Hollywood Plays Politics

By Amy E. Wong

In recent years, Hollywood's influential gravity has become a deft force in politics. In anticipation of California's Nov. 7 election, A-list celebs like Julia Roberts, Ben Affleck, and Michael J. Fox are flocking to the campaign trail in hopes of drawing attention to their various political agendas.

In California, Proposition 87 has gotten the most hype. If passed, the measure will reduce the state's dependence on gasoline and diesel.

On Oct. 16, Julia Roberts showed her support for the clean-air initiative by delivering a stirring speech at LA's Mattel Children's Hospital, saying that "We're all victims of this state's tragically poor air quality. California has the worst air pollution in the nation."

This is not Roberts' first punch against pollution. Back in July, Roberts agreed to become the spokesperson for Earth Biofuels, a company that develops renewable energy sources such as biodiesel and ethanol. She said, "It's very important that we expand our use of clean energy and make a long-term commitment to it. Biodiesal and ethanol are better for the environment and for the air we breathe."

On Oct. 28, Ben Affleck lent his support for Prop 87 by raising awareness at the University of Southern California, along with Illinois' senator, Barack Obama.

I give Roberts and Affleck two big enthusiastic thumbs up for shedding light on this very pressing topic.

If you haven't checked out Davis Guggenheim's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," check it out! Here's part of the movie's synopsis that I pulled off of www.rottentomatoes.com.

"Humanity is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced. [...] With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue—rather, it is simply one of the biggest moral challenges facing every person in our times."

While you're at it, check out Chris Paine's documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Also in this week's political campaign news is the highly publicized commercial ad that Michael J. Fox shot for Missouri Senate challenger, Claire McCaskill.

As we all know, Fox suffers from Parkinson's disease, a debilitating disorder that attacks the nervous system and leaves people incapable of controlling their movements. In his ad, the wide-eyed Fox was rocking uncontrollably, while saying that the Democratic McCaskill "shares my hope for cures" while her opponent, Republican Senator Jim Talent, seeks to "criminalize" stem cell research.

Rush Limbaugh, a Republican talk show host, lived up to his reputation of being notoriously outspoken. On the morning of Oct. 24, Limbaugh commented that Fox was "either off his medication or acting" in order to garner sympathy from Missourian voters.

Fox defended himself against Limbaugh's accusations in a CBS Evening News interview with Katie Couric on Thursday night, attributing his rocking motions to being overmedicated. Fox then said that he only appeared in the ad to advance his cause, that "disease is a non-partisan problem that requires a bipartisan solution." He went on to say, "This is not about Democrats and Republicans. This is about claiming our place as the scientific leader in scientific research and moving forward and helping our citizens. That's all it is. It's that simple."

Personally, I'm a little more hesitant about this measure because it's not as simple as making a lifestyle change to save the world, but I'm absolutely eager to see the Nov. 7 election results. Happy voting, everybody!