The dumbed-down generation

[The Avon Lady]

Words escape me (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070503/ap_en_ot/people_time100;_ylt=Ai8eX292wpepXqgNm5AAC2JxFb8C). :cry:

[XanderF]

I'm afraid I'm missing the connection from the title to the link. Or do you judge professional skill and technical intelligence by recreational interests, and further judge the 'best and brightest' of each generation by the lowest common denominator?

[Tchocky]

let's not forget the Music-hall tradition..

[robbo180265]

I thought it was me.

Surely entertainers would be the most well recognised people anyway? I could reel off loads of footballers (sorry soccer;) ) names, but in all honesty couldn't name as many of the Labour party,and even less Tories. And who is running the Lib Dems again?;)

[AntEater]

We had something similar in Germany recently, where the two "most influential german intellectuals" turned out to be Pope Benedict XVI. and Harald Schmidt (some kind of german copy of David Letterman).:damn:

[Yahoshua]

I'm so thankful our nation isn't run by bogus national polls and slanted questionaires.

But what AL means by the title is that newswriters consider actors (who have no political value whatsoever) as being more influential than politicians themselves (whom, as we all know, DO decide how our lives are influenced).

[Heibges]

What about Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenager, Fred Thomsen, Jessie Ventura, Sonny Bono, and the dude from Love Boat, who were actors that became politicians. :)

There seem to be only a half dozen or so entertainment figures on the list.

Not that I'm making a comparison between them and Leonardo, but Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Leni Reifenstahl, TS Elliot, Eli Wiesel, Boris Pasternak, etc. etc. etc. were also entertainment figures who were also very influential, more so than most politicians.

[Yahoshua]

Politicians hold the approval stamp to pass laws or write them. Actors don't.

[robbo180265]

Politicians hold the approval stamp to pass laws or write them. Actors don't.

Politicians are also incredibly boring people.Youngsters are more interested in Posh and Becks than Bush and Blair, so it follows that Posh and Becks should end up more famous - surely?

[fatty]

Politicians hold the approval stamp to pass laws or write them. Actors don't.

But politicians [are supposed to] rely on and represent voters who watch television, go to the movies, and listen to music. It's not accurate to say actors have no political value - while they don't directly participate in the political process (except for Heibges' people) they can and do use their superstar status to influence the public.

[Tchocky]

Angelina Jolie's work for the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador, etc

Having a public profile gives you an opportunity to bring attention to certain causes/problems.
Of course you'll always get "they should just stick to being actors/singers"/"damn Commiewood Commiefornia"/etF*ckingcetera

[Yahoshua]

Actors' can't exactly be scapegoated for the failings of a political party, they also don't participate in active proceedings of legislature or politics, save for when they go to the voting booth every 2 years.

Just about anyone can bring attention to an issue, they don't need to be famous or be an actor to do so. Cindy sheehan and Jim Gilchrist are just a couple of examples.


Robbo- While you're correct that whoever holds the interest of more people will be more famous, yet I cannot recall the last time an actor or celebrity had a face-to-face talk or discussion of national policy with a foreign diplomat.

Aside from influence among their fans who wish to emulate every atom in their idols' body, actors and celebrities have no political value whatsoever.

[tycho102]

Words escape me.
That's America. Life is good. I've been saying that the moslems don't know what the hell they're doing. And it is very strange because it's the most logical conclusion from their perspective. When they flip on the television to study the kuffir enemy, who do they see? They see Britney Spears, Madonna's bobbies, Sean Penn, Paris Hilton, Susan Sarandon, The Sopranos, and Spiderman 3.

They don't see god damn CSPAN. They don't see Questions for the Prime Minister. They don't see Maria Bartellomo or Donald Trump (at least, not anymore) or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet or Ross Perot.

New York was nothing. It took the financial sector 3 months to divy up the pieces -- the emotional damage took 4 days, mainly because the news channel anchors got bored with the same story. It could have taken a month or two had the entire cast of Friends been wiped out, but they weren't.


If they ever hit Hollywood, stand by. Break out the bottled water, fill your bathtubs, load your firearms with the heavy stuff if they aren't already. It will bring this whole damn country to a stand still like nothing since 1929 -- financially and emotionally. Trading will be suspended for over a week straight -- either by fiat, or procedure (2% for one hour, 5% for the rest of the day).

[robbo180265]

Robbo- While you're correct that whoever holds the interest of more people will be more famous, yet I cannot recall the last time an actor or celebrity had a face-to-face talk or discussion of national policy with a foreign diplomat.


