R108 writes:

The real problem here is that celebrities already have name and face recognition, and are practiced at convincingly mouthing words they neither think nor believe.

Must then apply to that convincing word mouther Fred Thompson.

Thanks, Clint. I was thinking on and off all day how to word a serious post on this. Americans have the right to freely speak their minds, that does not extend to anyone having to accept, believe, or acknowledge what anyone else has to say. Same applies to religion. Long as you ain’t forcing your’s upon other people its all cool.

Been trying to comment in the cops tazered protestor thread, keep getting a url error page. I was flip in it this morning, too. Try, try again.

Speaking of the Dixie Chicks, do you think that they would have gotten the same reaction from fans and radio stations if they had made their comments about President Bush today instead of 10 days before the Iraq invasion in 2003?

Context is everything. Would Palestinians dancing in the street today evoke the same reaction of dancing in the streets Sept. 12, 2001?

This survey is being grossly misrepresented. The majority of Americans not only want celebrities to shut the F up, they want them tazered!

Most of these so-called celebrities, the mavens of TV and Hollywood, can attribute their celebrity status, their fame and their fortune, the very fact that anyone knows or cares who they are, to a lifelong commitment to make-believe. Singers like Streisand or the Dixie Chicks put their fantasy to song, while actors must be told what to say, how to stand, which eyebrow to raise, and when to fart. The idea that such people, whose entire lives are based on fiction and unreality, should be accorded some extra respect for their views on life in the real world, is simply nonsense.

Besides, the problem isn’t these celebrities’ views, jaded and unrealistic as they are, so much as the presumption that because they are “stars” they ought to be listened to. They are entitled to their views, just like the rest of us. They are NOT entitled to an audience.

One little thing, Fred Thompson was in politics/government service before he was an actor.

wet, provide the video of said Jews. CNN and BBC and Al Jazeera have video of Muslims celebrating after 9/11. Where is your video?

Proof: What about the Jews that where dancing on top of the roofs, or do you want to exclude them? That never happened on Sept 11th 2001 right Proof?

That most celebrities are clueless on the subject is neither here nor there.

The real problem here is that celebrities already have name and face recognition, and are practiced at convincingly mouthing words they neither think nor believe. People automatically believe them, and they are good at making what they say believable.
It’s not a “rights” issue, it’s a responsibility issue.

Right, but I have every right not to buy their CD’s or concert tickets.

Right you are Mr. Whistler. I just hope you have a good taste in music.

Aside from the actual politician that happens to be a Hollywood celebrity, I say most of the celebrities know less about politics than the average citizen. Sadly, too many people listen to the idiocies coming out of Hollywood.

Speaking of the Dixie Chicks, do you think that they would have gotten the same reaction from fans and radio stations if they had made their comments about President Bush today instead of 10 days before the Iraq invasion in 2003?

Big surprise.

I am surprised that conservatives discourage Americans from getting involved in politics.

Puzzle,

No doubt you offered that very same trite rejoinder when Ronald Reagan was elected… and re-elected (damn! now that was a landslide, wasn’t it?)

I’m sure both Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale would have been heartened by your analysis… not to mention Mr. Gorbachev.

B1, as you can see or read, I simply pointed out the irony in R108′s statement, that’s all.

so we balance out…I bought their album and I don’t even like country music.

As a conservative, most of the artists whose music I buy have political orientations pretty much the polar opposite of mine. But I ignore it. Good music is good music.

To me, the Dixie Chicks have never played good music. But that’s just my personal taste, and it has nothing to do with their politics.

My biggest point is that I thought the whole “Dixie Chicks as victims” thing was dumb. They said something, lots of their fans disagreed, and their careers took the hit.

Cause and effect, not censorship.