Time for Hollywood to Shine on L.A.
by Joseph Lindsey“Turning World’s Eyes and Ears to Congo.” That was the title on the ABC website a couple of days ago regarding Ben Affleck’s trip to the region and his efforts to bring awareness to the war torn land. That’s nice of him to do and I think it’s great when celebrities reach out and help those in need. Movie stars have the ability to bring global eyes to causes in need of attention. It’s one of the good things stars can do no matter their politics.
But here’s my question, why Africa and the Congo when so many kids and family’s need to have attention brought to their struggles right here in our own country? Just 20 miles south of Hollywood, where many stars live, is the war torn land of South Central, Los Angles where statistics on drug abuse, gang violence, crime, homelessness, AIDS and single motherhood are staggering.
I know these statistics to be fact because after I left the fantasy world of being a Hollywood actor and screenwriter, I went to work in the real world as an EMT/Medic on an ambulance in South Central L.A., Inglewood and parts of Torrance California. I worked from 9:30 pm till 9:00am, Thursday through Monday and did that shift for more than fourteen months. It was something I’d always wanted to do. I felt a sense of wanting to ‘get my life real’ after the privileged fantasy life I had led in Hollywood.
Nothing I learned from Hollywood parties, pitching scripts, acting in films, chasing actresses or getting high can I apply to my life today. However, working all night on that ambulance I learned a great deal about life as a witness to the aftermath of beheadings, shootings, child abuse, drug abuse, broken spirits and real life drama. The sort of drama no actor could ever bring to the screen because you can’t create the smell of desperation on film – desperation that hangs in the air like a bloated fog drifting over its occupant. Yet everything I learned working on that ambulance I can apply to my life today. Things like, don’t panic, stay calm, there are no big deals, and listening is more important than what I have to say. But the most important thing I learned was this: bad things happen to everyone.
Angelina Jolie prides herself in her work off camera, she’s dedicated to her charity work and again, don’t get me wrong, I feel that’s admirable and something to strive for. Charlize Theron is the founder of “Africa Outreach Project,” and she’s done many great things for the children of Africa. Oprah builds schools in Africa, Bono swings through annually with Bob Geldof to let us all know what’s going on in Africa and George Clooney rally’s for Darfur.
But if Clooney’s so concerned with the state of Darfur, why does he insist on voting for and supporting the Democratic Party? A party that’s not willing to take the action needed. George’s cause would be better served if he abandoned his liberal ways and came on over to the neocon side that rallied in favor of a U.S. led invasion of the Darfur region to set those people free from tyranny, war and poverty. Action is what’s needed in that region to remove those who are forcing its people into war and starvation.
The man who’s done more for Africa than any other man in the history of the world is George W. Bush. But because former President Bush is not welcomed in Hollywood, no one knows that story. Just think what could have been done for Africa had all these stars been open minded and spiritually enlightened enough to stand with W. and say, “Politics aside, what can I do with you to help?”
In my sometimes neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado, you’ll often see lawn signs that read: “Save the Children of Darfur,” but never “Save the Children of Compton.” I say to Clooney and the others that what you’re doing is amazing, but what about the suffering in your own country and neighborhoods?
I don’t have the answer and I’m not saying celebrities should abandon the Congo, Africa or all those other sexy places they travel to in their khaki Ralph Lauren clothes. I am suggesting that Hollywood A-listers get out of their African khaki wear, stop fueling up their earth destroying Gulf 5, and instead hop into their 2009 Land Rovers and put a hand out to help those in their own backyard.
Get more involved with your own neighborhood, Hollywood; why not help build villages in Los Angeles instead of only huts in Africa?
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20 Comments
I think everyone has brought up some good points, but there's something else to consider: there is a lot more that the Hollywoodites could do for LA than they could ever do for Dafur.
Africa is a mess. I don't know how it could be sorted out. I don't even know if it can be sorted out. But no amount of visits from actors will do it.
LA, on the other hand…these guys are voters in the State of California. They could vote for policies that would improve the worse LA neighborhoods: more policing trying to get rid of gangs, better academics, trade schools, job programs, etc. They could even run for office themselves and get power from the voters to try to improve the situation.
But of course, with that power comes responsibility and accountability. If the policies that they support or implement in LA fail or make things worse, then it becomes obvious that they are not fountains of wisdom and good intentions are not enough to improve the situation, and "caring" is not good if you just make things worse.
Much better to stick to advocating for places like Africa and Tibet. There, you can prove your virtue just by "caring."
