Musings on celebrities, opinions and the fourth wall…

There’s always a lot of talk about whether celebrities should or should not share their opinions on politics, and those discussions reach a climax in an election year. People seem to get really offended by celebrities who feel they have a right to throw their opinions into the mix and expect people to listen.

I was thinking about this the other day and I realized that the whole issue just goes to show how personal politics really are. After all, we’re okay with celebrities sharing their opinion in other areas…advertisers bet on it. We look to celebrities to tell us what cars to drive, what clothes to wear, what to name our babies. But when it comes to how to cast our vote, well, that’s just too far.

I’m not saying I think celebrities should share their political opinions, but you can see how they’d get confused. We can’t expect them to take it very well when we invite them into our lives and fawn all over them, then draw a line in sand they didn’t know they were standing in. It just seems so random.

I was reading Jude Cole’s recent blog and he complains about the fourth wall being broken when celebrities share their personal opinions. But does the fourth wall even exist anymore? With tabloids and paparazzi and E! True Hollywood Stories, is it possible to watch an actor on screen and not think about the intimate details of that person’s off-screen life? As I write, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer is playing on TV. Watching Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, I’m reminded that movie stars aren’t what they used to be. There was a time when an actor’s personal life was kept private in order to preserve their persona. In a way, I think more is required of actors these days because we do know so much about them. If an actor can make you forget about everything else and really believe them in whatever role they’re playing, that’s quite an accomplishment.

In the current cultural landscape, I just don’t see it as a big deal when celebrities want to share their personal opinions. I think it’s okay to share mine with the world (even if it’s just a small corner of it here on this blog), so why shouldn’t they share theirs in whatever way they’re able?

Peace. Out.

Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it. Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it. The Bible?

Hmm. How can we make the Bible “more relevant” to the modern audience? I know! We can jazz it up. Make it look like an issue of Vogue, add pictures of Bono, Angelina Jolie, and shirtless male models. Sounds perfect. Nothing creepy about that at all.

Actually, I like the idea of people interpreting the message of the Bible through modern art or photography, but something about this seems a little off to me. Can’t quite put my finger on it.

Peace. Out.

She’s just being Miley…

I’ve actually used some of the exact phrasing included in this essay in regards to my personal feelings about Miley-Gate ‘08, so I’m just going to link to it, and give a general shout-out to my girls at Go Fug Yourself (maybe my all-time favorite website). Regular 15-year-old girls are having a tough time figuring out when the appropriate time to stop being a kid and start being an adult is, so I can’t even imagine what it’s like for someone living smack-dab in the middle of Young Hollywood.

And just for good measure…

Peace. Out

Christians in Hollywood (and in general)…

I always find it interesting to read about people who are outspoken about their faith. Truth be told, it doesn’t even matter what the details of that faith are…I’m fascinated by the fact that there is a drive within (most) people to search for – as Bret Michaels so eloquently put it – something to believe in. As a Christian who’s probably a little more fascinated with the goings-on of celebrities that she should be, however, it’s particularly interesting to me to read about how famous people balance their relationship with Jesus with the rest of their life.

An old article from Relevant Magazine was making the rounds a while back about Zachary Levi (Chuck on Chuck). The article is interesting, but what’s even more interesting to me are the comments listed below the article. Apparently, people have pretty strong opinions about Christians… huh. Who knew?

Seriously, it saddens me to think of how many people have had horrible, traumatic encounters with “Christians.” I just finished Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis (read it!) a few weeks ago and he said something in there that really rocked me. He said that if Sally lives on a street with a bunch of neighbors from various cultural backgrounds who all have radically different religious beliefs, and Sally becomes a Christian, every person on Sally’s street should benefit from Sally’s conversion. Sally should be more compassionate, more kind, more generous, more loving…who wouldn’t want a neighbor like that? It’s the kind of neighbor, friend, family member I want to be. Not the kind that turns people off to “religion,” but the kind who is a genuinely better human being because of my relationship with God.

Peace. Out.

Oscar Redux…

What a great night at the Oscars! Like many viewers, I think I loved this year’s ceremony more than usual for the simple fact that it happened at all. Here are some of my favorite moments from the evening:

“It’s true there are some angels in this city!”

“Fair play to those who dare to dream.”

Favorite dresses…

I was surprised by Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton’s wins, but everything else was expected. I do believe Atonement was slighted in the Cinematography category. I didn’t care that much for the movie as a whole, but it was beautifully done and the 5-minute tracking shot everyone made such a fuss over was truly extraordinary.

More to come on what it was like watching all five Best Picture nominees back-to-back on Saturday!

Enjoy your week, everyone. Go see a movie!

Peace. Out.