Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

April 04, 2006

It's Hard to Be a Political Celebrity

I really feel sorry for celebrities who get vocal about politics. Really, I do. Oliver Stone is the latest one to feel slighted regarding criticism being lobbed at him and other politically correct Hollywooders who dare to criticize President Bush, Iraq, and pet conservative causes.

"We're Hollywood wackos and all that stuff, left-wing... (It's) an easy and facile dismissal. "I'm still a citizen, I've served my country as a veteran, I've had many jobs before the film business. I know something of life, having lived to this age. We have a right to speak and every time we speak: 'You're an actor, a showbusiness director,' we're making it up! This is not a way of dealing with people. This is slander."

Last time I checked, I'm a citizen too. And it's my right to criticize the so-called stars if I don't agree with what they do or say. See, Mr. Stone, that's all part and parcel of being an American citizen: as long as you aren't threatening to kill someone, you can pretty much say anything you'd like. And if others don't like it, they can fire back. Free speech is a two-way street.

I guess I feel sorry for these people because all day long they're used to hearing "Yes, Mr. Stone," "No, Mr. Stone," "Whatever you say, Mr. Stone" from toadies, lickspittles and other various and sundry yes men who depend on celebs like Stone for a paycheck. It must be a tremendous shock to the system when someone dares to disagree...