The reason that Ben Affleck does not care about the problems of the inner city of Los Angeles, is because the Democratic party controls the government and he does not want to hurt the feelings of the Democratic party Leadership of Los Angeles.
There is no photo-op available for working in your own community. Hey, I can jet over there, get some attention, make a speech and then hit the hot tub at the spa in Nice.
Why actually try to do some real work?
Even more telling is if you put the little pointer in West Hollywood, adjust the period to seven days, and change the radius to five miles.
The results? In the past week, Beverly Hills was crime-free, but Hollywood had scores of crimes — mostly theft and robbery.
Then again, with all of the homeless people living along Hollywood Boulevard, I guess it’s to be expected. After all, a guy’s gotta eat.
But, like you said… why go all the way to Africa when you have so many in need right in your own backyard?
I guess it sounds much more impressive to one’s socialite friends to say one helped poor people in a village in some far-off, exotic locale than to say one helped poor people living within walking distance of one’s own neighborhood. Perhaps there is much truth to the old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”
Perhaps some stars do charity gigs to assuage their own guilt over making soul-destroying movies/music, with gratuitous drugs, sex, violence and dysfunction? Nah, that would assume they are capable of reflection.
I too worked for a big city public hospital for years. The misery and tragedy are terrible–because so much of it is self-inflicted and avoidable. We live in such a rich and priveleged nation yet we have intractable problems such as single motherhood, generations on welfare, failing public education, drugs, gangs, senseless gun/knife violence, and on and on. What a terrible waste! I believe much of this dysfunction stems from a “disase of the soul.” The real bright spots (patients) were usually those with a strong, loving family, good values, and–dare I say it? Those with faith.
I am glad that pretty/handsome famous faces draw attention to real need and tragedy around the world. But to admit to real problems in our own inner cities might be more than a bit uncomfortable as the celebs might actually have to confront their own roles in promoting these destructive lifestyles.
And It sure would be nice if more hollywood celebs visited our troops.
Zsuzsa hits the nail on the head. It’s easy to fly to the Congo for a vacation with your photographer and your publicist, get loads of fawning adulation from the bedazzled press about your Noble Purpose and Great Empathy, then jet back to the cocktail parties with new creds.
Compton, not so much. It’s just down the road. Things would you know, actually have to be done. And the results would be easy to see and track, unlike the Congo slipping back into barbarism a day after your sainted presence leaves. As for Erik’s comment that Darfur can be fixed and Compton not…that’s a joke, right? Not very funny.
It’s like the Save Tibet bumperstickers. 30 years later, faded copies are on liberal bumpers across America. Tibet, however, is still in the hands of the Chinese, whereas Iraq is not run by Saddam. A lesson might be gleaned from this, but never by liberals.
As for Africa, google “Let Africa Sink” for a blunt essay about that benighted country.
And Darfur? Why does the US have to do everything? How about a coalition of the EU getting off their ass for a change? Romeo D’Allaire’s book “Shake Hands With the Devil” is a must-read for a frank discussion of the problems there. (And guess what? The UN presence there was not only useless, but actually destructive. What a shocker.)
Hollywood actors get their jollies by living in a fantasy world, playing heros and such. It’s hard for them to suspend their own disbelief if they’re just 20 minutes from their mansions.
I think south central and east LA are a bit too real for them. Plus, those kind of movies are so early 90’s. Africa is hip right now. India might be the new hot thing because of slumdog.
In Team America, Chris is asked why he doesn’t trust actors. “i got my reasons.” #1 Conservative movie.
These Hollywood elites don’t go to South-central because the people of South-central will demand them to act on their promises after the cause is old news, or can follow them home. A single shooting or death isn’t covered in Africa, no names of victim or perp, no crying family members, no protest signage; but will get wall to wall news coverage in LA.
Thank you so much! I have been complaining about this for years! Recently a friend of mine asked me to join a group on Facebook, Angels of East Africa. It was started by a former Hell’s Angel, and I can understand the want to help them, but we need to help ourselves first, then we can help whomever needs it. If we become so weak because our needy, poor, homeless, and ignored, become such a huge number as to outnumber the rest of us, then what good will we be to anyone, much less the rest of the world?
Where are the leaders and community activists in these impoverished and crime-ridden neighbourhoods? Why are they still in such horrible conditions after 30, 40, 50+ years? Could it be that being a professional victim and blaming “whitey” for all your ailments is a lot easier than actually doing something to alleviate your plight?
