The USO Entertainers Controversy and Celebrity Overprotection

Without wanting to be pelted with tomatoes for watching Bill O'Reilly's "O'Reilly Factor" (while the show is occasionally stale compared to what it used to be, I still appreciate his effective muckraking)--an important story was brought up by the man himself after he clandestinely visited Afghanistan this year on Thanksgiving week. While there, he found out that the USO ("United Services Organization" for those who've never known) has only managed to book one performer in the last six months to perform in Afghanistan and for the entertainment-starved troops still living on bases there. When O'Reilly grilled the USO's President, Edward Powell, on his show about this situation--there seemed to be a lot of chair-squirming from the USO Prez, but he gave the reasoning as "scheduling conflicts" behind why they've been unable to get the expected barrage of entertainers willing to give of their time for the troops. Powell also blamed security measures via military personnel procedures and concerns--even though O'Reilly was quick (isn't he always?) to point out that there really isn't any danger in Afghanistan any more. Apparently it's akin to being stuck in the Gobi Desert there now with the only dangers and interest being dust storms that blow sand in everybody's eyes. Oh, and let's not forget Toby Keith...who apparently is the only music performer troops in Afghanistan have seen all of this year. And then there's that thing about more USO Handshake Tours taking place than there should be.

After seeing that interview with Powell--I had the suspicion that he wanted to say more--but refrained. I suspect it isn't the fault of the USO, the military or even the President of the USO himself. It may be the growing trend I see happening in celebrity circles today: Overprotection by celebrity management...when it may or may not be needed. The debate on that subject lies in the strange dichotomy of having more dangers to their safety here in the States than they would flying to the sometimes volatile Middle East to perform for the troops and making a true difference.

Anybody that knows the history of the USO knows that Bob Hope was the first Chairman of the USO's Celebrity Circle who managed to get the biggest names in show business to go overseas with him starting in WWII (when President Roosevelt helped get the organization started) and on through to the first Gulf War in the early 90's. Bob Hope gave the true image of what we expect the USO to always be. Even during the tumultuous Vietnam War in the 60's--Hope managed to get a now-legendary troupe of entertainers together who entertained millions of troops and were experiencing the worst stress imaginable. It's only been in recent years (or the last years of Bob Hope's life) did we learn that many of those past USO entertainers who went overseas in harms way nearly died themselves in numerous close calls. Hope himself ended up in some precarious situations during WWII and Vietnam that could only be called divine intervention in him and his troupe of entertainers not being blown to smithereens by artillery or gravely injured by shrapnel.

When Wayne Newton took the crown of Bob Hope's title in 2001--showbiz was starting to change considerably in both abundant quality and the quality of the stars themselves willing to give of their time. But let's not get too critical here of the quality of talent in America today. We still have a huge group of truthfully (as opposed to hyperbolically) talented superstars here who somewhere along the line had to resort to lining every space within three inches of their person with a human force field of burly security guards. All of that thanks to the insanity of a few who apparently also read "Catcher in the Rye" a little too often and think they hear voices in their head telling them to eliminate a celebrity from the world population.

It makes you wonder if any celebrity who shields themselves from the groups of the dangerously mentally ill who walk the streets of America ever sit down to weigh the differences between being protected here and heading to perform for U.S. troops in a section of the Middle East that's probably more safe than the celebrity's own security-fortified living room.

Who's more chicken first: The celebrity or the military personnel in Afghanistan?

It has to be noted that many entertainers have gone over to Iraq than anywhere else to perform for the USO in the last year. If you see the list on the USO's official website, however, you see mostly celebrities doing handshake tours (more on that later) and comedians as opposed to singers who can actually put the troops into a better state of mind. Not that comedians can't do that, too (Robin Williams was successful there a couple years ago), but someone who can truly engage the troops (don't take that wrong) in various aspects of singing, dancing and all-around banter are the best kinds of entertainment in these situations. In Bob Hope's time, he managed to find a whole slew of those...and the joy was evident on the faces of every troop attending seen in TV documentaries about the USO. Some of these all-around entertainers were a few of the most beautiful women in show business at the time, also, which more than obviously helps.

