Vote or Die or Vote Confused
by Ambra Nykol

Vote or Die or Vote Confused
by Ambra Nykol

This election year more than ever, all types of celebrities and influential artists have come out the woodwork to promote a good (and safe) cause, "the right to vote." Between the "Hip-Hop Action Network," "Vote or Die," "Citizen Change," "Rock the Vote," and MTV's "Choose or Lose," there is some major work being done this year to gain the participation of the younger generation of voters.

Celebrities are donning red, white and blue in an effort to rally a group of people who are generally less inclined to vote, many of whom have never even voted before. This effort can't possibly be a bad thing, but while it's clear that recent voting campaigns are a step in the right direction, the lack of substance behind them is indicative of a greater issue. Not only does popular culture not support "unpopular" messages, many within the culture are unclear on where they stand period.
 
If you were as unfortunate as I was to either hear, see, or read actress Cameron Diaz's recent political remarks on Oprah Winfrey's show, then perhaps you too asked the same question I did, "Is Cameron Diaz really that stupid?" In support of artificially blonde women everywhere, let's hope not. For those of you that may have missed it, let's recap.

This particular "Oprah" was a grand voting rally. She focused on the "Vote or Die" campaign, which is Sean "I'm a grown man with a childish nickname" Combs' latest social project. Among the many celebrities on Oprah getting in their "it's your right to vote" face time were Drew Barrymore, Christina Aguilera, and of course, our hapless stupidity victim, Cameron Diaz. When it came time for Diaz's turn, she opted to speak on the horrible consequences that women will face if they opt out this election:

"We have a voice now, and we're not using it, and women have so much to lose. I mean, we could lose the right to our bodies...if you think that rape should be legal, then don't vote. But if you think that you have a right to your body, and you have a right to say what happens to you and fight off that danger of losing that, then you should vote..."
 
So let's be clear on Diaz's stance. Women who don't vote are legalizing rape? I assume the issue Diaz was attempting to discuss was abortion rights. Unfortunately, her thought process was perplexing and I am certain even staunch pro-choice advocates are shaking collective heads on this one. Crash, and burn.

We all should have seen this coming. In the past, Diaz's track record on Oprah's show hasn't been too swell. During her last visit, she boldly professed, "I like...I don't really believe in marriage." A comment to which Oprah, the world's most credible source on the topic of matrimony, empathetically replied "Good for you!" This is "change your life" television folks. Failure to vote legalizes rape, and marriage is an imaginary idea. The logic of it all is a bit troublesome.
 
The recent voter registration push by celebrities is bound to create more of these slip-ups. This past weekend, our resident skank, Christina Aguilera tried to get the masses to take her seriously by hosting her MTV special Choose or Lose: Sex, Votes, and Higher Power. This is one of MTV's many shallow attempts at pre-election coverage of issues. I am not sure which was more shocking, the fact that Aguilera was talking about politics, or the fact that she was fully clothed.
 
Although there are claims that these celebrity efforts are nonpartisan, in the case of MTV, it is evident that conservative ideals are not getting the big push. The fact that Christiana Aguilera (the artist behind the sex-laced album Stripped) hosted the segment on "abstinence-only education" makes that abundantly clear. Couple this with Diaz's failed attempts to address abortion rights on national television and it is dubious that any of these folks will be voting for Bush.

Celebrities play safe in politics.

When was the last time you saw a major celebrity participating in a pro-life rally? Given the fact that abortion rights are a hot topic and the reality that the media would lead us all to believe all pro-life supporters are abortion clinic bombers, packing heat, chances are somebody whose bread and butter depends on public appeal is not going to be vocal about such a controversial topic.

Celebrities who take an unpopular stance against a culturally perceived norm get press. The adage "any press is good press" goes out the window on controversial issues.

When Jessica Simpson announced that she didn't believe in pre-marital sex, the press wouldn't leave the subject alone. In the Destiny's Child song "Survivor," Beyonce sang about her desire not to "compromise her Christianity."  Interestingly enough, last year, when asked the premarital sex question, Beyonce took the easy road out by opting not to publicly declare either way because, "Then people don't let you change your mind."

How silly of the general public to hold people to their own standard.

In our generation, it seems the key to public appeal is being ambiguous, or being liberal. Despite all sweeping suspicions and hard evidence that the entertainment industry is in fact, vastly liberal, it is difficult to believe that there are no celebrity individuals from the younger generation with conservative viewpoints. In fact, the silence of such contrarian voices leads one to believe that although those individuals may exist, they keep quietly to themselves. Resisting the norm is not safe.

However, telling people to vote is.

The "let your voice be heard" platform is secure, it's nonpartisan, it's non-committal, and it's popular. But what exactly is that voice saying? That is the question yet to be fully answered. What good is MTV's "20 Million Loud" if they don't know what they're saying? If Cameron Diaz's logic is even a slight indication of the logic of popular culture, we have a bumpy road ahead of us.

Ambra Nykol is freelance writer, Seattle native, and member of the "rebellious" generation. Visit her website at www.nykola.com.

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