The average teen’s view

Robby Sutherland
November 20, 2009
Filed under Opinions

Scarlett Johanssen, George Clooney, and Matt Damon have publicly announced their support on Barack Obama. So have Dave Matthews, Ben Affleck, and Robert De Niro. These celebrities want us to believe that Barack Obama is America’s savior.

Instead of listening to such ludicrous sources as Youtube, go to the the Washington Post Web Site or turn the channel from VH1 to CBS (or even, God forbid, read a newspaper).

Be prepared with reliable sources and evidence before you dive into an argument on politics. Without reliable sources, your arguments will be hopeless and you will just ramble on and off about things you might have heard on ‘E!’ — but you’re still going to sound like an obnoxious juvenile.

Let’s be honest, the average teenager in America goes home and instead of selecting CNN or Fox as a website of choice, Facebook instantly pops up on the screen instead. Most students get their political information off of MTV or other talk shows where, for the past year, much of what you’ve heard on these shows are celebrity’s opinions that can be misleading.

Hear what these celebrities have to say. Spike Lee said, “It’s not an if…he changes the world. He changes how the world looks at the United States.” Anne Hathaway said, “I can’t deny how I feel about you, Barack Obama. I want you to be the president. I want you in the White House.” Sting said, “He’s sent from God because the world’s a mess.”

Pro-Obama American celebrities and idols are sending out various messages that lead the audience to believe most American citizens approve of Obama’s policies. Will.i.am, a member of the Black Eyed Peas, along with many other celebrities, honored Obama by writing two songs with lyrics based off of his speeches.

Most of these stars praise Obama and claim his greatness while his approval ratings since taking office have dropped from a 68 percent (Inauguration Day) to a 53 percent approval rating according to Gallup Daily Report. Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey even shared a moment on Oprah’s show where Smith had tears in his eyes and recited Obama’s words from a speech.

However, Obama is receiving so much support from celebrities, that his downward trend of approval is being overshadowed. This is not to say that Obama is doing poorly thus far in his short time in office; however, we can’t rely on hip-hop stars, actors and other iconic figures to do our thinking for us.

Along with many past presidents, Barack Obama is declining in popularity and I believe that anyone discussing or arguing their points on this issue should have better sources than hip-hop artists who can be heard reciting Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes we can.” Arguments coming from either side without background knowledge first is simply ignorance.

Don’t let Kanye West’s public praises on Obama determine whether you think he’s a good president or not. That’s for you to determine.

Carrie Underwood said it best: “I would never want anybody to vote for anything or anybody just because I told them to. Music is where you go to get away from all the BS. Whether it’s from politics or just the world around you, music should be an escape.”