Where Is The Mute Button?

Due to the recent outbreak of the celebrity opinion machine concerning the war in Iraq, I felt I needed to bring to the table my 2 cents as it were. I can safely say, plus or minus a couple 100,000 US citizens, that we do not care about your views. That is to say, we do not care about your views. Simply because you are a well-known singer, actor or sports personality, this does not automatically equal your words mean anymore than the average Joe Blank. Unfortunately, the simple-minded folk of this country feed off your every word and thusly, you begin to think your voice means something to us. Sorry, it does not.

Now, this is not to say that your voice doesn’t carry any weight. Or it goes unnoticed, not at all. Look what the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks did for her band! Although radio stations might very well start playing their Cds again, they are now experiencing a nice long MUTE, due to the outspokenness of one ill-informed little girl. Way to go and Yeehaw!

Why are we, and I say we with large, breast-implanted quotes, so enthralled with what the silver screened have to say? Are they better than us? Smarter than us? More informed than us? I say no. Simply because Martin Sheen plays the president on TV does not give him any more insight to the going’s on with the real president than you or I. However, his voice is heard over mine simply because he is in the public eye and people respect him. Maybe not the evil that is Martha Stewart, but most do.

What this all comes down to is that when I watch an awards show, which is very rare, I find myself leaping for the remote every time some flash in the pan, hip-hop, white trash, baseball hitting, basketball dunking, Pepsi endorsing, ribbon wearing, “Gee I have a thought”, fool has a mic in front of them and uses it to express themselves. Before you start talking, attention any member of No Doubt and Limp Biskit, think for a moment: do these people really care what I have to say, aren’t I just a tool of the industry? If you stop and ponder what I just proposed, I think you’ll make the right choice.

Let us know your own opinion: andrew@nomoreaffleck.com