STARS STANDING UP!

Do you take issue with Stars who Stand Up!

We are a research based Organization, therefore we felt we needed to present the negatives as well. We are proud to report that support  of celebrities and their missions was far greater than not. We chose the most recent event Live Earth as our subject.

A forum was held at liveearth.msn.com called "Do celebrity public service anouncements(psa's) annoy you?"16 people wrote back saying, "yes they do." In doing more research on Aol we found negative comments relating to their support of the event, and found it again, and again. So we went on pursuit to figure out, was it the event or the celebrities that really annoyed them and how does it effect our mission at Stars Standing Up!.

Live Earth was the largest and first Worlwide concert that was not for ,arguably, Humanitarian reasons. So immediately the cynics came out full force. Live Aid's only criticism was, if the people in need would indeed get the money ,and the cause was overwhelmingly supported. For Live Earth , people had to decide whether they believed the Earth was in peril; a less tangible quandry.

We found that the 16 people in the forum did NOT, in fact ,believe in global warming and therefor attacked the celebrities because of it, calling them out for the planes they took to the gas the concert-goers used.

Some were there for the excitement, but most of the Stars positioned themselves on one side of a debate that they passionately believed in and in doing so spread scientific research to 2 billion people that day (7/7/07). Something that would have never been able to be accomplished without celebrity assistance. And right or wrong the event put a spotlight on remembering to take care of our Earth which should be the most important point.

That is 2 billion people that because of this Star studded event can now choose which side of the debate to be on, if they hadn't already done so and were esposed to many ways to help lie in a clean environment. We suppose  the cynics on global warming could have a concert to educate against it, without celebrities, and see if it works. Until then, we at Stars Standing Up!, are going to stay informed with and without celebrity help and are going to air on the side of caution when things so precious to us are at stake.

It is deplorable, but scientists have predicted things before and didn't have the clout or access to get the word out.That has to change, but until it does, remember that it was Rock Hudson's announcement that he was dying of AIDS that exploded the International attention to the disease;15 YEARS after the scientists said it would be devastating! And we all know the sad outcome of the New Orleans levee breaking predictions.

The #1 way to get the word out and raise awareness and support of causes is through celebrity attachment( according to the Center of Philanthropy). When Kyle Minogue announced she had breast cancer, there was a 20-fold increase in news about breast cancer and The Med Journ. of Australia  found requests for screenings rose 40% in a 2-week period after the news.

Most of the posts in the forums called celebs hypocrites. I am positive that is true for some celebs, but not the ones that are passionately involved and the only ones we will highlight in Stars Standing Up!. even if they make a m isstep in their career somewhere for the moment they helped a cuase that needed it.  Leonardo Di Caprio has dedicated himself and is starting a Foundation to fund green projects. He has become educated, informed and active. He is currently  making a documentary that interviews Global green leaders.

Darryl  Hannah, Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks, Ed Norton, and  Ed Begley all drive electric or bio-deisel cars,  live in solar panel homes and are funding low income homes to have solar panels. And most are involved supporting eco-friendly organizations including Robert Redford who has been on the Natural Resources Defense Council for 30 years, way before it was fashionable, Hypocrites? No, It is their lives! 

In Conclusion, in polling people on the subject, what they don't want is celebrities telling them what to believe about politics or religion. We agree! ( except in wartime folks, we should all be talking!) They  have a big problem with ego's, and in hollywood there are giant ones.  And some of them get out of control. But don't confuse that with the aching heart that Musician Bob Geldof had when he saw emaciated children on tv and then  passionately called everyone he knew saying "there's gotta be something we can do! Please help." and a few weeks later Live Aid was born and millions of dollars were raised to ease those peoples suffering. That was real, there was no ego, just compassion, motivation and access to Globally Stand Up!