Well written by Mr. Lindsey as always. One question, why do we have to politicize and judge volunteerism? Who does it serve?
I have worked on those same streets for the early 80’s, both as a law enforcement officer and with the Fire Department, and your comments are something I have realized since I started. I grew up in a moderately well of part of So. Cal., and it was quite an awakening. Your insights are amazing and you are all to be commended.
To turn the liberal mantra on them, they wonder why the whole world hates (or is mad at us) and why “9/11 was out fault” (that shakes me to the core – especially since we went to ground zero). Maybe its a case of “physician heal thyself?” They need to listen to themselves, when they talk about sticking our noses into things. Saddam tried Genocide, and no one said a word. Women are beaten and burned alive, and no one said a word. Why should Darfur, be any different? Does George have his eye on some prime property and he wants the neighborhood cleaned up now?
Maybe if Hollywood put its money where its huge mouth is, it would help. If Oprah put a quarter of the time and money into the inner city of her home town area vs. her African cause , it would make a huge difference. No, she saves her crock-a-vile tears for a more haute couture cause.
And P.S. I would be less judgmental of peoples volunteerism if they didn’t use it as a “look how wonderful I am” moment. There are plenty of stars who are out there in our communities, and you don’t hear too much about them.
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" Nothing I learned from Hollywood parties, pitching scripts, acting in films, chasing actresses or getting high can I apply to my life today"
"after I left the fantasy world of being a Hollywood actor and screenwriter, "
Since when does half a dozen bit-part entries listed in IMDB qualify someone to claim they lived "the Hollywood high life" ???
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???????? Whu…? Weren’t people saying the same thing about the Iraq ‘war’? Why go fix another country and ‘liberate’ them when your own country needs more fixing?
To the libs and all who condemn the removal of Sadaan Hussien.
Since the killers in Darfur are not in possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction, why should we lift a finger to help them? Hey, SH did some very very nice things to his people (dropping them alive into a thresher comes to mind) but hey, we should have NEVER in invaded.
How, Dafur comes along and he SHOULD GO right now!
My idea.
Bring the soldiers home from all these rat holes and then let folks beg us to come back.
Meanwhile, we can spend the money saved on the soldiers and their families.
Mother Theresa visited the US some years back. I don’t recall her exact words, but what she had to say about American poverty was this. In other countries the needs of the poor are simple: food, shelter, clothing, medicine. In America we have governemt programs to feed, shelter, clothe and medicate us. America suffers from an emotional poverty. Dispair is not a problem that can be fixed with a concert (probably why it’s not a popular cause with celebs).
If these celebs cared to do so research, they could highlight charities such as Cross International or Catholic Social Services, two organizations that provide the poor a hand up, not a hand out. With all their star power they could really raise some cash for these good folks- and 98% of it acctually goes to helping people (only about 2% goes to administrative/overhead costs).
Good comments throughout. There was a time when the celebs all had their “pet projects” and I’m sure many still do. AIDS was one of the last big ones, but we had diabetes, cancer of all types, Parkinson’s, autism, and on and on. As I write these few, I realize that many stars are still involved in these, but we just don’t see the press like we did fifteen, twenty years ago. I don’t know why, but I do think that the African issues are the causes du jour and they are international in scope and that helps the foreign sales of projects.
I agree that we have so many causes here in the US, but not just in the inner city areas of LA and Chicago or NY. It’s all over the South and Midwest and Eastern states. One of my biggest worries is the illiteracy rate which leads to so many more problems. If we stopped expecting the government to do the work and enabled the local communities to use whatever raised funds to help themselves, we would see much improvement.
Once we get America to a healthier position, we will be better able to help the world. It’s not that I say we need to abandon the world in the short term, just that we could focus some of the energy locally instead of globally for a while.
EL JAY – Nice to see you are so concerned with the real aspect of Mr. Lindsey’s well-written and meaningful essay. Bravo! (ya dope.)
Care to let us in on your real name so we can then look up your list of accomplishments? (Playing 72 hours of Runescape while living in your parent’s basement shouldn’t really count, but I’ll give you some slack on that one.)
I have no credits on IMDB, yet often lived the “high life” of Hollywood via friends of friends and being invited to the right parties. You’d have to have been there to understand Mr. Lindsey’s meaning.
Might be difficult to really have any clue of this kind of lifestyle while trying to view it from a basement window, eh?
More people were killed in Chicago in 2008 than in Iraq.
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