The good things celebrities do
The other day as I was waiting in line to board my plane to Hollywood, with CNN on every television in the Atlanta airport, I heard someone behind me say, “I'm so tired of hearing about these celebrities all the time.– My first thought was, “Well, turn it off,– but the more I thought about it, the more I agreed with him. In order to get some real news you have to sit through the gossip. Britney Spears in and then out and then into rehab again (Is she out again?), or about what was in Anna Nicole Smith's refrigerator when she died. Global warming, genocide, AIDS and poverty in Africa, insufficient healthcare right here in the US of A, and even the war in Iraq all take a back seat to the gossip news, even (or especially) on the major networks.
But sometimes celebrities do amazing things, extraordinary acts of generosity and selflessness that make a big difference in the lives of many. And they should. They have the ability to have their voices heard and their actions seen. Here are some things celebrities have done that are actually newsworthy.
There are few people in the world who are as effective at making progress than Bono. The lead singer of one of our favorite bands, U2, is currently involved in over a dozen charities including The One Campaign, (RED), Amnesty International, and MusiCares. The total effect of his activism on poverty, AIDS awareness, and peace is too great to fully cover but you can read more about it here.
And, of course, there's Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for those of you who have been fortunate enough to miss the immaterial gossip). They seem to be on the front page of the tabloids every week regarding their relationship, where they've been, their diets– ¦ you get the picture. But they are also two of the most prominent activists. Joining Bono's efforts mentioned above they have focused much of their attention to helping children effected by poverty and war in Africa, even adopting refugees. Rather than let the paparazzi make money on their newborn, Shiloh Nouvel, they raised $7 million for charity by selling the rights to her photos.
There are more. Many more. You can read about them here. But the next time we roll our collective eyes at a picture of Britney Spears' barbershop atrocitiy, let's log on and read about some of the great things that come out of the industry as well. Oh, and maybe get involved ourselves.
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