Hollywood: Ego, Politics And Wealth

Hollywood, that bastion of immorality and bloated bank accounts, has decided that they are to be the new arbitors of American politics. These people who are used to being courted and pandered to by a variety of press and film industry leeches, use anyone and anything to massage their over inflated egos.

From photo ops such as the one currently being bruited about, with Ms. Jolie, and new hubby Brad Pitt in Africa, to attempts to outright sway elections, nothing is sacred in their efforts to stay in the public eye.

The results are pathetically obvious in California, where Arnie is currently ensconced as "da governator", as he's called here. A man best known for his hot action movies, in which he's always the hero, somehow, living in Lotusland, convinced him he could run California like a movie. The Governor's website is an embarrassment, with its self serving information about his movies and links to special Arnie merchandise.

His popularity and ratings are at an all time low, and his lack of political ability has hurt the state tremendously. It was with horror, while doing a survey, that I discovered that Warren Beatty, of Batman and Shampoo fame, was being considered as a candidate for our state. What has happened to being qualified to run for office? Or does playing roles somehow make one instantly able to get elected?

Most Hollywood denizens have never seen active duty, nor any type of service. They spend their time and money on public events, designed to show off new gowns or mates. They live in enormous homes, have multiple cars, and often whole rooms to hold their wardrobes. Their lives are paens to ego and self.

Public service and duty are the very antithesis of the mindset of most of these people. When they do become involved in "charity matters", they are usually huge, well attended by press and hangers on, and guaranteed to allow them to bask in the glow of the public adoration they feel they deserve.

During the last Presidential election, they came together in a patent attempt to sway the voters, believing that big box office, meant power. Actors who disagreed with them, were shunned and suddenly off A list party books. No matter the tactics, it didn't work then, and won't in the future.

Instead of playing at politics, these people could help this country enormously, by giving to causes that desperately need attention: poverty and homelessness, for example. We are now a country top heavy in highly affluent people, the bulk of them in the film, sports and music industries. They could take a lesson from Walter Annenberg and Bill Gates for example, both of whom donate billions to charitable causes.

My father once defined what the meaning of a true aristocrat was: "a person, who possessing enormous wealth and land, cares for the less fortunate and needy, seeing it as the responsibility of possessing great wealth ". We could relieve the burden on the Federal government, and improve so many lives, if only some of the new aristocracy recognized this. Instead of being so enamored of self, they might try turning away from the mirror of vanity and excess, and use some of their over inflated pay to help those who need it here at home. Maybe then, when they finally turn back to their mirrors, they just may like what they see.