Celebrities and Katrina

Numerous celebrities are doing something to help out with victims of Katrina.

Everyone’s seen the clip now at the Red Cross fundraiser when Kanye West said that “Bush doesn’t care about black people”. I can understand his frustration, but I think he’s only making it worse. He did pledge $1 million though.

Oprah recently said that the country owes flood victims an apology. There have been thousands of people that have done incredible things for the victims of hurricane Katrina. Yet she says that while she’s down there shooting episodes for her show and wearing a gas mask in the Superdome, because the stench was too much for her. She has, also, pledged a large amount of money.

http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1101909,00.html

David Banner, and T.I. are putting together a show to raise money, but Banner also said
"I don't want to hear the national anthem, dude. Don't play the national anthem around me no more."

Many celebrities like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z, and Celine Dion have pledged $1 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, but have also blasted Bush.

http://www.eitb24.com/noticia_en.php?id=87567

Harry Connick Junior, John Travolta, Sean Penn, Macy Gray, Jamie Fox and other actors are volunteering time to pull people from the water or hand out food and water.

I know everyone has a right to say whatever they want and everyone is very emotional right now, but celebrities have fans and a following and their words carry a lot more weight then an average citizen saying something.

My question is how many of them do you think are helping, using this as publicity, or are just hurting matters more then they are helping?

 

Most of them for self-interest me thinks.

I'm a celebrity too so check out my sig for my pledge.

 

Celebrities are given way too much credence in this country (maybe in the world).

I don't blame them for saying what they feel. I blame society for placing so much importance on celebrities and what they say.

 

Yeah that’s true, but at the same time celebrities know that society latches on to their every word and they have a lot of sway on their fan base. So knowing that do you not think that they should edit what they say somewhat? I mean you have some celebrities say they aren’t role models yet when people look up to them they end up becoming ‘role models’.

As far as the publicity I think it’s hard to tell how much that plays in to each celebrities’ reason for doing stuff like this.

One of the best things concerning celebrities and emergency relief efforts was with Steve Buscemi during 9-11. He was a firefighter in New York prior to being an actor and still keeps in close contact with them. When he heard about 9-11 he went to New York, put on his old firefighting clothes and went to work. A couple of reporters tried to get interviews, but he basically told them that he was there to work and not for press coverage. After everything was said and done, he didn’t stick around for an interview.

 

Totally! Celebs are just feeding what society is wanting. They are only human you know?

 

It twitters me to no end that some people who have never held real jobs have so much influence in our society.

 

I wouldn't go that far Will, many have worked hard, but just don't produce anything that is a necessity. It is how much they make for what they do that is out of balance. And because they are popular and rich people bow down to them like gods.

The people that are really helping aren't getting much coverage, especially where they are on their soapbox of hate.

 

Honestly, it makes me nothing but happy that they donate and give that much. It will surely help many many people who need help right this minute. If they choose to bump up their fame this way, more power to them (can't think of a better way to do so, btw). Some would probably choose to help anonymously which is hard in their world

 

Some celebrities are doing great things to raise money and help out, using their fame to try to get help to those that need it.

Then you have Sean Penn. He decided he would get a boat and rescue people himself. The problem was he had his whole entourage with him and a photographer to document him pulling a child from the water.

Thing is, with so many people in the boat there was no room for survivors...Plus they forgot to replace the drain in the boat so it sank

It makes me sick to see him jump on every cause making sure his paid photographer is there to get photos and his publicist to handle how they are printed.

Many other celebrities who are doing what we are all doing - anything that can help - you will never hear about them - which is fine with them.

 

If I was in charge of the volunteers / what the celebs do, it would be a good opportunity to have a little fun with them.

Celine Dion - clean the toilets
John Travolta - fly one of the planes
Harry Connick Junior - carry my bag
Macy Gray - unload MRE's

 

The problem is people won't pay money to sit there and watch a teacher teach, but they will pay money to watch someone play a teacher in a movie.

I have a friend that is a police officer that works a ton of overtime as a security guard to help make ends meet. He makes less then librarians in this town. I mean you could argue he should have chosen to do something else or shouldn't have such a large family, but things are out of whack.

There are a number of our soldiers that are on food stamps, because they get paid so little.

The blame lies with our society as a whole, because at the end of the day people put more value on entertainment then security or education. Doctors make good money, because people put a value on their health, but not as much as their entertainment.

 

yes...and how messed up is it that someone who can catch and throw a ball around makes 200 million dollars? the people who deserve that much are the teachers, doctors, police, and military. they are all making a huge impact in all of our lives, not A Rod.