Bill Rea — Fonda can say what she wants

January 18, 2017 · 0 Comments

We always hear about celebrities, particularly entertainers, making political pronouncements.
We also hear a lot of complaints from other people. They evidently believe these big name musicians and movie stars are making pronouncements that they aren’t qualified to make, and I have a problem with that position.
The fact is if everyone was required to know what they’re talking about before speaking, this world would be a dreadfully quiet place.
Besides, we’re supposed to be living in a free society, meaning each of us is supposed to have the right to speak his or her mind, and that should go for the rich and famous, as well as the poor and obscure like me.
I will admit, however, that I’m getting sick of hearing these celebrities constantly complain about the advent of Donald Trump’s presidency. As I have stated repeatedly, I’m not too pleased that he’s about to become president tomorrow (Friday). But I’m a big boy and have seen lots of people win elections that I was hoping they would lose. They occupy the offices, do the jobs with varying levels of efficiency and competency, and face the voters in the next election.
The guy won the election, whether those in the entertainment industry like it or not. Suck it up folks, and get used to it, because none of us have any choice in the matter.
Thus I was not too impressed with the remarks Meryl Streep made at last Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony. I think she essentially made a fool of herself. But again, that is her right, if she so chooses, and Trump obligingly played into her hand.
It showed his lack of political smarts when he responded to her remarks.
“Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me, but attacked last night at the Golden Globes,” he was quoted as writing. “She is a Hillary flunky who lost big.”
I thought it was a classic rookie’s error. Streep fired a verbal dart, and Trump publicly said “Ouch,” and made himself seem juvenile in the process.
It does seem that it’s the conservative politicians who are targeted by these celebrities, so it pleased me a little bit when Jane Fonda went after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week.
“The lesson,” she was quoted as saying in last Thursday’s Toronto Star, “is we shouldn’t be fooled by good-looking Liberals.”
The Toronto Sun carried the same quote, although both papers clearly said they had picked up their stories from The Canadian Press. I am puzzled, since Fonda’s comments were apparently delivered verbally, that the writers and editors elected to spell “liberals” with a capital “L.” That would tend to indicate a comment on his party affiliation, rather than his political leanings, and from what I have read, I think Fonda was referring to Trudeau’s place on the political spectrum.
Incidentally, Fonda’s comments were prompted by Trudeau’s recent approval of two oilsands pipeline projects, which has upset some indigenous leaders.
The word “betrayal” was used in the Star story.
Maybe it was a betrayal, or maybe Trudeau has learned that people heading governments sometimes have to do things that might look like betrayal in order to provide effective governing in their countries. And last time I checked, that’s Trudeau’s job.
I have not yet heard of any response from Trudeau to this attack. That indicates to me he had the good sense to suffer in silence. His standing, in my estimation, has gone up a couple of points. Indeed, the whole matter seems to have drawn very little attention. After last Thursday, I heard or read nothing more about it.
Should we be angry that a prominent celebrity like Fonda is sticking her nose in our country’s affairs?
I will confess I was initially angry, but my mind changed pretty quick.
“What right has Fonda to comment on the duly-elected head of our government?” I hear Canadians cry.
How many of us have been commenting on Trump and his election? I have written about it many times. If I am allowed to comment, then so is Fonda.
I have never been a big fan of Streep as an actress, although I thought she did a great job in the 1988 film A Cry in the Dark. I haven’t seen many of Fonda’s movies, but like her father and Katharine Hepburn, her performance in On Golden Pond was nothing short of beautiful.
Like all of us, they have every right to make comments on anything they like, regardless of whether they know what they’re talking about. On the other hand, just because they are celebrities doesn’t mean their words carry any more weight than those of you and me.
Let them all talk. Let us all listen. God gave us all brains. Lets us all use them and evaluate their remarks accordingly. cc8