Using Their Powers for Bad

Over the years, there have been multiple occasions in which the entertainment industry has stuck it's nose in places where it doesn't belong. Instead doing their job of providing the general public with music, movies, and television shows that will amuse them, and divert them from their normal everyday life, people in Hollywood are using their status of high respect to influence others political views.

In August of 1972, as the Vietnam War was winding down, Jane Fonda visited North Vietnam. While she was there, she visited many of the places where the Vietnamese people were living, and also the Vietnamese soldiers. One photo that was taken of her instantly became famous. She was posing on an NVA anti-aircraft gun, the same guns that were used to shoot down American planes. While American soldiers were over in Vietnam putting their lives on the line for our country, she went to visit the enemy, and sit in the gun seat of anti-American weaponry. While members of our military were fighting for their lives, she was using her celebrity and money to protest the war, and influence others to do the same.

As a member of a highly respected industry, others took the views and opinions of Jane Fonda very seriously. When someone of that status goes to other countries, and makes statements such as Jane Fonda did, other countries begin to believe that they are the views of the entire country. Her anti-war feelings were construed as being the general sentiment of all Americans because she was the one who was famous enough to have here opinions documented and widely publicized.

Another celebrity who has used her fame for reasons other than entertainment is Sheryl Crow. She has not gone quite as far as Jane Fonda did in the seventies, but has still used notoriety to influence others. She frequently wears anti-war apparel at her concerts and other Hollywood events, and always sneaks in some sort of "no war" speech into all of her interviews.

In 2003 during a March concert in London, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, took a break from performing to make some very controversial comments. She claimed that, "we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." A comment may felt was completely uncalled for, it caused many people to boycott them. Patrons that paid for those tickets did not do so in order to hear a political debate, they paid to hear a concert.