tsunami - should celebrities be stepping up?

[beau2ifulday]

Sandra Bullock is encouraging Hollywood's millionaires to give generously to the post-tsunami relief effort in Asia after donating $1 million to help support emergency groups. The actress contacted the American Red Cross last week and asked how she could help, according to trade paper Hollywood Reporter. This is the second time the generous star has handed over $1 million to the charity - she donated a similar amount after the terrorist attacks on America in 2001. A Red Cross spokesman says, "Sandra continues to enable our lifesaving work and is a model for personal generosity."


Very generous on the part of Ms. Bullock - I think that goes without saying. However, i'm interested to know how you all perceive the role of 'celebrity' in such situations as this. I have friends who are divided both ways over whether celebrities should step up their donations in times of need such as this. While I do not feel that it should be seen as a designated role or duty that should be fulfilled, at the same time I do believe that if it is within the capabilities of someone to assist in any way, then that opportunity, to an extent, should be ceased, particularly in the cases of high profile celebrities, who ultimately can influence large followings.
Thoughts?

 

[BVS]

Everyone should step up. It's just that celebrities often have a little more disposable cash than you and I, and their voice rings louder. I don't see how anyone can see this as a bad thing.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I think the responsibility to help is equal for everyone - we 'should' give what we can. That goes for celebrities, society's wealthy, and low income earners too. It's proportional. I dont think the celebs themselves are under any obligation to put this in the spotlight though, that's the media's role, to get everyone aware of how much help is needed. Pointing out donations like Sandra Bullock's is heartwarming and encouraging and just shows that we all should try to do whatever we can.

A few of Aus's greatest acts of the moment are getting together do to a massive concert/appeal on Saturday. The media rights have been given to all our free to air television stations and will be broadcast on our humble 3 for the entire afternoon. I think that kind of thing is just fantastic.

 

[babyman]

everyone must do what he can, the celebrities problem is that the media give a too much emphatic image of them when they give money, and sometimes it falls easily in a sort of selfish advertising. i think every artist, (like we all), must give money without saying nothing about, without allowing medias to give too much reflex to them. these are remarkable things in people's mind, for instance formula 1 driver michael schumacher gave 10 million $, today here in europe everyone was talking that MICHAEL SCHUMACHER gave 10 million $, and this is WRONG

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

every person should do what they feel they should do. nothing more, nothing less.

 

[verte76]

People should do what they can. It's more likely that someone who's already famous is going to end up in the media with their donation, and they don't always have a choice, if the news gets out of the bag it's going to be in the media because they want to sell publications. Also, they do have more disposable income, and the public knows this, too. We shouldn't let the media tell us how to help in situations like this, we should decide for ourselves.