Celebrity Politicians

Here in the land of the free we believe in the rule of law, the idea that no one, not even the sitting President, is above the system. When we were young, the image of President Clinton standing trial should have been enough to cement this concept into our developing minds, despite the basis for the trial. The idea was borne out of the backlash against totalitarian monarchical government that permitted the seat of authority to exercise virtually unchecked power. America has since stood as the beacon (a few notable slips aside, i.e. the Dred Scott decision) of an impartial justice system, free of prejudice and interested in truth above the theater of the court. Well, almost.

In the era of the 24-hour news cycle, celebrity antics, which sometimes slip into what those in the legal profession call felonies, have become a pseudo-reality show without the forced drama. And I'm not only talking about the coverage on the Entertainment (E!) channel. Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears basically have their own liaisons to CNN and the other major news networks. And I swear Fox News has Paris Hilton's limo driver on speed dial - they never miss an upskirt shot of her getting out of her car. Drugs, DUI's, assault and battery, soliciting prostitution, shoplifting, gun possession, murder. Celebrities are subject to the same faults/mistakes as the common person, however unforgivable the offenses. The problem is that with the increased attention, these celebrities are getting more lenient sentences than their less famous counterparts who commit the same crimes. And even when the punishments are comparable, celebrities often end up only serving a partial sentence.

Even justice isn't blind when it comes to the flash and glamor of Hollywood. The sparkling smiles, the twinkling eyes returning every flash from the bulbs of drooling paparazzi, all falling over themselves to deliver the latest piece of celebrity gossip to the eager and high-paying news outlets. The fact that I know who Brangelina and Bennifer are and why the two are irreconcilable should prove that even someone as disinterested in the latest celebrity gossip as myself is so inundated with the hottest "news" that I know why Pitt and Aniston broke up. I don't even know why my last girlfriend and I broke up, but it wasn't because I started seeing an Angelina.

All this attention seems to distract from the application of justice in celebrity crimes. Often, the television personalities escape the long arm of the law by signing autographs for the jurists. Perhaps it's not so obvious, but it cannot be denied that their presence has an effect on a "jury of their peers" who idolize these people. The favored position of celebrities in regard to the law is as well-documented as it is ridiculous. The only celebrity I have seen get what I would call an equal or more harsh punishment than I think I would get for the same crime is Michael Vick. That was a circus. But everyone else gets off with a slap on the wrist and minimal community service. Don't believe me? Check the short list: Naomi Campbell, supermodel, 200 hours community service after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers; Lindsay Lohan, actress, 84 minutes behind bars for a drunken driving and cocaine-possession conviction; Paris Hilton, hotel heiress, 22 days in detention for violating probation in a drunk driving case; Snoop Dogg, rapper, 800 hours community service for gun and drug-possession charges; O.J. Simpson . . . The sad reality is that we've actually come to accept this. And I really couldn't care less. Except for the O.J. thing. That's not cool. Otherwise, I just don't care that the Hollywood A- and B-listers get off easier than most people. It doesn't affect my life in the slightest. Sure, I have a principled stand against arbitrarily applying justice, but overall, it doesn't matter. What I can't stand is that politicians have started to get the same treatment. Pop culture has started to create pop politicians: CNN is currently running a reality series about freshman congressmen; President Obama is an international celebrity, not just a politician, that fact is not arguable; and worst of all, indicted felon, alleged conspirator and racketeer, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is slated to be in the upcoming NBC reality show, called I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! at $80,000 an episode. We have now crossed into an alternate reality. A former governor, who frankly is only famous for committing a felony by trying to auction off President Obama's vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder, has become a celebrity and will appear on a show that failed six years prior and was won by the former husband of Jennifer Lopez. Negative 10 points if you know his name. It's Chris Judd. Chris Judd and the former Governor of a major industrial state will have appeared on the same reality show. And in all likelihood, Chirs Judd will probably have turned in a better performance by the show's end. The only potentially positive factor is that America gets to vote, and hopefully we'll make the right decision and keep Blago around long enough for him to commit a felony on air by attempting to sell his immunity for $100,000 and a job for his wife.

Our leaders shouldn't be celebrities. I know that increased visibility has attracted my generation, compelling and holding our interest; but politics has become a reality show in itself. Reporting who said what on The Hill in Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room and Anderson Cooper's 360 has become CNN's version of Entertainment Tonight. But that's not how it should be. Our leaders shouldn't merely represent us, they should represent what's best in us. And in trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator, the E! audience, they betray their oath of office.