NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I'm having a discussion with a friend of mine earlier this evening and I come to find out that she refuses to watch any movie with Charlton Heston in it because of his politics.

I find the idea unbelievably silly because, well, frankly, an actors politics has nothing to do with their performance.

Anyway, so I'm wondering ... what do you, the viewer, think? Regardless of how good the movie may be, would you avoid it because of a particular actor's politics? Would you refuse to watch "The Graduate" or "Rainman" because Dustin Hoffman is a Democrat? Would you refuse to watch "Pulp Fiction" because Bruce Willis is a Republican? Has the Indiana Jones or classic Star Wars movies lost their appeal because Harrison Ford is a staunch Liberal?

I think celebrities should be allowed to voice their opinions. They can still act. Its not like as soon as someone says "I don't like Bush/Kerry" Their acting skills go away.

Not at all.

I don't think many people care.

Susan Suranden drives consertives bonkers and yet the ones I know still go see her movies....

Actors have the right to express their beliefs, but should also be prepared for a backlash from average folk. That being said, I don't judge their work by their political activisim. If I boycotted their work I wouldn't have seen so many crappy movies over the years, like: The Horse Whisperer, Shawshank Redemption, Dead Man Walking, Barbarella, Funny Girl, Edward Scissorhands, Coming Home, and of course Platoon.

Oh and "An Officer and a Gentleman".

Oh and "An Officer and a Gentleman".

That movie was what made me want to join the military ... well, that and having had a direct paternal lineage, all the way back to the Revolution, of members of the US Army/Infantry - except my great grandfather, who was in the Navy (WWI), and my father, who flew Bell Hueys in Vietnam (Army, but not infantry).

But ... that movie sealed the deal.

That movie was what made me want to join the military ... well, that and having had a direct paternal lineage, all the way back to the Revolution, of members of the US Army/Infantry - except my great grandfather, who was in the Navy (WWI), and my father, who flew Bell Hueys in Vietnam (Army, but not infantry).

But ... that movie sealed the deal.

Richard Gere was not very convincing IMHO.

My lineage goes back to the 1770's. My granddad was an aviator in WWI who served with the French prior to our entry, my dad was a co-pilot in a B-17 over Europe, was a POW, came home and made me. I made it into AFA in 66 and graduated in 70, flew with the 561st TFS from 72-73 out of Thailand as an EWO. Survived 119 missions, shot down 100 miles south of Hanoi, retired from Air Force 1974 due to injuries sustained in action.

Yes the actors politics influence what I see. If I know that the actor is either a Libertarian ,or sympathetic to our policies, I will be more likely to watch there movies. here is a link of Libertarian celebrities. You may be surprised who is on it. :) www.theadvocates.org/celebrities.html

I wonder if this matters less or more for people in the UK.

Personally, I do not care either way what an actors political beliefs are before I go to watch a movie. I would suppose that is because I do not take an active interest in the lifes of actors either, so I wouldn't know.

My lineage goes back to the 1770's. My granddad was an aviator in WWI who served with the French prior to our entry, my dad was a co-pilot in a B-17 over Europe, was a POW, came home and made me. I made it into AFA in 66 and graduated in 70, flew with the 561st TFS from 72-73 out of Thailand as an EWO. Survived 119 missions, shot down 100 miles south of Hanoi, retired from Air Force 1974 due to injuries sustained in action.

Nice! Going back father to father to father only, my family came to what would be the US in 1622 from Norfolk, England. I went Army, myself, and completed Ranger school (I come from a loooooong line of Rangers). During Desert Storm I was given the distinction of "Luckiest Son of a Bitch Ever" as I never even stubbed a toe (no Purple Hearts here). :D Although I did get a round through the arm of my jacket (didn't even singe the hair) during renewed hostilities by Iraq in Dec. '91.

Not really, if only because I am too lazy to care about the politics of the actors

www.theadvocates.org/celebrities.html
Yay, I'm on it!

Clicky. (http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/internet-users.html)

if any of the actors in a movie agree with my politics or whatever, it may make me like them better personally, but it compleatly ruins a movie to view the character as an actor.

generally i don't mind.
only one film has ever managed to put me off an actor.
which film do you think it was... hint hint i'm Jewish:)

:sniper: I don't think actors should voice opinions unless they are retiring. I wil still see a movie but I hate politics so when people talk about it I get opissed of and distracted. Whats worse is when they put Politics in films. grrrrrrr.

So, I'm having a discussion with a friend of mine earlier this evening and I come to find out that she refuses to watch any movie with Charlton Heston in it because of his politics.

I find the idea unbelievably silly because, well, frankly, an actors politics has nothing to do with their performance.

Anyway, so I'm wondering ... what do you, the viewer, think? Regardless of how good the movie may be, would you avoid it because of a particular actor's politics? Would you refuse to watch "The Graduate" or "Rainman" because Dustin Hoffman is a Democrat? Would you refuse to watch "Pulp Fiction" because Bruce Willis is a Republican? Has the Indiana Jones or classic Star Wars movies lost their appeal because Harrison Ford is a staunch Liberal?

fords a liberal? Huh, well at least he isn't so straight forward with it like those other hollywood asswholes who think you should listen to them just because they're famous. They always sound stupid when they do that.

Fault doesn't really lie with the actors. They are entitled to their opinions the same as anybody else. Which are usually wrong, because being paid millions of dollars to pretend to be someone else tends to distort one's priorities. But they're still entitled to them.

Fault lies with our sick, celebrity obsessed culture that pays any attention to what these people think and do in their private lives.

I'd have to say yes. Why? I should know first-hand. I have a distant relative I met a month ago. Really nice guy. Anyhow, he is a small-time producer/screenwriter/actor in Hollywood. I asked him what movies he had "in the pipeline". He replied that he hoped I didn't mean the pipeline in Iraq.
Even if politics don't necessarily permeate into his screenplay, his liberal social beliefs do. If I remember correctly, one movie was about a girl who revealed she was gay. Sounds harmless, but an apolitical screenwriter doesn't usually delve into those subjects (if they do exist).