Celebrities in politics

[tehsolace]

On youtube I've been seeing an advertisement and counter-ad towards an election for Claire McCaskill in Missouri.

The ad has Michael J. Fox talking while not on his medication about how Claire McCaskill supports stem-cell research and how it can help him.

The counter-ad has other tv-celebrities talking about how expensive and risky stem-cell research is to Missourians.

Do you think its right for the commercials to use our love for a certain celebrity to sway our opinions on moral issues?

First ad (Michael J. Fox): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WB_PXjTBo
Counter-ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nguJQ_dRPXw

p.s: please don't turn this into a stem-cell research argument.

 

[brink's]

Is it right? i don't know

but I think if a celeb has some meaningful imput his/her social status shouldn't matter.

 

[function9]

our love for a certain celebrity

And that's the problem. It's our own fault really.

People want to idolize so called celebs, build them up, make them into something they are really not. Have 100 different shows on what celebs are doing, who wants to look like a celeb, who likes what celeb, what celebs are wearing. So it's no ones fault but our own. If we (as a whole) didn't put these people up on pedestals in the first place. Corporations, politicians, religions wouldn't have a leg to stand on by putting them in their commercials or at the head of their cause in the first place.

So blame yourself the next time you get duped into something because they have a celeb up there as their mouthpiece.

 

[JNightshade]

Normally, I'd say no. However, what you neglected to mention is that Parkinson's has crippled Michael J. Fox, and the video makes that particularly obvious. They use Michael J. Fox because he's famous, yes, but the real point in it is how shaky he is. I have no problem with that.

 

[bliink]

The ad has Michael J. Fox talking while not on his medication about how Claire McCaskill supports stem-cell research and how it can help him.

Thats wrong. He actually was on medication, the side effect of which was the shuddering, known as tardive dyskinesia. If he wasn't taking the medication, he would have been completely rigid, and paralysed.
It's an unavoidable side effect of the only medication that can successfully fight parkinsons.

That stupid idiot rush limbaugh was running his mouth about it, and it was total BS, he had no idea what he was talking about.

The parkinson foundation totally debunked limbaughs comments. (and really, rush should know a little more about medication, seeing as he's a bit of a fan of the odd bit of pill gluttony himself, yes?)

See here for more info: http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/24/rush-stem-cell/

 

[Raziaar]

I love Michael J Fox. I wish he didn't have it, and some other particular nasties did.