists in private and without promotion. Mariah Carey, for example, has long been a supporter of the Fresh Air Fund, which allows inner-city boys and girls to get to summer camp, and opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have. Rap artist 50 Cent and the bottled water company Glaceau have gone in and made headway in getting the growing problem of childhood obesity recognized. Unless they are specifically asked, though, neither one of these stars will come right out and announce it for the sake of announcement. Michael J. Fox is another example of a celebrity speaking out and not for the sake of the limelight. His situation is unique, for he actually suffers from the disease about which he supports awareness. His activism for stem-cell research is controversial, but it is made for the good of medicine and not to further his acting career.


About Author:
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about celebrity topics, similar to what consumers read in People Magazine