a great petition most of you can probably agree with

[bill2 0]

The HUSH Petition (Help Us Silence Hollywood, or, more informally, Up Babs')

We, the undersigned, being of sound mind and strong viewership, would like to petition both Hollywood and the news media in order to restrain celebrities (movie & TV stars, pop & rock stars, producers, directors, etc.) from capitalizing on their celebritihood to sound off on whatever issue-du-jour comes rolling along to which they must bear witness. It is our deeply held belief that, on an extremely sunny day, only 1/2 of one percent of these stars could pass an entry-level college final relating to the political event for which their feet are oft found wedged deeply in their mouths (see B. Streisand, A. Baldwin, M. Moore, H. Belafonte, S. Penn, J. Fonda, W. Harrelson, M. Sheen, E. Asner, J. Lange, et al, etc., ad nauseam) and thereby merit no ink nor air time. It is ruinous enough for the civic culture to hear TV anchors who wouldn't know a "demand curve" from their elbow yammer on and on about the economy, but the glitterati sermonizing to us about America!?

It's clearly time to demand some evidence of educated brain waves prior to handing the public megaphone to celebrities. It is also our belief that if not for showing off their silicon, facelifts, and/or hairplugs on the silver screen, most of these knuckleheads would be modeling underwear at Wal-Mart, working third tier escort services in Jersey, or removing asbestos from tire factories in Detroit. And, as such, the news industry must restrain from entering these vacuous remarks into the public domain until said celeb has passed the appropriate college-level test corresponding to their tirade at hand.

Say, for instance, a Cher belches out that Bush is poisoning our drinking water. Prior to this being placed into the public domain for mass digestion by the news media, it is essential that Cher immediately take, and receive a passing grade on, a college-level Chemistry final. Or the next time a Madonna flatulates that the Republicans are Nazis, Madonna must promptly pass an upper-level history exam on the National Socialist Party's rise to power in 1920's Germany. Or when a Babs bladders poetically about the Hollywood Blacklist, she must drop everything and write a 1,000-word essay (using Spellcheck, of course) on The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and also get 80 percent or above on a pop quiz regarding Stalin’s pact with Hitler, just for good measure.

In essence, the protocol defined in this petition places the burden on celebrities to first prove that their IQs are deeper than their makeup before their opinions, and other like tantrums, see the light of day.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Fly-Over Country

(7,000 Signatures)

[billvon 3,092]

I'd go for that, as long as you also require such a test for politicians. It would prevent embarassing gaffes from our politicians, like our president asking the president of Brazil if "you have blacks, too?" or claiming that Mexican was a language.

Of course, the danger there is that someday such a test might be applied to people who post on the net . . .

[bill2 0]

I'd go for that, as long as you also require such a test for politicians. It would prevent embarassing gaffes from our politicians, like our president asking the president of Brazil if "you have blacks, too?" or claiming that Mexican was a language.

Of course, the danger there is that someday such a test might be applied to people who post on the net . .
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Hell if we did that we probably wouldn't have very many people who would qualify for office. Come to think of it, that might not be such a bad thing.

[happythoughts 0]

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Of course, the danger there is that someday such a test might be applied to people who post on the net . . .

Then the internet traffic would move from 60% to 95% porn.

Seems like rules like this were used for voting before. The "Jim Crow" laws. You had to be able to interpret the Bill of Rights before you could vote.

Personally, if I never have to listen to Cher again, it will be too soon. Lots of naive, but famous people are recruited for the fact that the media will quote them and people will read it. Someone who devoted their lives to understanding an issue will never get noticed unless they accidentally catch fire during their speech. That is pretty much the point though. To get the issue before the public. Intelligent, knowledgeable people can discuss it later.

And I think Hanoi Jane should have done jail time.

[Muenkel 0]

Take it from a conservative who would like to see Babs and Alec Baldwin follow through on their promises and move out of the country, I do NOT support your petition. I may not agree with their point of view, but I certainly agree with their right to express it. Let them talk, let the public decide!

_________________________________________
Chris

[bill2 0]

Take it from a conservative who would like to see Babs and Alec Baldwin follow through on their promises and move out of the country, I do NOT support your petition. I may not agree with their point of view, but I certainly agree with their right to express it. Let them talk, let the public decide!
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I agree with you, everyone should have the right to speak out. But I think most people are tired of ignorant hollywood types spouting out on any subject they feel like, and the media treating them like they really know what they're talking about. No one calls them on what they say (at least not right when they're talking). Why not give as much attention to non celebrity types and their views?

