HoPC Introduction Script

HoPC Introduction Script

I was tasked with writing and organizing the introduction for our project. My script–which is still flexible, as we will form the introduction once our body section is entirely finished–is as follows:

With more and more celebrities entering into the political sphere and even running for office, the question arises: Who can be a politician?

  • Clip of Donald Trump saying “You’re Fired” from The Apprentice
    • Cut to clip of him swearing into office
  • Clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger saying “I’ll be back” from Terminator
    • Cut to clip of him swearing into office
  • Clip of Ronald Reagan in Kings Row
    • Cut to Clip of him swearing into office

Is it ethical for celebrities to use their platforms for political activism?

  • Clip of Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes acceptance speech about the media

Should celebrities remain neutral on controversial issues, or should they take a public stance?

  • Clip of Madonna speaking at Women’s March

Is it ethical for TV networks to give airtime to celebs that hope to advance their own beliefs?

  • Clip of Jimmy Kimmel on health care
  • Clip of John Oliver
  • Follow-up question: where do we draw the line between commentator and hard-hitting journalist?

Blurred lines between celebrities and politicians are nothing new, and this phenomenon is far from irrelevant. The powerful voices of actors, singers, athletes, and comedians shape the way we view the world, and influence the way we vote and participate in politics, ultimately shaping, in some fashion, the fate of our nation.

 

I also helped Nicole transition from my section to her section (which is on the historical context of the controversy):

Long before the days of SNL and Jimmy Kimmel, ancient Greek comedians didn’t simply choose politics as fodder for their humor–it was expected of them to draw citizens’ attention to particularly salient issues in their society, and to criticize the actions of specific politicians through comedy.