Okay, guys, bear with me.  I’m about to break my rule about not talking about politics.  And for the record, let me just say, I have not yet decided who I’m voting for, and even when I do decide, it’s my personal decision, and it’s my choice not to share it with the entire world.

I’m not a fan of politics.  I hate that politics bring out the absolute worst in people, and just seem to stir up so much hate and anger.  However, there’s something about politics that just really, REALLY annoys me…

Celebrity Supporters

What’s a celebrity supporter, you ask?  It’s anyone famous, or kinda famous who steps up and says, “I’m voting for so and so, and you should too because I’m just like you.  I’m a hard working, red-blooded American who only wants what’s best for this country; and this candidate shares all of our core values and beliefs.”

What’s absolutely amazing to me is that people would rather listen to a celebrity tell them how to vote, instead of actually sitting down and educating themselves about the candidate in question.

The thing is, no matter what the magazines may tell us, celebrities are NOT just like us.  It doesn’t matter how many times they’re photographed wearing yoga pants or getting Starbucks or walking their dogs.  The truth of the matter is, they live in a very different world than most of the rest of us.

Don’t believe me?  Here’s a few examples:

-This year’s Oscar nominee’s received a gift bag valued at $232,000 (Harper’s Bazaar).  Sure, it wasn’t sanctioned by the Academy, but that didn’t stop the nominees from receiving it.  Maybe it’s just me, but that number seems mind boggling for a “goodie bag.”  To put that in perspective, with that much money, I could pay off our mortgage, car, my student loans, and have a bit left over to give my parents to help pay down their mortgage.  To even make that much money, I would have had to work nearly twelve years at my last job to make that much money.

-Think about the last time you got a hair cut.  How many hundreds of dollars was it?  Yup, while you may pay between $15-$35 for a haircut, there are celebrities paying $350 and up for a cut that every stylist in America hopes they can recreate when an obsessed fan comes in wanting to look just like their favorite star.  (Forbes)

-What did you spend on your wedding?  Probably at least a couple thousand, right?  Even the most expensive weddings I know of, among my peer group, didn’t top $60,000 (and yes, even that number seems super high to me).  However, when celebrities get married, it’s not unusual for that price to jump into the millions.  (USA Today)

Are celebrities bad people because they have this kind of money?  No, not at all.  Having lots of money has little to do with what kind of person you are.  It’s how you choose to spend that money that reveals what your true nature is.

The point I’m trying to make is that these people don’t live a life that’s anything like that of the “average” American.  Now, I can appreciate that celebrities have quite a bit of power.  They can send out a tweet saying that the best tacos in the world are at a pretty unknown bar in Dallas, and not only will their millions of followers let all of their followers know, but the previously unknown bar will suddenly be famous.  And even if their tacos suck, most will never admit it because their favorite celebrity made the claim of best, and they just know that the celebrity couldn’t possibly be wrong.  With that kind of power, what politician wouldn’t want a celebrity in their corner, tweeting to the masses that their candidate is the one with true vision for the future?

So, here’s the deal, as we head into the next few months of this insane political circus, famous people are just people.  Meryl Streep is a very talented actress.  Willie Robertson is a successful businessman with an entertaining “reality” show.  Patton Oswalt is a entertaining comedian (and perfect narrator for The Goldbergs).  Wil Wheaton was in Star Trek: Next Generation and has been a pretty positive supporter of nerds and geeks.  Mike Tyson is a former boxer.  Mark Ruffalo makes an awesome Hulk.  Chuck Norris has a very specific set of skills, and it’s been said his tears cure cancer (but, sadly, he never cries).  Okay, the list could go on and on, but I’ll spare all of you.

Celebrities are people.  Most of them are rich people.  They’re people with their own opinions.  Guess what…you’re a person with your own mind.  It’s okay to listen to the celebrities, but don’t make your decisions based on what they tell you.  Research for yourself what is actually true, and in November go to the polls and vote.  Vote for what you believe is right.  Not what someone, using 160 characters, told you to believe.