Friday, February 29, 2008

Stars: They're just like us!


Angelina and George - "just like us" - sort of...

Okay, I realize that quoting US Magazine is incriminating, and I do admit to reading it when
a) stuck in line at the supermarket
b) on an airplane (but only if someone else has purchased - recycling!)
or
c) I find myself in a doctor's office waiting room - yes I am one of those people who makes the greedy grab for People and the like.

But you have to forgive me, I used to work in the film business after all, and I like to keep track of what those well-meaning and/or brutishly dumb celebrities are up to....sadly, often it is not much.

In fact, one of the reasons I found myself disenchanted with the film industry during my four year tenure was that I got into film because I thought it was one of the most powerful mediums going. A good film has the power to change the way we think about a topic in less than two hours.

The Oscars this week were just a reminder that there are plenty of celebrities who are using their magical fairy dust of fame to do something worthwhile; George Clooney is a UN Peacekeeper, Angelina Jolie is a UN Goodwill Ambassador, and Don Cheadle is working as an advocate to end the genocide in Darfur.

Like it or not, the actions and voices of celebrity carry weight, and for those of you interested in more than Brittany's latest stop on her train wreck tour, there are two good websites with plenty of celebrity to quench your craving for gossip (the good kind that is):

Do Something - This website, whose mission is to "use the internet to help young people change the world," has a section devoted to celebrity hyjinx of the responsible variety. My favorite post this week is "Celebs Get Hy."


Ed Norton Happy with his Hybrid

EcoRazzi - This website is shamelessly devoted to all things green AND cool, and their topics of coverage range from film and tv to fashion and shopping. As an added bonus, their writing is often laugh out loud funny.

While I must quibble with the idea that stars are just like us, we can certainly steal their ideas for doing some more good in the world.

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