America has become best known as a melting pot, welcoming people from many different countries, races, and religions, all hoping to find freedom, new opportunities, and a better way of life. Unfortunately, when things melt together they don't always blend tastefully. If you need a visual consider cheeses; where some are sweet, savory, and even stinky. As a result of unique ingredients and densities, some cheeses separate, sour, turn gritty, and simply do not melt together in a pleasant way.
Finding the most tasteful blends of cheeses can be what distinguishes an extraordinary grilled cheese sandwich from the bland and soggy one my middle school served on Tuesdays. The trial and error is challenging in its own right, but just imagine how much more difficult it would be if every rotten brick of cheese was passed off as one made from donkey milk. If you are unfamiliar with donkey cheese, realize that only one farm in the world produces it, and the filthy rich will pay $700 or more per pound to grace their palates with it.
Sound ludicrous? I know, but while we're on the subject of both jackasses and obscene prices, let's segue into another kind of melting pot ... those who were given the name of the shiniest objects in our universe, despite the fact that many give off a stench as unpleasant as a spoiling brick of donkey cheese, Movie Star Activists.
Like many hardworking middle-class Americans, I've been a huge fan and supporter of Hollywood and its talented celebrities since childhood. However, after reaching adulthood and that point in my life where I determined my core values and started living true to them, the hypocrisy observed among Hollywood's finest began to disappoint me.
Just to be clear on words, a person is considered to be a hypocrite when he or she pretends to have beliefs, opinions, feelings, morals, values, principles or standards that one does not actually have. Wait a second ... doesn't pretending to be something you're not sounds a lot like acting? So maybe it's no stretch to observe how hypocrisy runs rampant throughout the entertainment industry.
To be fair, hypocrisy also spreads throughout many other industries and agencies within America. However, the only thing worse than hearing the government advise the general public on how to live, is when millionaire celebrities, who work tirelessly to separate themselves from mortals like you and me, try to do so.
We've all witnessed and somehow glanced over the double standards of our congressman and senators, where many are fine sending our children off to war while pulling strings to keep their kids safe at home. Thank the heavens for celebrity activists like Michael Moore who graciously pointed this out. Hey, wait a second ...
Filmmaker and liberal activist, Michael Moore, is one of the greatest hypocrites of all-time and the epitome of what this article is about. He repeatedly condemns capitalism while shamelessly masquerading as a deeply concerned commoner. Meanwhile, Moore's films have earned him more than $50 Million and supported an opulent lifestyle.
If Michael Moore was really so opposed to capitalism, and truly concerned about the poor Americans he exploits on the big screen, why does he choose to live in a 10,000 square foot home before donating the huge proceeds of his films to help the cause? Better yet, Moore could raise greater awareness of such issues by producing his films for public television, as opposed to limiting the message to the box office where people have to pay more than the hourly minimum wage to see it. Remember, if it looks, smells and tastes like bad cheese it usually is.
Another hot topic for lavish living celebrity activists falls under the area of income redistribution.
Personally, I've grown very tired of those uber-rich celebrities who use their popularity to deceive and manipulate the general public. The average annual salary in America is $50,000. Meanwhile, most of Hollywood's finest won't get out of bed for this price, as the Top 10 earned an average of $30 Million last year; which is 600 times greater than the ordinary worker ... 600 times!
Fortunately, many celebrity activists who support the idea of income redistribution have already achieved great wealth. So, if they truly support the cause, shouldn't each cap this year's salary to $1 Million (or merely 20 times the national average) and redistribute all additional funds to those who need it most? Nobody is stopping celebrities from paying 90% or more of their income in taxes, and our government will gladly accept it.
Unfortunately, most celebrities would never give up the majority of their salary to support the worthy cause they all pretend to believe in. The common scapegoat from doing so is ... why should I have to give up my money if everybody else isn't mandated to do so?
Hmm ... that's sort of like standing at the Safeway checkout counter, and waiting to see what the person in line before you does prior to donating a dollar to breast cancer. You either want to support breast cancer or you don't, what anybody else does is irrelevant.
I'd rather hear the next celebrity activist say they do their part to support income redistribution by paying through the nose for a dollop of curdled ass's milk.
As opposed to telling the general public what to do, celebrities should lead by example and set the standard. After all, that's exactly what they claim America should do on other controversial issues like carbon emissions. They tell us to keep a blind eye on China where the regulation, recklessness and toxicity to the planet is much worse, and how America should pay more to lead the effort on global warming.
In fact, celebrity activists like Leonardo DiCaprio who earned $45 Million last year recently led a march to support the so called issue of climate change. However, when a reporter asked DiCaprio "if travelling the world on a private jet and partying on a super yacht were good for the environment" he coldly shunned the reporter and let PR personnel scurry her away.
My last opine involves an incident that occurred just one day prior to the midterm elections. I returned home from a 5 mile run in a great mood to find a flashing light on my answering machine. When I played the message it was actor, and liberal activist, Mark Ruffalo checking in on behalf of MoveOn.org. I'm a huge fan of Mark's work on the big screen, but having to hear him say that "losing the senate to Republicans would harm the safety of our children" was just a little too much for me to bear.
As a registered Independent who always puts America first and looks for the best from both parties, I couldn't find Ruffalo's statement to be further from the truth. Apparently the majority of our nation also agrees with me. It's just a shame that a really terrific actor had to step out and condemn the beliefs of half of the people in this country for an attempt at political gain.
Whatever happened to United We Stand?
Instead of spewing trash talk and fear, Mark should have opted to say nothing at all. But if he must be heard, then say something like ... if Republicans win the senate, the nation is calling for change, so let's work together to put the future of America and the safety of our children first.
I'm not saying to let the activism of celebrities stop you from enjoying and supporting their work. However, isn't it time for the hypocrisy out of Hollywood to stop? Do we really need to hear Republican-basher, Ben Affleck, defend Islam and refer to anyone who doesn't as "racist", or listen to Julia Roberts say "the word Republican appears in the dictionary after reptile"? Should we ignore that fact that American soldiers are fighting and dying from the hands of Islamic terrorists to protect Ben's wealth and freedom? Do we not remind Julia Roberts that half of her success and fortune came from the opposing political party she's eager to condemn? Is it wrong to suggest that both celebrities shut up, smile and look pretty?
As one who supports fair capitalism and hopes to expose and remove the corruption from it, I believe that we should all have the liberty to achieve great wealth without having to sell our souls to the devil. In other words, we shouldn't have to lie or support the hidden agenda of others to reach our dreams. Observing the repeated acts of hypocrisy from celebrity activists, leads me to believe that many weren't so lucky.
When my time comes, I won't pretend to be something I'm not ... If partying on a super yacht and dropping down the cash to purchase a Ferrari can't be done with pride, I'd rather not have it.
My aim is to always preserve integrity, lead by example, and remain a good humanitarian by donating to those who truly needed it. This includes paving the way for all hardworking and noble Americans (no matter what political affiliation) to reach their dreams. Is it crazy for us to expect the same out of Hollywood?
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