Could P. Diddy, Ben Affleck or Michael Moore really get you to vote? All over the nation celebrities are walking down something besides the red carpet– – the national convention aisles.
But could P. Diddy really make the 18-to 30-year-olds vote in numbers higher than the past? Why was Diddy even at the Democratic National Convention in the first place? He strutted his stuff down the media runway to make sure the cameras caught a glimpse of him. He talked to “guppy” news reporters who fell into the publicity trap P. Diddy had so successfully baited.
What did he say? Basically, he said he was there to get young people to vote in the upcoming election. Noting he didn’t care whom they voted for just as long as they turned out at the polls. He made sure to point out he was not affiliated with any political party. So, why didn’t he attend the Republican National Convention as well?
Maybe since we are a democracy, Diddy was confused by the title Democratic Convention and didn’t realize Bush wouldn’t be there speaking after the Democratic nominee John Kerry. Or maybe, just maybe, all of this has been a publicity stunt to keep his name in the papers.
Diddy changed out of his name-brand suit at the MTV Video Music Awards into a T-shirt saying “VOTE OR DIE.” Who’s gonna kill me Diddy? You? I’m sure if you sneak up on me I won’t even know you or your 500 bodyguards, your two personal assistants or that annoying guy who holds the umbrella over your head in San Tropez are even there.
Ben Affleck has also been on the voting bandwagon traveling with Kerry on the campaign trail. Affleck deserves slightly more respect than Diddy when it comes to politics because he at least defended his views to the hardest political anchor on TV, Bill O’Reilly on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor. He fared pretty well, too, prompting O’Reilly to compliment him – a very rare thing. But don’t forget, Affleck is also in the wealthy tax break bracket. All of his actions almost lead you to believe he’s voting for Kerry because they share political beliefs. Great! Good for him. Unlike Diddy, at least he has chosen a party and a candidate to get behind. But, he can’t change my mind on voting or my chosen candidate.
Then there’s Michael Moore. He is the only celebrity that has actually attended both political conventions. You may remember Moore as the controversial filmmaker who made movies like Fahrenheit 9/11, which blasts the actions of president Bush in the days following the World Trade Center attacks, and Bowling for Columbine about gun laws and the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.
The sad thing is every speaker took such a hard jab at him, that after the third day of the Republican Convention he said he wouldn’t be back. Keep in mind all Moore did was listen attentively to the speakers and stay in his seat. He wasn’t disrupting anything except maybe Dick Cheney’s heartbeat.
How sad it is that a man who has blasted Bush and the political system can’t even try to gather his information from both sides equally without others screaming “Get out you Democrat.”
I really don’t think celebrities can change the minds of young voters. Yes, they can heighten voter awareness and contribute financially to political campaigns. They can dress up in their fancy suits showing off their bling bling at the conventions, but without ever knowing what idea they really stand behind, their appearance holds no weight.
A wise philosophy instructor once said to me “For the sake of all humanity, don’t vote.” Initially I thought he was just joking, but after all of the rhetoric that has been regurgitated by the media and entertainment business I finally understand what he was trying to say. He only meant if you cannot actually use your voting privileges wisely then leave politics to the people who do it best.
What would happen if, you found out that the candidate you voted for because P.Diddy told you to sent your brother off to war in Iraq? Would you still stand behind a vote you entered just because you liked a song of his?
I also realize that these conventions the celebrities are turning out in droves to attend, are nothing but “he said/she said” crap that has nothing to do with the actual stance on an issue a specific candidate might hold. But that shouldn’t convince you to a side either.
You should choose a topic that is close to your personal situation. You can even chose a candidate by asking yourself how you see the future of America pertaining to economics or even international issues. Whatever you do, don’t just take someone’s word for it. Especially if that someone has another interest in mind, like, say, keeping their publicity at an all-time high.
So, if you don’t really care, if you haven’t actually asked yourself why you are voting in the first place and have come up with an answer other than it’s my god given right, or are only voting because MTV has flashed so many subliminal messages about voting your way, then please stay far, far away from the polls in November.
I only want people at the polls who actually care about whether or not my generation receives the social security benefits they are entitled too, where the war in Iraq is heading or other issues of importance.
Voting shouldn’t be something celebrities have to support so the younger generations will take notice. It should be something young voters feel privileged to be apart of. It should be compared to turning 21 and being able to buy that first beer. It should be compared to turning 18. But 18 shouldn’t be the age defined by independence. Eighteen should be the age that young people across the nation proclaim that they finally have a say in our government.
Young voters can swing the election this year but how much good would it do our country if they only voted because it was the cool, hip thing to do?
Besides, this isn’t a remake of a 70’s R&B classic or a movie about a comic book hero co-starring Jennifer Garner. We are choosing someone for the next four years to represent, lead, govern and propel our country into the future.
I’m not so sure I want Hollywood to make voting a bigger production that it already is by sending its flying monkeys disguised as celebrity voters out to the polls.
But then again flying monkeys probably have more pull in politics than P. Diddy.

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