Jewish World Review August 17, 2000/ 16 Menachem-Av, 5760
Kathleen Parker
Hollywood divine? AlGore is miscast
http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
POOR AL GORE. Uncomfortably wedged between loyalty
to his president and the ardent wish that The Big Creep
would go away already, the candidate is stuck forcing
an insincere smile as he waits his turn. He looks like the
ignored good-boy trying to be gracious while the
popular kid who cheats on exams gets the cutest date to
the dance anyway.
Add to Gore's discomfort the unfortunate selection of
Los Angeles as the site for this week's Democratic
convention. Next to the stars -- and treading in the
titanic wake of Bill 'n Hillary -- poor Al already has
been upstaged. He's out of his league.
Not only do they steal the spotlight, they're preemptively
draining Hollywood's coffers. A breakfast brunch
hosted by Barbra Streisand reportedly produced
millions for the Clinton library. Stain removers. So
expensive these days.
No, Al should've had the convention in Peoria or some
other heartland city where talk of "family values" and
"working families" has more resonance. On the same
news pages offering convention coverage this week
Madonna announced the birth of her new baby. Second
child, second relationship, still no marriage. Well, at
least there'll be no divorce.
As for working families, it's hard to sell yourself as the
voice of regular working folk when your supporters'
paychecks come in the millions. Not for, say, building --
did Gore say combines? -- but for pretending. Not by
their acts, but by their play-acting. Not for their deeds,
but for their performances: "I did not have sex with. ..."
Not that I don't love actors. I'm a fan. I have a
subscription to People. I want my son to grow up to be
a fabulously wealthy movie director who takes his
mother to the Oscars.
But I don't expect him on the basis of his blockbuster
success to influence public policy.
Or to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom. Or to hug the
president. If they were once college roommates -- or
once shared a foxhole under hostile fire -- I'll make an
exception. But to watch actor Tom Hanks hug President
Bill Clinton because, oh I don't know, because they
both love Steven Spielberg, sends me searching for
Dramamine.
We love Tom Hanks. Why? We love him because he's
a fabulous actor and because we love the characters he
plays. I mean, Sleepless in Seattle? Big? Saving Private
Ryan? Stop it. We love Hanks so much, we've made
him our favorite spokesman for veterans. Because he's a
war hero? No. Because, more important, he played
one.
When did actors become reliable vendors of public
policy? When did our nation start turning to Hollywood
for direction? When did we begin to confuse thought
with entertainment?
Barbra Streisand, responding once to similar
questioning, said: "Why shouldn't I hold opinions? Why
does my being an actress suggest that my opinions are
less valid than anyone else's?"
Actors should and do hold opinions, of course, and
Hollywood can and does inform public opinion in artful
ways. We are entertained and often educated by
movies.
But Hollywood's glitzy wealth and exhibitionist glamour
is inconsistent with the serious business of running the
world's most powerful country.
Just as I don't want a cute doctor with a cuddly bedside
manner, I don't really want Martin Sheen in the West
Wing.
The problem for Al Gore, of course, is he's a bad actor.
He doesn't have Clinton's pizazz, charisma or star
quality. Celebrities may throw money at him because he
promises to continue Clinton's policies, but Gore will do
poorly against Hollywood's star-spangled backdrop.
He will do poorly because -- unlike the president he
hopes to follow and to his credit -- he's uncomfortable
pretending to be someone he's
not.
JWR contributor Kathleen Parker can be reached by clicking here.
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