The mystery does go deeper, though, when you realize that even the entertainers who go to Iraq decided to skip Afghanistan. Is there a stronger feeling of something happening there when it's so seemingly quiet? Some people look at danger as being more apt to happen in places where it's been unusually calm rather than in places used to violent chaos 24/7 and around every street corner. It's a strange case of oddsmaking that may or may not have any validity. Not that many of them probably individually think about those odds.

What may be sadder here is that celebrities rely too much on their management--especially in a time when celebrities have supposedly busier schedules and run from one place to another while being told what to do by their shadow managers. Not all of these management companies have the greatest minds on the planet or the best forethought. Many of them place the celebrity in a place where THEY think will benefit their clients when it actually may be hurting them in some ways. Because celebs likely figure it's too stressful to fire them and disrupt their finely-tuned business machine...they just go with the flow.

According to the USO's President, Powell--the USO is always trying to contact celebrities about appearing/performing at bases around the Middle East and around the world to entertain the troops. As I said earlier, he cites scheduling problems as being a major factor in why they don't get some of the best entertainers who should be going over to work with the USO. Some of them choose to perform on bases here in the States (mostly comedians yet again). And then there's the pointing of finger at the military themselves in the Middle East who apparently have grave concerns over a celebrity getting injured or killed at or around the military base. The security measures needed over there take more pre-planning than apparently anybody knows. But this only reinforces the growing shield of celebrities from the real world.

What I suspect the real answer is when the USO calls celebrities is that their management fears for their client's safety and subtly put a kibosh on the idea. Or, they just do their patriotic (if you can call it that) duty and say they'll have a rep get back to them--when they probably never do. Then there's that little thing called politics that always gives everything a black eye. I won't waste writing space listing those in the entertainment world who oppose the Iraq war--and likely won't do anything to support it...even if it means performing for the USO. That's a whole other complicated dichotomy that every entertainer (worldwide) should consider closing the gap on.

Maybe the USO realizes the politics behind it, but can't make a statement like that without disrupting the whole philosophy behind what the USO means to America.

Handshakes are fine...but send in those who can create a sense of bliss...

If you go on the USO's official site, you'll see quite a few pics of well-known celebrities who go and meet with troops overseas and shake their hands until they almost (but not quite) feel like a politician. While still an admirable thing to do if the star can't sing or dance, it can only do so much to get morale up in a time when music helps a person's state of mind much more. Far too many of the handshake tours have occurred this year over getting the biggest names in music. Why couldn't some of the biggest names in music head over there and put on one memorable show that the troops will remember for a lifetime? Even though Celine Dion was busy with her sensory-overload Vegas show the last couple of years--she'll soon be ending that and could put on an emotional show in Afghanistan or Iraq that would make headlines. It's obviously gratifying to shake hands with and gab with such A-list stars as Morgan Freeman, but music is what our troops need to heal mentally. Anybody that says music isn't a soul food must listen to music too casually (or just too spoiled with it) to see the power of what it does to those who haven't heard it in a while.

___

Bill O'Reilly agreed to work with USO President Edward Powell to get more entertainers into Afghanistan as our troops continue to find ways to wile away the time within the dust. Outside of quality singers such as Carrie Underwood and (however very, very, very arguable) Jessica Simpson--the overall sense of the music acts joining with the USO just isn't what it could potentially and deserves to be. The only trouble with O'Reilly getting this set up is the enemies he continues to form in the entertainment business. If he can get some of music's biggest superstars to go perform for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan--then Bill may end up doing something we thought we'd never see: Passing the peace pipe with the other side before he retires from his show.

What I fear, though, is, well...the continuing fear of safety. Celebrities need to start taking things into their own hands and not their management's. Also, looking up the history and realities of what performers of yesteryear contended with when visiting dangerous locations during past wars for the USO would be an inspiration. Not giving in to fear is part of the American fabric. Caving in to it (or dogmatic politics) only hurts the image of America that we once had during the USO's heyday.