Andrew Breitbart and the Celebrity "Pledge" Video

Remember that celebrity "I Pledge" video that was going around last fall, or earlier this year? It's starting to make the rounds again, with a school in Utah getting into trouble for trying to indoctrinate (sorry, I mean "inspire") the kids with it.

Now that it's making the news again, Kathryn Jean Lopez over at the Corner reminds us of Andrew Breitbart's beautiful response to it.

Here's the video, just so you know what I'm talking about.


That's funny, but I don't see anything said in this video that these celebrities couldn't have been doing the last eight years. Demi Moore wants to "free one million people from slavery in the next five years." Really, Demi? You couldn't have done that before? No, you were too busy making a bad Charlie's Angels movie. I'm sure those slaves you're being so successful at freeing now are really glad you waited eight years before getting around to it. And what if McCain had won? Would you no longer be interested in freeing them anymore?

Aaron Eckhart wants to "be a better person." What stopped you before? I loved you in Dark Knight, but does it really take having the right person in office to "inspire" you to be a better person? If so, what does that say about you?

Was it the dastardly George Bush that kept Hollywood from making all of those noble anti-war movies? Were they being "repressed" and "experiencing the violence inherent in the system?"



No, I don't think they were. Nobody actually went to see these movies, but nobody kept them from being made.

Did the Hitler-like George Bush keep the Dixie Chicks from shooting their mouths off over in Europe about their politics? No, I don't remember that either. I remember a public backlash over it, but just as they're free to spout their views, so people are also free to express their opinions of the Dixie Chicks' opinions by not listening to them, burning their records, or making any other kind of political statement they want to make about it.

Celebrities kept saying they were being "courageous" by "speaking truth to power." But true courage would have been risking being excluded from their celebrity cocktail parties and circle jerks by actually being for Bush. Nah, can't have that. I may not be invited to the right parties anymore.

Look, I don't really care what celebrities do or think about politics, as long as it doesn't affect me (or society in general). If Jon Voight wants to speak at the American Enterprise Institute or George Clooney wants to post liberal drivel at the Huffington Post, more power to them. I'd probably applaud Voight and laugh at Clooney, depending on what they said.

But if I'm paying $100 to listen to your music, and your music isn't political (if it is, then the audience knows what they're getting going in), then I don't want to hear your politics while you've got me captive in my seat. I didn't pay you $100 to try to convince me of something (and I'd say this about a conservative musician as well). As Laura Ingraham's book title says, "Shut up and sing."

As the joke goes (and this didn't happen, but it's still funny as hell):

Bono is at a U2 concert when he asks the audience for some quiet. Then in the silence, he starts to slowly clap his hands. Holding the audience in total silence, he says into the microphone... "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies." A voice from near the front pierces the silence... "Well, f***ing stop it then!"

Don't they understand that nobody really cares what they think? Celebrities came out in droves for Kerry in 2004. Look what that got them. And it resulted in some disparaging comments about Middle America from these same celebrities after that disappointment, if I remember correctly. They came out in droves for Obama in 2008, but given everything else that was involved in that election, I think it's doubtful that the celebrity endorsements had much impact.

As for the video, the whole thing is full of silliness and liberal platitudes. The fact that all of these things they must do just suddenly came to mind either speaks to their dis-ingenuousness or their mindset. Either way, it doesn't reflect well on them.

And Demi? Your vow to be a "servant to the President?" Newsflash: Presidents, congressmen, senators, all of those politicians? They represent us. They serve us. Not the other way around. I seem to remember we fought a war for just that reason, some 200 odd years ago (give or take 30). It's understandable you don't remember that. It didn't happen in the last 20 years.

Note: Iowahawk also has a terrific response to this video. Warning: there is some colourful language in it.