I’m not one for reading People mag, but I recognize the power of celebrities.
That’s why I was tickled to read Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee say in this interview that he’s minimizing food waste. No doubt Ed Begley, Jr. is doing the same.
TV Guide: What are you doing to stay green?
Lee: Cutting down on waste: wasted food, wasted water, leaving the lights on.
TV Guide interviewed Lee, the former current former current Pam Anderson beau, to publicize his eco-adventure TV show “Battleground Earth.” The program is on Planet Green, “the first 24-hour green lifestyle channel” and a part of the Discovery Channel family.
Unfortunately, I don’t get Planet Green, so I can’t say for sure what it’s like. But judging from the lineup, I’m guessing that many of the shows leverage famous folks to bring a skin-deep eco-awareness to the masses.
And I’m OK with that. As I’m sure Tommy would tell us, being green has to start somewhere. We all know that celebrities can sell goods, but it’ll be interesting to see if they can spark responsible behavior changes. Any thoughts?
4 Comments
On the one hand, I agree that celebrity endorsement of ANYthing nets results, and Celebs being green has got to have some kind of impact on the big picture….but on the other hand, the hand that snorts in disdain and this latest trend of “greenness” that seems to be going around, the hand that cynically flips off the superficiality of the current approach to public awareness of the dire climate change situation…THAT hand sees this as just one more hegemonic device (intentionally or not, doesn’t matter) set in place to appease the masses. These stop-gap methods and approaches that “raise awareness” also give people an “out” from making any substantial lifestyle changes. “I changed all my light bulbs and bought a Prius, I’m green now!” is something I hear far too often to find comfort in a celebrity endorsement. What does Tommy Lee or Leonardo diCaprio really know about saving water, anyway? What does Gwen Steffani understand about the energy situation in the US today? Does she and her singer/actor husband use solar power? Does Koby Bryant realize that those product endorsements that pay for his mansion(s) came at the cost of precious resources funneled into the mass production of those products? What about the band Sugarland, are they limiting the amount of waste while on tour by not eating take-out? Does Snoop Dog’s bus, the one recently pulled over for expired tags, use some kind of alternative fuel?
It seems to me that celebs can endorse anything, often just to keep themselves in the public eye. I would rather see these celebs out there living the green life, not just promoting the newest trend for their own agenda. That’s the kind of awareness raising that needs to happen. Do we really need a whole TV channel dedicated to celebs doing what they do best – faking concern for something they really don’t even get, let alone put into practice?!
Kat,
I’m with you on the idiocy of greenness being something that can be bought. Making a dent in global warming will require behavioral and systematic changes from individuals, businesses and nations. That said, if you’re wealthy enough, you can buy some serious energy savings.
I guess I cut celebs a little more slack than you do. Just because they’re famous doesn’t mean they don’t care about the environment. They probably don’t, but you I’ll bet a few do. And of those, most probably think they’re doing the right thing by buying “green stuff.”
P.S. bonus points for using the word ‘hegemonic’ and reminding me of college. Back then celebrities didn’t pretend to be green, they just
killed peoplewere accused of killing people.I had to laugh at this one.
Ed Begley Jr. I believe.
Tommy Lee?
Not so much.
Thanks for the humor!
-Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.wordpress.com
I like Katy
I absolutely agree and have had the same beef with the RED campaign, I Am Africa products, and similar campaigns regarding attention in Africa. Concerning oneself with a “green” lifestyle or AIDS and poverty in Africa as a celebrity in the public eye seems futile and a momentary trend (which means anyone duped enough to follow celebrity’s trends will soon lose interest themselves, never really knowing the greater concern for the issue).