Awards and politics: Celebrities can speak out, but readers say they don't really listen

Katy Perry wore a "Persist' armband during her performance at the Grammy Awards. It was in response to what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said when he silenced Sen. Elizabeth Warren as she read Coretta Scott King's letter against Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted," said McConnell.

This year's awards season kicked off with actress Meryl Streep rebuking President Donald Trump on national television at the Golden Globes.

Actor Ashton Kutcher opened the Screen Actors Guild Awards three weeks later by welcoming the audience and "everyone in airports that belong in my America" to the televised dinner - the first of many celebrities that night to voice political discontent.

Two weeks later, there was Busta Rhymes at the Grammy Awards, ad-libbing anti-Trump sentiments - calling Trump "President Agent Orange" and jeering that the president's "Muslim ban" failed - while he and A Tribe Called Quest performed "We the People."

It's really nothing new for actors, musicians and other celebrities to use awards shows as national platforms to air their political opinions. Nearly 25 years ago Marlon Brando refused to accept his Best Actor Oscar for "The Godfather" in protest of what he says he believed was poor treatment of native Americans by the film industry. In 2016, Leonard DiCaprio brought up climate change during his speech after winning the Best Actor Oscar.

But it appears the proliferation of political outpourings is building to the granddaddy of award show spectacles this Sunday, the Academy Awards.

"One night without politics," hopes Chattanoogan Jan Lamb in a Facebook post. "Politics did not help them win."

Disgusted by celebrities politicizing awards shows, Dan Weber of Orlando, Fla., took action.

He created an online poll for members of the Association of Mature American Citizens, a poll still available for senior citizens to cast their votes on the AMAC website (amac.us). Weber is the founder of AMAC, a group of more than 1 million dues-paying members across the country. The organization - which he describes as a "conservative alternative to AARP" - is open to anyone age 50 or older.

His question: "Should Hollywood celebrities use award shows and their fame to talk about politics as much as they have recently?"

The response was an overwhelming No - 9,975 nays, 126 yeas.

So the Times Free Press tested local opinion in a survey that found Chattanoogans divided almost 50-50 on that subject. In a Facebook poll, readers were asked whether it was appropriate for celebrities to use televised awards shows to state their political opinions.

"Why not? Do you give up your First Amendment rights the second you get cast in a movie or put out a popular song?" asked Elena Dire, one of several respondents who referenced free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

"They're free to use their platform for whatever they wish, and can handle the consequences of doing just that," says Cyrena Sloane.

"Of course it's their right and it's my right to turn off the TV," answered Shelby Childress.

"Yes. They have a platform and it's their right to say whatever they want in their speeches. Some may even feel it's their duty," says Stephanie Dickert Rutherford.

"I'm watching something for what it's supposed to be, not their personal political opinions," answered Chris Brooks. "If I wanted that I'd watch a show about that. Would you want to go to a movie theater and then, in middle of the movie, the actors stop and just start talking about their political views? How is TV different? There is a time and place for it; award shows aren't it."

Though locals responded more tolerantly of Hollywood rants than voters in Weber's national poll, they were adamant Hollywood's's opinions didn't sway theirs.

In a second Facebook poll, we asked whether celebrities' political opinions carried any weight with them. Of 130 responding, only two said yes. Of the 127 saying no, three included qualifiers: They didn't listen to Hollywood but did pay attention to celebrity political writers and analysts, newspaper editors or political commentators.

"When it comes to TV/movie celebrities, no," said Gail Dooley. "But I have no problem with them speaking out. They have as much a right as anyone else to say publicly what they think. We don't have to pay attention to them, though."

"Celebrities live in a bubble world, not the real world," replied Cheryll Smith. "Do they have any immigrants or refugees in their neighborhoods? I doubt it."

Weber concurs with Smith's assessment of different lifestyles.

"I say actors worship a golden idol: the Oscar. What I mean by that is they have a different lifestyle than the average American and they can't understand our traditional values."

He attributes the current political speeches to the fact Hollywood's preferred candidate, Hillary Clinton, lost the presidential election.

"They realize the American public doesn't go along with the way they want to do things and they really can't accept that. Part of it (the outspokenness) might be for publicity, but I think they are so used to having the government run things that they don't have enough faith in people, in their fans. Like they think their fans aren't smart enough to make their own political choices.

"We watch movies and other programs to be entertained, not to invite political rants from people who have been enriched by our dollars," Weber said.

Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.