Recent studies revealed that there are certain professions or trades that are questionable in their moral bent. Personally, I have very little regard for statistics, though the list certainly intrigued me and posed few surprises. Whether they're accurate or not, I cannot say, but I can say I believe they made one glaring omission.
Movie stars, as in actors and actresses, should on the list – and probably right near the top.
Before I attempt to prove my accusation, let me give a token defense of that profession. I am often moved by exceptional acting, whether it is on the stage or on the screen. One thing I really like is when an actor, such as a Johnny Depp, can play a wide variety of roles, each one so different from the other. Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise are two others that I feel are outstanding actors.
Ironically, I suppose one of the greatest qualities of the movie industry is how they are able to make their viewers really believe that what they are doing is actually happening, that it is actually true. Oftentimes, I have felt that I was right there in that room, right at that crime scene; and it seemed that I was somehow watching the actual event through a little crack in the door.
I use the word "ironically" because sincerity, genuineness, and authenticity is conveyed but it isn't practiced. Let me explain: These characters are simply living out a role expected and demanded of them, reading lines and simply saying things they are supposed to. If it wasn't their "job," we would consider them liars and hypocrites in every way. And there is no way we could trust a liar or a hypocrite, is there?
Fake virtue, misleading commitment, and mere lip service are the hallmarks of this profession. And then I have to bring up the unfortunate issue of morality and ethics, something that goes far beyond physical intimacy and grey areas. To be sure, I am fairly naive as to ratings and content of probably 95% of anything out of Hollywood in the last few decades, but what little I know appalls me. And this is the stuff that's influencing our kids and students.
One rule of thumb I attempt to have in my home is the following: If I don't want some stranger speaking, drinking, or doing things on my living room couch, I don't want them doing it on a DVD in my living room television.
So, the question begs: Why would I trust a movie star? Answer: I don't. Of all the professions, for all the above reasons, an actor has to be one of the lowest on the employment food chain. There is a serious credibility issue here. That's why, when they start hawking things on commercials, take political stances, or stand up for this or that cause, I am prone disregard anything they say – even though there may be some legitimacy to it.
I am so conditioned to the fact that they are role-playing and reading their lines, that I find it impossible to believe them – even if they told me what time it is. But others I know are consumed by them - groupies, I think, we used to call them. They form fan clubs, follow their hero's every move, and essentially worship them.
Such adulation, of course, is not limited to movie stars. All sorts of celebrities create this sort of response. I have to admit that there are times I slip into that groove and place a higher value on a, say, Sean Connery or Steve Martin, than I should. Both guys, by the way, are phenomenal actors, but what are they like in the real world?
Maybe they and others should stick with acting. After all, if they were politicians or bankers, where would our country be?
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