Sajak says...

I already knew that Pat Sajak, of "Wheel of Fortune", was one of those rare Republicans in the entertainment industry. But recently I stumbled upon his website where he posts occasional commentary.

Around the time of the Academy Awards, he wrote a column about celebrities and politics that I thought was pretty interesting. Among his personal conclusions about the relationship between being famous and being outspoken:

"A celebrity has just as much right to speak out as people who hold real jobs. This is America, after all, and you should not be precluded from voicing your opinions just because you sing songs, mouth other peoplesÂ’ words on a sitcom or, for that matter, spin a giant multi-colored wheel on a game show."

"A celebrity should try to consider the appropriateness of a venue before opening his or her yap about political and social issues. Just because an arena is full of screaming kids who have come to hear your latest songs doesnÂ’t mean you have the right to abuse this captive audience with speeches, tirades or political proselytizing. When you go up to a bank teller for a transaction, you donÂ’t want to hear a lot about politics or the environment before your check is cashed."

"A celebrity should be prepared for the consequences of an opinion if that opinion is stated publicly. It is not un-American for someone to say, “I think what this guy said at the concert last night was stupid and outrageous, so I’m not going to buy any of his records.” It is not censorship, either, if no one (Constitutionally speaking, the government, in particular) stops you from voicing your opinions."

Sajak explains that, for his own part, while he's been known to be outspoken on some issues he tries to keep it separate from his TV persona:

"So you wonÂ’t find me pausing between spins to endorse a candidate or talk about the virtues of school choice. Even when appearing on other shows (unless they are explicitly political in nature) politics is a subject from which I stay away."

I've posted myself on the blurred lines of celebrities and political activism and one of the thoughts Sajak concludes with is this: the political views of the stars are "often taken more seriously than they ought to be".

Posted by: Gary at 04:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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