[billvon 3,092]

>But I think most people are tired of ignorant hollywood types
>spouting out on any subject they feel like, and the media treating
> them like they really know what they're talking about.

Fortunately, those people can ignore the ignorant hollywood types if they so choose. Personally, I'm amazed that people actually get riled by entertainers who spout nonsense. These same entertainers make their _careers_ on fantasy, or on the controversies they create. People who get mad at Rush Limbaugh for saying outlandish things? That's how he makes a living! He's too smart to stop being contentious.

>Why not give as much attention to non celebrity types and their
> views?

Some of us do, although they get people just as riled up. Look at Julia Butterfly, Anne Coulter, Dan Perkins and Noam Chomsky.

[bill2 0]

Some of us do, although they get people just as riled up. Look at Julia Butterfly, Anne Coulter, Dan Perkins and Noam Chomsky.
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they've become celebreties too.


Fortunately, those people can ignore the ignorant hollywood types if they so choose. Personally, I'm amazed that people actually get riled by entertainers who spout nonsense. These same entertainers make their _careers_ on fantasy, or on the controversies they create. People who get mad at Rush Limbaugh for saying outlandish things? That's how he makes a living! He's too smart to stop being contentious.
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it's not so much the hollywood types that rile as the seriousness that the media gives their comments. I'd like to see reporters go after them when they make outlandish statements and really push them for an explanation instead of just taking it at face value.

[billvon 3,092]

>they've become celebreties too.

Well, we were talking about hollywood types. Anyone who expresses an opinion that is listened to by many people is automatically a celebrity, so it wouldn't make much sense to exclude them.

>it's not so much the hollywood types that rile as the seriousness
>that the media gives their comments.

I don't think the media takes them seriously, they just give them airtime - and they do that because more people watch their show when they use a teaser like "Cher blasts Bush! Film at 11." If no one wanted to watch Cher blast Bush, their show would not be popular and they'd stop using Cher quotes.

But since the media is a very democratically-controlled institution in this country (i.e. they live or die based on how popular they are) the people get to decide they want to watch Cher ramble on, even if she doesn't make much sense.

[quatorze 1]

actually I don't know how bad it would be to watch

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Cher blast Bush

She is not that bad looking for and older woman

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[jose 0]

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***And I think Hanoi Jane should have done jail time.

That would have been 1 way to deal with it, but even better, we should have taken all her belongings and dropped them out of an F-4 over Vietnam where she could stay for all I care. Why the fuck did we allow that traitor back into our country? As far as I'm concerned, she committed treason.

The only good thing that came out of Jane Fonda was her daughter. Yum yum.

[Muenkel 0]

I like to give the general public a little more credit. I truly believe the celebrities do not influence people's opinions as much as you think. Society created celebrities. We like them because they may have a talent, they may be attractive and they may entertain us. They are a commodity.

Bab's can sing...simple as that. When she sings, I know when she hits the correct note just as when she speaks, I know if she misses the correct note.

And as BillV said, they get people to watch the news programs. It's a fact. But once again, I don't think they have that much influence. This past election proved that Babs and Alec are not necessarily in touch with the general public.

_________________________________________
Chris

[Zenister 0]

you have much more faith in the sheep than i. the more time i spend around the general public the more i believe there should be tests to breed.

the problem with democracy is it doesnt require you to think before expressing your opinion. Far to many sheep pick the nearest convenient opinion (often those spouted by vacuous celebrity) “but he plays a doctor he must know what he’s talking about”

an ignorant opinion is not as valuable as an informed one

[RevJim 0]

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The only good thing that came out of Jane Fonda was her daughter. Yum yum.

I searched like a madman, but have yet to find a single picture of her! This was interesting though....

From http://www.lukeford.com/archives/updates/990831.htm

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“Brown is environment notorious for its "four-year lesbians," or "lugs," which stands for "lesbian until graduation,” explained “Alyssa,” a succulently cerebral Brown graduate and writer with a non-unfamiliar byline. “Vanessa Vadim was already the reigning campus dyke when Rory Kennedy arrived in ‘87. As a women’s-studies major, Rory soon came under Vanessa’s spell. Before long both of them were them were members of the most outrageous, unabashed lesbian cliques.”

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[Iflyme 0]

I think you would find many "celebrities" endorse products, ideas, organizations, because they are rewarded financially!

[freeflir29 0]

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Before long both of them were them were members of the most outrageous, unabashed lesbian cliques

How do you go about getting into one of those?

[RevJim 0]

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How do you go about getting into one of those?

When you find out, let me know!

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1