Jeneane Garofalo on Crossfire on CNN...

[Guest Downhome]

I would just like to express my pure and utter disgust at all of this. Did I miss the press conferance where she, and others of entertainment acclaim, became masters of forigen affairs? I mean, did they all just get some sort of diploma or something, because if not, I really don't know what's going on. She's on here talking like she knows more about everything that's going on than anyone in the government, it's making me fucking sick. That is all, I'm going back to getting pissed off at this shit now.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest JMA]

I agreed with almost everything she said. Go get 'em, Janeane.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Heh, and if she was spewing conservative drivel, I'm sure it'd be just fine.

[Guest Some Guy]

I don't really have a problem with her in particular. She can at least string together a coherant sentence, but at the same time she is just spitting out the party line and not accomplishing anybody. I'm not a big fan of these Superstar pundits, most of whom are totally ignorant when it comes to politics (Ben Affleck for one), that goes for both sides of the fence, but I'm a little softer on the Conservatives because at least they're right.

 

Another point. Why do these celebrities feel a need to publically state their political beliefs? The country is roughly split down teh middle and openly choosing sides runs the risk of alienating you from half the country. I think it's bad business. Ask Sean Penn what his anti-Americanism got him, he claims that he lost a $10 mil. movie contract because of this. I think Arnold, Willis, Heston, Madonna, Affleck, Penn (the only peace nick who beats his wife and photographers), etc... should just shut up and make movies. Giving people a reason to dislike you is not a good career move.

[Guest LooseCannon]

Another point. Why do these celebrities feel a need to publically state their political beliefs? The country is roughly split down teh middle and openly choosing sides runs the risk of alienating you from half the country. I think it's bad business. Ask Sean Penn what his anti-Americanism got him, he claims that he lost a $10 mil. movie contract because of this. I think Arnold, Willis, Heston, Madonna, Affleck, Penn (the only peace nick who beats his wife and photographers), etc... should just shut up and make movies. Giving people a reason to dislike you is not a good career move.

Perhaps they're willing to sacrifice their careers for their principles?

[Guest imajackoff?]

I have no problem with Garafalo. She seems to have sincere feelings on the issue, and backs it up with strong points. I may not agree with her on all accounts, but I can respect her voiceing a widely unpopular opinion.

 

Would she, or any other celebrity change my mind on any important issue? NOPE.

[Guest BDC]

Whatever. What makes their opinion more valid than mine? What makes Affleck's opinion more valid than my own? He wore a red leather suit in Daredevil and is engaged to J-Lo, so he must know EVERYTHING about world events, right?

[Guest Some Guy]

Another point.  Why do these celebrities feel a need to publically state their political beliefs?  The country is roughly split down teh middle and openly choosing sides runs the risk of alienating you from half the country.  I think it's bad business.  Ask Sean Penn what his anti-Americanism got him, he claims that he lost a $10 mil. movie contract because of this.  I think Arnold, Willis, Heston, Madonna, Affleck, Penn (the only peace nick who beats his wife and photographers), etc... should just shut up and make movies.  Giving people a reason to dislike you is not a good career move.

Perhaps they're willing to sacrifice their careers for their principles?

Could be. Now that I think of it, it's actually a good move for Garofalo because at least sshe's getting publicity. I'm pretty sure that most people who watch O'Reilly or Crossfire had no clue who she is until she appeared. But for established stars it's not a good move. Most of them are so ignorant that they even spew the party line correctly and certainly can't follow up on it when prompted.

[Guest NoCalMike]

I personally don't mind if celebs wish to let their views be known, whether it is Alec Baldwin, or Bruce Willis or Charlton Heston. They have just as much right as all of us and shouldn't be looked at as any more stuid than the general public just because we may disagree with one of them. There are stupid celebs that will shoot their mouths off on both sides.

[Guest JMA]

I'm not a big fan of these Superstar pundits, most of whom are totally ignorant when it comes to politics (Ben Affleck for one), that goes for both sides of the fence, but I'm a little softer on the Conservatives because at least they're right.

You mean they're ON the Right. But the Right, of course, is wrong.

[Guest Some Guy]

Sometimes, but for the most part they're correct.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

She was famous before this.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

I think Arnold, Willis, Heston, Madonna, Affleck, Penn (the only peace nick who beats his wife and photographers)...

For a second there, I thought you were talking about "Diff'rent Strokes"

[Guest Some Guy]

She was famous before this.

Yeah, I'm sure that the average Crossfire and O'Reilly viewers knew who she before she started her polical deal. Try reading the whole post.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"I think Arnold, Willis, Heston, Madonna, Affleck, Penn (the only peace nick who beats his wife and photographers)..."

 

LOL -- I forgot all about that. Perhaps if Madonna were Muslim he would have backed off.

 

I remember hearing stories of Alec Baldwin being quite abusive to his ex.

 

"Whatever. What makes their opinion more valid than mine? What makes Affleck's opinion more valid than my own? He wore a red leather suit in Daredevil and is engaged to J-Lo, so he must know EVERYTHING about world events, right?"

 

Because they can get on TV. Their opinions aren't more valid, but they have access to places you and I can't get to.

 

I feel it's time for Congress to enact television-guest reform. I'm tired of all these celebs getting preferential treatment through their public notoriety...

