CNN’s Political Ticker has the “startling news” today that most celebrities (and some semi-celebrities… Christy Romano?) are putting their money behind Democratic presidential candidates this year. The network has some facts and figures.
As a longtime denizen of Hollywood, what struck me immediately reading them is how little money this is to these people. The big spender is Ben Stiller, who seems to be aping corporate donors by hedging his bets and giving to more than one candidate (Clinton and Edwards) for a total of $11,500, inexplicably going over the legal limit of $9200. But even at the higher number, that is chump change to Stiller (known to be a nice guy, by the way) when you consider that he has gross points in a half dozen or so of the biggest box office hits of all time. A donation of 10K for Stiller equates to at best a couple of dollars to a normal person – maybe fifty cents.
The same can be said for Spielberg and Hanks and some others on the list. These people do not have to dig very deep into their net worths to make a political impact or assuage their consciences or both. They are probably making more in interest at the very moment they are making the donation (or their assistants are).
There are some amusing entries on the list: Baywatch star Alexandra Paul as a Kucinich supporter and Tony Sirico of The Sopranos backing Giuliani (Italian connection?). Actually Giuliani is the only Republican with any listed monetary support from Hollywood at all… and he only has two, two fewer than Dennis K.
Also notable is the support being given by Peter Coyote (a friend of mine from our radical pasts) to John “Two Americas” Edwards of the four hundred dollar haircuts and 28,000 square foot house. Edwards seems to be the radical chic candidate du jour. Oliver Stone, not surprisingly, is supporting him, but only to the tune of $500. Oliver’s recent movies haven’t fared very well at the box office, but you’d think he could do better than that. Oliver himself has quite a spread in Telluride. Whatever happened to “Luxury Home Owner Solidarity Forever?”
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6 Comments
1. Coisty:Oliver Stone, not surprisingly, is supporting him, but only to the tune of $500.
Wow…big spender. I wonder if it came out of his coke fund.
Even with the campaign spending limit there’s nothing to stop celebs from making substantial donations to the political causes these politicians claim to care about. If John Edwards is worried about the “two Americas” perhaps his rich backers instead of giving money to Edwards could donate tens, even hundreds, of thousands to laid off workers or inner city infrastructure projects. But they don’t. They’d rather make small donations and show up at concerts or the red carpet to “raise awareness”. In other words it’s all a big fat pose.
Jul 16, 2007 - 11:11 am 2. Charlie (Colorado):and some semi-celebrities… Christy Romano?
Voice over artist, does a lot of stuff for Disney, eg, voicing Kim Possible. Quite a cutie, although barely above the “too old to adopt” threshold.
Jul 16, 2007 - 1:13 pm 3. Mike K:This is nothing new. Humphrey Bogart got talked into joining a communist inspired trip to Washington in 1944 and then was smart enough to disown it. The Hollywood left has been ascendent since the 30s. “Red Star over Hollywood” and “Hollywood Party” are both pretty good sources.
Jul 16, 2007 - 3:11 pm 4. ricpic:Given the fact that no one is under any obligation to give one red cent to either a cause or a candidate, I admire those who voluntarily put their money where their mouth is, whatever the amount and even if I disagree with the candidate or cause they are supporting.
Jul 16, 2007 - 3:21 pm 5. Dymphna:I agree with Coisty. It’s all for show. “Entertainers” and the business that keeps them going is a very thin (though pretty)veener of compassion covering an abyss of ignorance and narcissism.
Other than that, they’re fine folks.
Jul 16, 2007 - 3:53 pm 6. Lem:To get his hand on some real money Edwards should go to the old playbook and get one of his Americas to sue the other one.
If the archdiocese of LA can cough up 660 million, the ski is the limit.
Jul 17, 2007 - 10:08 am