The problem with most of these items is that they're straw men. However, I happen to agree that the First Amendment "qualifies" anyone the right to lecture anyone about anything at all. Celebrities included.

Another straw dog on a list riddled with sophism.

Conservatives are just as likely to think the same thing. They just pick different celebrities. (Ted Nugent, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, etc)

Yeah, this is amongst the biggest perks of being a celebrity: being one (according to the liberal celebrity fraternity) instantly makes you more enlightened on all subjects, ESPECIALLY politics! The nerve of anyone to question the intelligence of these 'enlightened' celebrities. Celebrities such as Natalie Maines (a spoiled, useless know-nothing brat), Barbra Streisand (who never finished high school), Harry Belafonte (a guy who regularly sings the praises of St. Hugo Chavez and the virtues of communism), or Cameron Diaz (an egotistical, self-important, self-styled enlightened person who would be, if she wasn't an 'enlightened' celebrity, performing tricks at night at any streetcorner) and her equally stupid boyfriend, Justin Timberlake ought to educate us because they know much more about what's going on than we: the common people. We're too stupid to know what's good for us, so we need to be educated by these 'enlightened' celebrities! Putzes.

Nevertheless, just as much as they want to feel important by telling other people what to think or do, to deny these 'enlightened' celebrities their right to free speech and subsequently embarrass themselves would be to deny them their right to free speech. As much as they want to get into our faces, we also have the power to turn them off whenever we feel like it.

Its funny how a when a person finishes a movie or CD they suddenly discover they have a political science degree.

Oh, Liberals think that you stupid ordinary people should listen to the highly educated Hollywood elite like Alec Baldwin or Barbra Streisand. They know more than you, you dumb Americans!

Yes, and if a Holywood Movie makes a gazillion dollars we should all cheer, but woe be unto Wal-Mart if they make any profit at all!!!

And voters who felt Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting resume made him best qualified to be governor of California apparently thought so too.

That rockstar guy, Ted Nugent, the bowhunter. Is he a liberal? I believe he is considering running for governor of Michigan.

I think he is in that same gun club, the one that the fellow who was in "Ben Hur" is a member of aswell.

Small world.

We all have a right to say whatever we like, given that it's not causing harm to anyone else. But here's the most important part: we also have the right NOT to listen.

The idea that people who are viewed for a living are omnipotent is one of the most hilarious aspects of our celeb worshiping society. I think there's a gleam of hope though because it seems that overkill by the gods and godesses of Hollywood have caused some people to wake up and smell the stench. Maybe it's just getting easier to see through now that Reality TV has helped stretch the definition of celebrity so wide and paper thin. When the term celebrity can be applied to everyone from the Queen of England to Paris Hilton you begin to see just how not so special or important these attention seeking freaks are. We all have our right to mouth off and, thank God, a right to listen or not listen.

they are entitled to their opinion as anyone. I may listen to them as I would with others who are not celebrities. It would not sway me if I already have my own beliefs on an issue. I do not hang on a celebrities every word.most of us do not have a degree in politics anyway.

. . . and how many of us here who b~!@# about politics/political issues have a doctorate in Political Science? I'd wager that it's not that many.

Regardless of what side you're on, it seems like if they disagree with your beliefs, it's called being "unqualified"; if they agree, they're just being "patriotic". No, being a "celebrity" doesn't make one "qualified" to speak about politics. But it doesn't make 'em any less qualified than anyone else, either.

No, porn stars are going to be running for president next! (numbah contemplates whether or not to vote for Ron Jeremy)

Tsk, what'll we have next? B-movie film stars running for president?

See also Louie's weblist Celebrities not qualified to accuse Bush of being ignorant.

I get tired of celebs talking about politics, to be sure. . .but celebs who share one's philosophies/ideas are 'okay' and get a free pass. . .this is also problematic because it creates the 'you are an artist therefore your political opinion has no value' syndrome. . .certainly Hollywood-types are irritating. . .but not as irritating as the lap-dog philosophical requirement needed to follow dubya's failed foreign and domestic policies to (someone else's) death, loss of civil liberties, loss of standing among many first-world nations. . .then again, could we chop off Affleck's head first?

No. Being a citizen is what qualifies all of us to speak our minds on any issue. Being a celebrity simply gives some people a convenient soapbox and grabs the media's attention. Listen to anyone - celebrity or not - at your own peril.

If you didn't have to hear people mouth off about things you don't like you wouldn't be living in a democracy.