RIPPING JOHNNY DEPP

Don't get sucked in: Most celebs kinda are pirates

Well, I'm not really going to rip Johnny Depp.

Johnny is one of the finest American film actors of his generation. No worries.

But recently I've read a couple of extensive interviews with Depp and it brought to mind a general -- though not all-inclusive -- point about celebrities: They love talking about themselves, but seldom use their golden soap boxes for the greater good. Not beyond the level of good personal PR, that is.

They also love to make enough money to buy their own islands, while their idea of charity work may or may not involve attending a gala event for this cause or that.

To me, it's kind of pathetic. If you're in the public eye, give us reason to blink. I've worked in media a long time and I know that if Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie (I'm running out of celebs here cause I don't worship these folks) said to an interviewer "I'm giving ninety percent of my wealth to the poor and everyone else in my position should do the same," that quote is gonna run!

So too: "We live in dangerous times. People need to steal back democracy." You get the idea.

Of course there's censorship. That's another of my big butt-aches. But you can get a lot of stuff into print or on the air, especially if you're a celeb.

So why don't they do that? Apparently greed is good, to most of these people. And narcissism too. And dying with the most toys. And not sticking your neck out. Or putting a kink in your image. Or "upsetting the industry."

And when any of these precious little things does make a donation or low-level feel-good effort of some kind, I'm tired of it being amplified all over the place when, relatively speaking, it's a token gesture. Whether it's Oprah or Gates or on down the line. What these people give away is well within what their Park Avenue accountant told them was conservative enough that they could still make the highest-earners lists and collect rare automobiles.

When you or I give to charity, we tend to feel it in our budget. It's a small sacrifice. Sacrifice. That's the word of the day I want to send out to the rich and famous.

And that includes you, Edward Scissorhands!

Take care,
Adrian

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