Open Mouth, Insert Foot

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Burninator

No one cares about the message a family of wackos is preaching. For whatever reason people actually listen to celebrities. Which is sad, because most celebrities barely have the cognitive ability to tie their shoes.

Do they really though? It's a real question. I can't imagine there are many people out there who think this earthquake tragedy is "karma" because Sharon Stone said so. Anyone with a lick of sense would just roll their eyes at the suggestion.

It seems to me that a lot of this celebrity obsession business is based on ridiculing the celebrities more than worshipping them. I was in the grocery store yesterday and there was a magazine (the Enquirer I think) and the front page was devoted to showing unflattering images of celebrities on the beach. They make up all sorts of nasty and humiliating (if they were true) stories all for the purpose (I think) of giving readers the payoff of being able to say "tsk tsk tsk -- she should have never left Richie Sambora".

What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, I don't think many people actually listen to the political opinions of celebrities. They hear them and they are reported but I can't imagine they hold much sway over breathing human adults. At least I hope not.

[4X4]

Re: Rouge's comments

Disagreed. I think celebrities have a ridiculous amount of power over the general population, but specifically young people and even more specifically, musicians over young people.

I think Sharon Stone is pretty much irrelevant to most people because her age and her line of work. But the younger celebs and musicians that young people identify with inadvertently affect the views of their young fans.

[RougeUnderoos]

What kind of power are you talking about?

I guess I'm talking specifically about political opinions like Sharon Stone's foolish take on the China thing. I don't think many people take the political opinion of an actor very seriously.

I think you are talking about something else though and I agree (I think) -- younger people are significantly influenced by the celebrities they look up to. I think it is all pretty superficial though -- what clothes to wear, movies to see and that kind of thing.

[Locke]

I think you are both drastically underestimating the stupidity and gullible suggestibility of youth.

These are people who belive that skintight pants and hoops through their earlobes are statements of their advanced psyche.

This clearly demonstrates that these idiots will believe anything.

I'm personally quite surprised that they 'make' it. Didnt Darwin say something about weeding these type out somewhere along the line? Shows what he knows...

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Locke

I think you are both drastically underestimating the stupidity and gullible suggestibility of youth.

These are people who belive that skintight pants and hoops through their earlobes are statements of their advanced psyche.

This clearly demonstrates that these idiots will believe anything.

I'm personally quite surprised that they 'make' it. Didnt Darwin say something about weeding these type out somewhere along the line? Shows what he knows...

I think you re drastically overestimating the stupidity and gullibility of youth. So there.

If there are kids out there who think skintight pants and earrings are statements of their advanced psyche, then they are pretty stupid. There can't be many of them.

I don't know what they have been convinced to believe anything about their advanced psyche. They've been sold a particular fashion, just like we were and their parents were and their children will be.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

What kind of power are you talking about?

Young people often try to emulate people they think are cool. Whether these stars know it or not and whether they do it on purpose or not, what they do and say is often mimicked by their fans. From things as trivial as clothing fashion to things as important as political ideologies.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm waiting for a close and personal friend of Sharon Stone to show up on this thread, belittle us, use shaming language and tell me that shes a pleasant young woman who shouldn't be judged in the evil castle of CalgaryPuck

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Young people often try to emulate people they think are cool. Whether these stars know it or not and whether they do it on purpose or not, what they do and say is often mimicked by their fans. From things as trivial as clothing fashion to things as important as political ideologies.

Yeah, absolutely. I don't know if any of today's stars (the young ones that kids would actually emulate) even have political opinions though. But kids definitely try to act and look like them. I think it's harmless and it has been going on since someone invented celebrity (not that you said it was a new phenomenon, but still),

Wanna hear something kind of pathetic? I was thinking to myself "who did I think was cool when I was 10 years, and did I try to emulate them?". The first person that popped into my mind was Mr. T. I sure thought he was cool and he was my favorite A-Team member, but whenever we were playing A-Team I was always forced to be Murdoch.

Anyway, The Beatles were a bunch of pop stars and it's pretty obvious they influenced the politics of a lot of people. Celebrities can do it, you are right.

I guess I just don't see it right now though. Who knows how Hilary Duff feels about abortion, or who she's going to vote for? Nobody. She probably doesn't even know herself. Her handles probably won't let her pick a side even if she wants to, because that might cut sales of her perfume in half.

[Devils'Advocate]

The thing with celebrities is that they are just like a random sampling of the population, yet given fame and money. Some are complete idiots while others are very intelligent. Unfortunately, the complete idiots get the same media attention as the intelligent ones. So when a Sharon Stone says something like this, it belittles every single celebrity that tries/tried to use their position to change the world (ie Lennon).

I've heard hundreds of people saying stuff like "celebrities should just STFU!!". And these same people participate in message boards discussing politics!! When did free speech stop at a certain fame level?

[jammies]

All else aside, Sharon Stone is not stupid. She skipped a grade in school and was accepted to college at age 15.