What is going on these days? Why is it important for people to know the sexual preferences of entertainers and celebrities? I’m speaking about the minor controversy on the sexuality of the Grey’s Anatomy star (I think it was Mr. T.R. Knight but I may be wrong) and Mr. Neil Patrick Harris. Does it really matter? Does it change their ability to entertain us in any way?
I mean really, what changes. Mr. Harris has announced he is gay. Good for him, I really don’t care. This fact changes nothing in my life. I had the same reaction hearing about Ms. Rosie O’Donnell, Mr. Freddy Mercury, Mr. Ian McKellen, Mr. George Takei, Ms. Amanda Bearse or anyone else. It really means nothing, until someone makes a big deal of it. Good singers sing, good actors act and so on. Sexuality is not a factor in ability to entertain; it deals with individual personal lives only. Personally I’d rather not hear about it. That includes the sexuality of heterosexual couples. I’m not involved with the celebrity or entertainer so it doesn’t matter.
If I start dating Ms. Janet Jackson, then I’ll be interested in her choices, otherwise that doesn’t matter. Teens will still dream of dating whomever, so will older fans obsessed with the looks of whomever. I’m just tired of hearing about it, or about this entertainer divorcing X, or dating X. As a friend once said (about a separate subject) it’s just ‘mental masturbation’ to waste your time wondering and fretting over whom is sleeping with whom when they aren’t sleeping with you.
On a separate note, what is it with some people? Recently Ms. Alicia Keys had to defend her cause, Keep A Child Alive, due to criticism over celebrities giving aid to African nations. Now I realize there has been a lot said about Madonna and her quick, broken law adoption of an African child after donating $3 million. But that has nothing to do with helping those who need it.
Yes I took Madonna to task. Not because of the cause, but due to my feeling that the way the adoption worked out it felt like a purchase which is wrong. Yes I’ve mentioned that I think Ms. Oprah Winfrey could do more in the United States, but that does not mean I don’t respect what she does do or that she is doing a great think helping those people in South Africa. I equally am glad that Ms. Keys, Ms. Bowie (Iman), Mr. George Clooney and others are standing up and reminding people that millions around the world need help, and that they aren’t too far for us to reach out and lend a hand.
Yet I have to wonder when celebrities must defend their causes, because the media implies that their cause is a sham. I find that both 2-faced and detrimental. First to say entertainer X is increasing their sales for standing for a cause (I mean supporting it, not showing up and being paid to lend their name to a cause – like with the Hurricane Katrina events) is to belittle the cause. The other thought is where is that same level of criticism when a politician does the same thing? Like when Senator Clinton (who sadly won her re-election) jumped on the band wagon against video games, but has said nothing since the outcry, around the release of the latest Grand Theft Auto.
If that isn’t shallow and false what is? But to berate entertainers for something they truly believe in that’s bad. And for individuals to accept that treatment without checking into the cause and the entertainer or celebrity’s position is just lazy and mean. You don’t have to agree, or do anything, but they shouldn’t be maligned because they have.
This is what I think, what do you think?
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