[Guest teke184]

I personally don't mind if celebs wish to let their views be known, whether it is Alec Baldwin, or Bruce Willis or Charlton Heston. They have just as much right as all of us and shouldn't be looked at as any more stuid than the general public just because we may disagree with one of them. There are stupid celebs that will shoot their mouths off on both sides.

I have a problem with some celebs more than others.

 

Richard Gere promoting pacifism in NYC just after 9/11 is just stupid, not offensive.

 

Alec Baldwin calling for Newt Gingrich's head on a pike on David Letterman IS offensive.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Baldwin lost any minor credibility he had when he backed out of his promise to leave the U.S. if Bush won the election.

[Guest JMA]

Sometimes, but for the most part they're correct.

How's that? Look who supports them: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dr. Laura, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, Bay Buchanan, Bill O'Reilly, John Ashcroft, ect. A pack of idiots, psychopaths, and media whores. Personally, as an atheist, I think too many conservatives are Bible-thumpers. I'm not here to defend the Left's supporters, but I can say with certainty that the extreme Right is more insane than the extreme Left. But anyways, people only like what celebs say when they agree with the celeb's viewpoints (I'm guilty of this as well). Some may deny it, but it IS true. That's all I have to say about this.

[Guest DrTom]

Baldwin still hasn't left the country like he said he would.

 

Ah well. I don't have a particular problem with celebrities voicing their opinion -- they're just as entitled to it as anyone else. What I dislike is when people treat their opinions as carrying more weight or being more "correct" than someone else's simply because they're a celebrity. Maybe it's just the way I perceive things, but I think quite a few of them have this opinion themselves, and if they don't, the TV hosts who invariably walk on eggshells in their presences certainly do.

[Guest JMA]

Baldwin still hasn't left the country like he said he would.

Has he explained why he didn't leave? I know why he really didn't of course, he thought Bush would lose. But has he given an excuse? If I was a celeb and said that, I would follow through with it. It's not like America is the greatest country on Earth or anything.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

I can say with certainty that the extreme Right is more insane than the extreme Left.

That is debatable.

 

Perhaps the NORTH AMERICAN extreme right is more wacky, but I daresay that if you study the ideology of hardcore communists or envoirnmentalists, you'd be surprised.

 

I once knew a card carrying member of the communist party (I won't name names) who felt that the poor and weak NEEDED to be crushed underfoot during the unavoidable "revolution."

 

Then there are radical animal rights activists who advocate the murder of hunters and scientists who experiment on animals...much like their right wing counterparts who advocate the murder of abortion doctors.

 

In my opinion, the extreme right and left have more in COMMON that either side woould like to admit.

 

It's safe to say that extremism of EITHER side is not healthy.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

It's not like America is the greatest country on Earth or anything.

 

Uh...I'm not even American, and I have to ask...

 

What?

[Guest JMA]

Uh...I'm not even American, and I have to ask...

 

What?

I AM American, but I would prefer a society closer to Japan, or maybe Canada.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

I live in Canada, and you are either grossly misinformed, or out of your mind.

 

I'd trade places with you in a hot minute.

 

If you become Canadian, I hope you like forking over 40 percent of your pay check for taxes, because that's what you're going to do.

 

The taxes pay for the supposed "free" health care, that you can get quicker in the U.S., with better doctors, (including all of the Canadian ones who moved for the money).

 

Canada is not without it's benefits, but it would not exist without the U.S. in this day and age.

[Guest bob_barron]

I also live in Canada and aside from Brockville, Ontario it's not much better then the US.

 

I really enjoy their shitty dollar but paying 15% tax on everything gets really old.

[Guest treble charged]

While I don't really like paying out the ass in taxes, I really appreciate that if I hurt myself, I can go to the ER and pretty much hassle free I can get treated. And, in the past 10 years, I've only ever been to the emergency room 3 times, so it's not as if I'm Tim Taylor here, or anything.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

I dunno TC. In Toronto, you could literally DIE waiting to be seen, as the lack of qualified doctors and nurses have left the ER's dangerously understaffed, with many hospitals actually TURNING AWAY people from the ER unless they are brought in by ambulance, and even then, there is the danger of being put on "redirect."

 

Last summer, a guy died of an asthma attack because his ambulance got turned away from an Emergency Room, and the average wait to be seen in a Canadian Urban ER is now 3-6 hours.

 

Your tax dollars, hard at work.

[Guest treble charged]

I live in a mid-sized city (around 20,000), so I luck out in that respect. I think I maybe had to wait 20 minutes when I sprained my elbow a few years ago, and I was whisked in when I broke my leg.

 

I understand that the system's not perfect, but it's worked well enough for me.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"Richard Gere promoting pacifism in NYC just after 9/11 is just stupid, not offensive."

 

And then Richard Gere getting BOOED OFF THE STAGE was PRICELESS. The only thing better was when Hillary got Booed. God I wish I recorded that.

 

"I AM American, but I would prefer a society closer to Japan, or maybe Canada."

 

Then GO already! Hell, I'll chip in to buy the plane ticket. Also, what would you consider to be the greatest country on Earth. I could see the argument for one of those little funky Scandinavian places, but from what I hear they have a tight immigration policy...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Celebrities have every right to speak out. Most people don't give a flying fuck what they say but that doen't really matter.

 

Bruce Willis is outspoken. I've never noticed it.