The charitable Hollywood

By Jamie Weinstein

© 2005 Cornell Daily Sun

Last semester, I wrote an article criticizing some celebrities for exhibiting what I termed the "celebrity martyr-complex." Like many conservatives, I have been more than a little irked by the Sean Penns and the Michael Moores of Hollywood, not wholly for their political views, but how and where they express them.

Hollywood has gotten its fair share of criticism over the last few years — much of it deserved. But there is another side to Hollywood which needs to be highlighted. It is this unexplored aspect that I will discuss today.

Celebrities raise enormous amounts of money for charities throughout the nation. Through donating their own funds or giving up their time to support a charitable event, they help provide the needed cash for many worthy causes.

One charity that I am involved in is cystic fibrosis. Six years ago this disease stole the life of my brother, so naturally I have a real interest in seeing it cured.

Last weekend, I drove to my birth town of Allentown, Penn. to give the keynote address at the 20th anniversary of the Cystic Fibrosis Tennis Auction Ball. It is an event my parents founded, so in Allentown I met up with my entire family in the hopes of raising some significant funds towards cystic fibrosis research.

Taking time out of their busy schedules, actress Christine Taylor and her husband, comedian Ben Stiller, also attended the event. Taylor grew up in Allentown and was friends with a family there who lost two daughters to Cystic Fibrosis.

Still, Taylor and Stiller did not have to come all the way to Allentown to support the event. But they did. And it would have been enough if that is all they did. But the Hollywood powerhouse couple did much, much more.

The two went above and beyond the call of duty to support this cause. They participated in the proceedings, providing a humorous touch to the live auction portion of the evening. Even more, the two bought at least one tennis team for the following day's tennis tournament. They gladly and graciously participated in everything and anything that was asked of them, all the while never once — from what I saw — turning down a request for a picture or an autograph. And I assure you, the two were constantly inundated with such requests.

These two representatives of what we term as Hollywood — though I think they actually live in New York — showed that, while we may gripe about its excesses or get outraged about certain actions by particular members, at least some, if not many, in the community can be quite selfless. Without the presence of Stiller and Taylor this weekend in Allentown, I think it would be fair to speculate that the event would not have garnered half of the hefty amount it ended up taking in.

The question that must certainly be asked is whether this example from this past weekend is indicative of the majority of the Hollywood community or just representative of the tremendous character of Stiller and Taylor. I must admit that I don't have a definitive answer.

I can certainly attest that the first part is true — albeit from limited experience. Yet from this limited exposure, I am confident in my assertion that Stiller and Taylor are in fact extraordinary people. As for Hollywood as a whole, I think the question is a bit more difficult.

It is harder for me to answer because I have not immersed myself in that community. However, when the recent tsunami hit Southeast Asia, several members of the Hollywood community, including Sandra Bullock and Leonardo DiCaprio, were said to have given large donations to the relief efforts. Others participated in a live TV fundraiser which raised millions for the tragedy. I could easily point to a multitude of other examples.

It seems fair to say that celebrities have raised tremendous sums for worthy causes over the years — just look at what Jerry Lewis alone has done for muscular dystrophy with his annual telethons. Whatever the reason for their involvement, the result is that more research is occurring to fight deadly diseases and more lives are certainly being saved and prolonged. And in the case of the tsunami effort, Southeast Asia has been provided more funds to rebuild.

This isn't to say that Hollywood is more praiseworthy than the rest of America in terms of charitable contributions. But what it does say is that, like Americans as a whole, the Hollywood community does its part to help the less fortunate and disease-stricken among us.

As I said, there is much room for criticism of what we term as "Hollywood." But it seems to me that their efforts in the charitable world are by and large laudable and, most often, apolitical. So I will criticize Hollywood when necessary, but they should be praised when deserving. When it comes to their charitable pursuits, on a general level, the actions of Hollywood, like America as a whole, seem to be quite commendable.

So here's to Hollywood from a sometime critic, but lifelong fan, to their many noble efforts in raising money for worthy charities. And to Stiller and Taylor, I extend a personal thank you for helping in a cause that hits close to home for me. Your efforts are most certainly appreciated, especially by those whose lives will be bettered by the research your presence helped raise money for.

© Jamie Weinstein