Linda J. Alexander http://www.lindajalexander.net
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Christina:
Mellencamp was political about 100 years ago. He started in his career doing those socio-political sort of songs & jumping in on certain issue bandwagons, so it didn't surprise me much when I saw him weighing in on this conflict.
He didn't, however, present himself all that well. He just sounded, to me, like a different version of Rodney King, in that he could've as easily been saying, "Can't we all just get along?!" His responses were so simplistic & gave no workable argument to back up his position.
I can see where utilizing the services of a celebrity to further a cause, if that celebrity is credible, can be a savvy marketing move. I think we live in a day--& clearly history repeats itself over & over--whereby it's not the celebrity being "hired," so to speak, but the celebrity using his/her own name to promote his/her own views . . . as if BECAUSE they're a celebrity, their beliefs are any more learned than those of Joe & Jane Doe. They might be, but they need the resume to prove it.
That, to me, is where some in our society might get into trouble, in the course of believing the celebrity because of their name, not because of their knowledge & expertise in whichever social/political issue is at hand.
I found this whole concept intriguing when I did my Robert Taylor book research. Everyone thinks Taylor sat there in front of HUAC cameras because of his gung-ho American idealism, that he WANTED to be there. Taylor was an idealistic American, extraordinarily conservative (sometimes he put Reagan to shame), & he believed in what he espoused. He had the political knowledge to speak intelligently since he'd been working behind the Hollywood political scene for some time. However, he did not go in front of that committee willingly. The gov't used his name to further their cause. He went w/it because there was a lot at stake (much coercion going on behind the scenes), & he was kicking & screaming all the way.
I WOULD like to see the job description for the Prez. Wouldn't that be a hoot? SNL--or even more over the top, Mad TV--would have a heyday w/that one!
Blessings -- Linda
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