Opinions and Consequences

I just read an article that said Leonardo DiCaprio is a global warming activist.

I'm torn on the issue of celebrities using their fame for causes. On one hand, they have the celebrity to bring an issue out to the forefront. People will listen to them instead of a "nobody" they've never heard of. They never gave it a thought until Leo made his statement, then they say, "Well, gosh! If Leo is against global warming, I should be too!"

In my humble opinion, I think people who think this way are sheep. They can't think for themselves. They just wander through life until someone (usually a celebrity): a. Tells them what to think. or b. Tells them it's an issue, then tells them what to think.

I have to admit, I've been guilty of not thinking about things until they are brought to my attention. I hope though, that I've been smart enough to come to my own conclusions.

On the other hand: why do celebrities think that they are smarter than everyone else? Many Hollywood celebrities have come out against the war on terrorism. Before we go any further let me be clear: they have the right to have an opinion and they have the right to express that opinion. It's called Freedom of Speech and it's a Constitutional right.

So many of them forget that although they have the right to free speech, that the public also has that right. Celebrities are upset when the public reacts to their statements. Celebrity A has the right to say anything they want to say. I have the right to say they are wrong. This is called disagreement. I also have the right show my disagreement and to not buy their books, CD's, tickets to their movies, stop watching their television shows, and so on.

Celebrities forget, or at least seem to forget, that it is the public who buys their product, whether it's a book, movie, TV show, CD, or whatever. If a celebrity disappoints or angers me when they make a public statement, I have only two ways of showing that disappointment or anger: writing a letter or not buying what they produce to make a living.

If I say something that my boss doesn't like, he (or she) has the right to do something about it. I might be "counseled," written up, suspended, or fired.

This example can be taken to this extreme: I am the celebrity's boss. If they say something I don't like, I can write a letter (counseling/writing up), boycott their product (suspension), or refuse to buy the product (firing).

Of course, I can choose to not do anything. The result of doing nothing is that the celebrity assumes that I either agree, don't care, or am too lazy to call them on it. I don't bother to write letters to celebrities. I doubt they see it, and even if they do, unless there are a lot of other people writing about the same thing, they think I'm a moron because I don't agree with them. And since I'm a "nobody" (at least in their eyes since they've never heard of me), they don't care what I think. So, I use the suspension/firing method. Stop my paycheck and you catch my attention. I might not change my opinion, but I'll keep it to myself or accept the consequences for stating it.

Should celebrities be able to express their opinions? Of course! But opinions should always be stated appropriately, it has to be understood that not everyone will agree, and that action (publicly stating an opinion) could have repercussions one has to be willing to accept.