Bono with Bush;)

Bob Geldoff with Blair;)

[Heibges]

Willie Nelson with Farmaid.

[XanderF]

Words escape me.
That's America. Life is good. I've been saying that the moslems don't know what the hell they're doing. And it is very strange because it's the most logical conclusion from their perspective. When they flip on the television to study the kuffir enemy, who do they see? They see Britney Spears, Madonna's bobbies, Sean Penn, Paris Hilton, Susan Sarandon, The Sopranos, and Spiderman 3.

They don't see god damn CSPAN. They don't see Questions for the Prime Minister. They don't see Maria Bartellomo or Donald Trump (at least, not anymore) or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet or Ross Perot.

New York was nothing. It took the financial sector 3 months to divy up the pieces -- the emotional damage took 4 days, mainly because the news channel anchors got bored with the same story. It could have taken a month or two had the entire cast of Friends been wiped out, but they weren't.

If they ever hit Hollywood, stand by. Break out the bottled water, fill your bathtubs, load your firearms with the heavy stuff if they aren't already. It will bring this whole damn country to a stand still like nothing since 1929 -- financially and emotionally. Trading will be suspended for over a week straight -- either by fiat, or procedure (2% for one hour, 5% for the rest of the day).

Did you sleep through 2001??? The damage to the economy from that was QUITE severe. Mostly from alarmist investors and the complete shut down of air travel for several weeks. We had to lay off a lot of employees around then, and finding jobs was NOT pleasant.

Hitting Hollywood would do squat to the country. Heck look at any given celebrity death, the OJ trial, whatever - sure, they get more news coverage than is reasonable, but it doesn't actually make ANY difference to the country. No economy shift happens, no massive layoffs, cutbacks, etc.

I'm hoping you were being sarcastic with your above post, or maybe are not actively employed or something, as I find it hard to otherwise believe anyone could be that out of touch.

[Ishmael]

I thank 30 years of budget cuts in basic education for this. Combine that with the circuses fed to us by the corporate media & what do you expect? A free and informed citizenry is the last thing they want. Ignorant people are easier to control through fear.

[XanderF]

Alright, seriously, I HAVE to ask.

What is the average age of the posters in this thread?

Because it sounds to me like a lot of "when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders."

[robbo180265]

Alright, seriously, I HAVE to ask.

What is the average age of the posters in this thread?

Because it sounds to me like a lot of "when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders."

Heh ! Well I for one am 42 - so well spotted there matey:up:

[fatty]

Dadgummit, sonny! Back in my day we knew better than to take anyone on the idiot box seriously! Garsh, in my day we couldn't even afford an idiot box! :88)

[Yahoshua]

Bono with Bush;)

Bob Geldoff with Blair;)

Bono was back in 2005 and about the AIDs' movement and poverty-stricken nations in Africa. Haven't heard of many results from that meeting.

I've never heard of Bob Geldoff, and I'm witholding judgement on that meeting since it was just recent (April 24) so we'll see if anything comes of it.

[Heibges]

Never heard of Bob Geldoff? Have you ever heard of a small rock album called "The Wall" by any chance. :D

Both Bono and Geldoff have been politically active for 20 years.

[Yahoshua]

Never heard of Bob Geldoff? Have you ever heard of a small rock album called "The Wall" by any chance. :D

Both Bono and Geldoff have been politically active for 20 years.

umm...no. Never heard of the album either http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/yahoshua/Smilies/couchsmiley.gif. I practically live in a hole in the ground with this forum being one fo the few outside interests I have.

So no I haven't heard of either of them until now.

[Payoff]

I'm still waiting for "Mr Voicemail" Baldwin to move to Canada or France or where ever it was he was going to relocate to. Hollywood :down:

[Heibges]

I love it in the South Park Movie when Mr Garrison yells, "All the Baldwin's are dead!"

I totally forgot about Tomas Masaryk and Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia.

Plus, in the United States in the 60's, things were very close to a total change in the power structure do largely to the rather odd tactics of the New Left, and many of the influential folks in this phenomenon, for want of a better word, were artists and others outside the traditional political arena.

Allen Ginsberg
Jack Kerouac
Bob Dylan
Tim Leary
Ken Keasey
Robert Heinlein
Peter, Paul, & Mary
Herman Hesse
Abbie Hoffman
William Burroughs

Unfortunately, the best these folks were able to do was Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.