Celeb Charity Trend

Are these stars doing it out of the goodness of their hearts...or the media publicity?

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

Many starts today have been participating in charities, like Brangelina helping third-world children and Madonna adopting a boy from African nation Malawi. I wonder if I should do my part and get involved in these charities that the stars are working so hard for. Are these stars genuinely interested in these charities or simply want to appear as do-gooders to the public?

Sincerely,

Charity Choosing 

A:

Dear Charity Choosing,

If you're shopping around, you should follow your own instincts on how you think the world needs fixing and how dire the situation is. Celebrities have more resources than you're average Joe and have different reasons in donating to charities.  

Here are a few of the reasons that celebrities are more involved in charity than ever:

1. Celebrities make more money than ever. They have money to give away.

2. More than ever, ours is a celebrity culture. The reason for this is two prong: First of all, technology has provided more outlets for entertainment than ever before. Hardly any teen today can remember when there wasn't cable television, and there were only a handful of channels to choose from. Now there is cable, satellite and You Tube as well as the internet, television that is broadcast to cell phones and ipods and movies downloaded to the computer as well as watch in your home movies from pay-per-view or Netflix. All this means more celebrity vehicles and more celebrities. This is the first time in history when there is a television genre aimed specifically for B, C and D listed actors and has-beens. With the swell of Surreal Life and Flavor of Love type of shows, new stars just won't do. Has-beens only need apply.

The second reason this is a celebrity culture is that we have fewer leaders and less moral integrity in our culture than ever. Everyone is looking for someone to follow. Celebs are looking for an audience. An easier match could not be made.

3. With so much exposure and so much money, celebs have a co-dependent relationship with their audiences. They want to be loved. So, they try and set a good example by giving to charity in order to gain respect and love from the public.

4. Then, there's the obvious and easily ignored fact -- celebs can be extraordinary people who genuinely want to give back to the universe, and find ways to do so -- sometimes through charities.

When celebs do lend their name, energy and money to a charity, there is a responsibility implicit to endorse a reputable cause. This is the same as when celebs endorse political candidates. Unfortunately, like other mere mortals, they make mistakes like the rest of us.

Celebs lending their names to organizations definitely help attract attention, and as celebrities know -- that is always a good thing.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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