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I'm a Celebrity, Now Get Me a Cause!

Activist celebs are annoying, but effective and necessary: Firth

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 6, 2009 6:43 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Actor Colin Firth doesn’t like it when his fellow actors get on the soapbox for humanitarian causes. He’s also tired of doing it himself, and sick of the endless tedium of fundraisers, speeches, and photo ops. But that’s too bad, because the only way anything is going to change for the better is for those capable of capturing media attention to start talking a lot more—and louder, he writes in the Guardian.

Those who are trying to make a difference cherish the voice of a celebrity “not for its merits but for its sheer volume," Firth writes. Nonprofit organizations "have a way of inviting you to be a firsthand witness” to the injustices of the world, after which remaining silent “starts to require some painful mental contortions," Firth writes. Celebrity activism may be annoying, but shutting up is far worse, he concludes.

Colin Firth attends a film premiere in London last year.
Colin Firth attends a film premiere in London last year.   (Getty Images)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie joins the commemoration of World Refugee Day at the National Geographic Society in Washington last month.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie joins the commemoration of World Refugee Day at the National Geographic Society in Washington last month.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
U2's Bono performs during the band's 360 Tour at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, last week.
U2's Bono performs during the band's 360 Tour at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, last week.   (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
British actor Colin Firth arrives with his wife Livia Giuggioli for The Times BFI London Film Festival screening of 'Genova' at a cinema in central London, Wednesday Oct. 22, 2008.
British actor Colin Firth arrives with his wife Livia Giuggioli for The Times BFI London Film Festival screening of 'Genova' at a cinema in central London, Wednesday Oct. 22, 2008.   (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)
Actor Colin Firth attends a special screening of Easy Virtue on Monday, May 11, 2009 in New York.
Actor Colin Firth attends a special screening of "Easy Virtue" on Monday, May 11, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
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We are not in a position to choose whether or not we have a relationship with our own society or with the world's poorest people. We can choose the nature of those relationships, but either way they're there.
- Colin Firth

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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Jojo
Jul 6, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
I have to agree. It's something I have starting noticing a lot lately. All these "causes" are basically red carpet events for a bunch of celebs and wannabes who get together, raise thousands of dollars, then turn it over to some random charity (their "cause") who take a big chunk for those mysterious administration fees and use the rest for what they call "promoting the cause further". In the end, it was a basically a big huge photo op/party for people to schmooze and drink. If you don't believe it, thoroughly read the website for Ashton Kutcher's cause - the malaria no more campaign or whatever it's called. I dug and dug and right there on their own website you can eventually find how the majority of the money they make goes to them basically traveling the world to "spread the word" and give speeches, expenses related to that travel, education, seminars, promotion, advertising, etc. Basically a bunch of guys traveling the world on a permanent vacation - all funded by donations. Not to say there aren't some good charities. But the majority of these bogus celeb fund raisers are for appearances only.
Timinator2K
Jul 6, 2009 1:12 AM CDT
Better charity work than celebs getting "socially righteous" for the cause of proven murderers and other justly jailed scumbags like Mumia Abu-Jamal.

 
entertainment • television • film • political activism • celebrity humanitarianism • actor • Colin Firth

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