Celebrity Causes and Electric Cars: A Marriage Made in Hollywood

There are few things that amuse me more than when celebrities latch onto political or social causes to improve their public profile. I remember in the aftermath of the decision to go to war in Iraq, a bench of celebrities promised to wear black to the Oscars to protest America's involvement. In one of my first articles written as an opinion writer for my university's newspaper, I lambasted these celebrities for posturing as antiwar activists in order to show that Hollywood had a heart. This pet peeve of mine has eased a bit over the years and I now recognize that celebrities who embrace causes, liberal, conservative, or otherwise, have every right to use their wealth and power toward helping these causes. However, the message is made more powerful when the individual has shown a lifelong passion for activism.

Tim Robbins, Bono, Tom Selleck, and others have been activists for causes ranging from campaign finance reform, ending poverty, and maintaining the sanctity of the Second Amendment (in the order I just listed them). I can respect all three, even if I don't agree with some of their positions, because at the very least they have been consistent throughout their careers. The senior activist in Hollywood, even if he doesn't do much acting these days, is Ed Begley, Jr. At a recent auto show in Las Vegas, Begley, Jr. continued his lifelong crusade for clean energy by shilling for the Phoenix Motorcar's clean running sports utility vehicle.

Ed Begley Jr. has been synonymous with electric car operation over the last two decades, sacrificing his Hollywood cache with the mainstream media to show how there are viable alternatives to using fossil fuels. From his use of solar panels on his California home to his ownership of a variety of electric cell vehicles over the last 35 years, this actor has remained committed to an important social cause in the increasingly vapid environment of Hollywood. His promotion of clean energy and his attempts at gaining attention for his use of the electric car has earned plenty of jeers, jokes, and spoofs on shows like The Simpsons. However, he has remained undeterred as an activist and given other celebrities who may have a cause that they don't need to sacrifice their conscience for their careers.

While Ed Begley Jr. may not be mistaken for Brad Pitt or Jack Nicholson in terms of looks or acting quality, he has done enough over his career to warrant some attention toward his cause. As average citizens, we should hope that more people like Ed Begley Jr, Bono, and Tim Robbins come around. With celebrities steering the media toward important political and social issues, the government and the public can be made aware of problems that need resolution. From there, we can begin to use solutions like the clean car for the environment or massive humanitarian aid in the case of Bono's poverty campaign to make sure that their activism is not merely ivory tower talk. However, the first step in this process is recognizing that everyone, celebrity or not, has a right to lobby for a particular cause. In fact, we need to hope that the young generation now in Hollywood could be so committed to changing the world.