Should conservative celebrites "shut up and sing" also?

The indignation expressed by many on the right towards celebrities who offer somewhat left-of-center opinions is a curious one indeed. The exceptions taken by conservatives towards the actual opinions are, of course, understandable, but what is striking is the mantra espoused by those same guardians of traditional order: "shut up and sing." Thus Laura Ingraham, the conservative radio-show host entitled her best-selling book as such, and many on the right have taken to chiding celebrities who "overstep" their boundaries and offer political commentary. Outrage that Barbra Streisand, Matt Damon, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Harry Belafonte deviate from their expected roles as entertainers and enter into the political fray is hypocritical when one considers the number of entertainers who have spoken in support of conservative causes.

The belief that an entertainer should stay within his chosen profession and express no political point of view is a misguided one. While the entertainer may offer an opinion that owes little to logic, he is exercising the right for which his forefathers risked all. Whether Mr. Damon or Ms. Streisand offer genuine insight is mostly irrelevant; they, like any other citizen, are expressing what is rightfully theirs: their thoughts on current events. Simply because they have attained fame through the entertainment industry does not negate their right to engage in the same activity enjoyed by those of us who live anonymously within society.

Returning to the theme of hypocrisy, it is curious to see how it is almost always celebrities who express a dissenting point of view who are subject to this rebuke of "you're just an actor; it's not your job to lecture us about politics!" Although most Hollywood luminaries are admittedly left of center, several have shown themselves to be conservatives, and quite vociferous ones, I might add. If actors were to take the advice proffered so often regarding overstepping boundaries, would not conservatives have been deprived of their iconic statesman Ronald Reagan? Reagan, as you recall, was the star of films ranging from the masterly King's Row to the buffoonery of Bedtime for Bonzo. Reagan is hardly the sole exception among Hollywood stars. Several others, some of whom are no longer with us, have at some point shown themselves to be champions of conservative causes. Those actors include:

Steve Baldwin (prominent born-again Christian)
Kelsey Grammer (noted Republican)
Bo Derek (attendee at the GOP convention and supporter of George W. Bush)
Duane "The Rock" Johnson (George W. Bush supporter)
Scott Baio (Republican)
Jon Voight (Republican)
Charlton Heston (NRA spokesman)
Shannon Doherty (Republican)
Jason Priestley (publicly called on Americans to support George W. Bush at the start of the Iraq War)
James Woods (has shown himself to be aligned with conservative ideology on more than one occasion)
Dennis Hopper (shortly before his death, Mr. Hopper was known to have been a supporter of the Republican party although he did not vote for McCain in 2008)
Tom Selleck (promoted The National Review)
Dennis Miller (conservative comedian)
Chuck Norris (prominent conservative)
Ron Silver (prominent conservative during his lifetime)
Kirk Cameron (born-again Christian)
Pat Boone (prominent conservative and Christian)
James Stewart (Reagan supporter)
Fred Thompson (politician and actor)
John Wayne (proud supporter of the Vietnam War)
Jim Caviezel (political conservative and devout Catholic)
Patricia Heaton (noted advocate of family values)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (former Republican governor of California)
Ted Nugent (prominent Republican and champion of the NRA)
Jessica Simpson (supporter of George W. Bush)

Now, so many of the aforementioned celebrities have been honored guests on FOX and have been applauded for the opinions offered; yet, what is striking is that when their left-wing counterparts in Hollywood do the same on other networks, they are vilified. As pointed out, they are not just vilified for their viewpoints, but rather for having the temerity to speak them and engage in something outside the arena with which they are associated. The hypocrisy is flagrant. Although the viewpoints offered by Robert Redford or Tim Robbins may be distasteful to many, these actors are hardly required to limit themselves to the craft with which they are primarily associated. America is a society where freedom of speech is zealously guarded and the idea that only entertainers in favor of the conservative status quo should have a platform from which to express their views is a dangerous one.

All of us, whether celebrities or not, have the right to make our views known. Should one find the views of these media stars objectionable, you are in possession of the same right to let your dissent be known as well. Thanks to the Internet, you also have a stage from which you can make your thoughts visible to many. Whether it's Kelsey Grammer or Susan Sarandon is irrelevant, both are Americans and both have the right to express how they feel. To imply that the latter should silence herself while the former should go on network television to air his opinions is a ludicrous notion that brings nothing positive to our society.