Jolie-Pitt Love

The band U2 has been rocking out for fans since 1976, and along the way collected 22 Grammy awards, the most any recording artist has ever won. They’ve sold more than 170 million albums worldwide. They are the ultimate rock stars.

Actress Angelina Jolie is the sixth highest paid actress in Hollywood, commanding $10 million per film. She’s also a constant tabloid darling, thanks to her very high profile relationship with actor Brad Pitt.

But there is another side to these mega famous celebrities. This side lets the spotlight come off them, and shine on some people who need it more.

Celebrities have been playing dual roles, as entertainer and activist, for a long time.

Movie star Audrey Hepburn was one of the first celebrities to champion a cause. However, these days, it seems nearly every celebrity has a cause or organization they are affiliated with.

But some critics complain celebrities are more interested in boosting their profile, than raising aid for the causes they're touting.

Many critics also say celebrity activists are hypocrites- spending time with AIDS patients in Africa, and then coming home to extravagant lifestyles. But actor Don Cheadle says that is precisely why they are doing what they do. "You do sit there, and you do go, 'Wow I have this embarrassment of wealth, and what am I doing? And very closely on the heels of that you go, "Well, this is what I'm doing, and this is how I'm trying to do it, and this is the way I'm trying to draw focus,” he said.

A deeper concern for many critics is that these celebrities do not have a strong grasp of the issues they are talking about.

One organization that specifically seeks out help from celebrities is the United Nations. Their long-standing Goodwill Ambassador program specifically uses celebrities to draw attention to their mission. Their most famous ambassador is Angelina Jolie.(more)

Labels: news