Celebrity State Department:

Melik Kaylan writes this article in today's OpinionJournal, calling out celebrity activists and asking if they're now passe (YES!). Among other things, Kaylan notes:

The French poet Paul Valéry once observed that intellectuals, when they run out of serious things to say, end up by flashing their genitals to get attention. With the coming launch of her new antiwar music video, one could argue that Madonna has reversed the process. As Dennis Miller said about her in a recent interview with Phil Donahue, "After you've shown every orifice from every angle, you might have to make a political statement to get people reinterested in you." ...

... Something uneasy has entered into the contract of illusion between us and celebrities. A sharp change occurred in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when most citizens felt a twinge of nausea at the sight of an Entertainment Weekly cover. This acute aversion to hollow glitz lasted awhile, and seemed to fade, but has now revived due to the unelected tub thumping of Robert Redford, Susan Sarandon and their ilk. We enjoyed them for being mere entertainers, and then we didn't for a while--but we never intended them to be anything more.

Now I'm the first to say that everyone has the right to state their opinion, but I think this is spot on. It's worth the read, and no registration is required. Melik also posts this fantastic magazine cover from Flash Bunny (you may have seen this elsewhere, but for me it was the laugh of the day):