This is the wrong way.

I'm so sick and tired of celebrities trying to preach to us. About what we should and shouldn't do, particularly when there isn't a clear right or wrong.

Examples? P. Diddy's "Vote or Die" campaign. Or ... die? C'mon now. No one's going to die if they don't vote -- unless they're hinting at the dangers of more terrorist acts and soldiers lost "on account" of George W. Bush and not voting for him ...

As much as celebrities are trying to help make the average person aware of the issues that our world is dealing with, I don't necessarily think it's always their place to do so. If we come down to the bare bones of it all, celebrities are usually celebrities because they're entertaining. And their job is to entertain.

I'm not how pleased I'd be if even my favorite celebrity (although we have recently ascertained that I don't quite have a favorite celebrity) tried to "enlighten" me. But maybe I'm not the average consumer/fan, who'd buy anything my favorite celebrity touched or spoke positively of.

I'm particularly annoyed with the new show on MTV, featuring Cameron Diaz and her environment-saving posse. Can we please move this to the Discovery Channel? I understand that they're trying to reach out to a new audience, but 1) it's completely unrelated to music and 2) if someone's going to watch it because of Cameron Diaz, they're going to watch her on Discovery Channel anyway. I know I'm not counting the handfuls of people that get pulled in because they're channel-surfing or just watch MTV 24/7, but, honestly. I want my MUSIC TELEVISION. I don't want to be talked down to or educated.

And this new campaign, also launched by MTV (who is turning out to be the America of the television stations, trying to save the world, one viewer at a time), is a rally against AIDS and extreme poverty. Okay, so Ryan Gosling's part of it. But so what. Lines like:

"Wear the white band and show your support for the ONE Campaign and the fight against global AIDS and poverty. Worn by teachers, doctors, and homemakers. You've seen them in the pages of People and US Weekly on your favorite stars, get your band now! The white bands are part of a global effort to make poverty history."

are not going to sell them to me. Sure, I'll buy it just cuz everyone who's anyone in People magazine is wearing it! Please.

I just think it's stupid to manipulate people into doing something they don't give a rat's ass about. So what if a teen had voted because their favorite celebrity had told them to? Does that mean that they can make an informed decision? Or are they just going to choose randomly, or worse yet -- make a decision based on their favorite celebrity's leanings?

Call me a romantic, but I don't think you should support something unless you mean it and you're passionate about it. And you genuinely care.

Watch the "preview" video here to see that what it all comes down to is another sex-driven sell. Particularly Jewel's oh-so-genuine plea. (And I like Jewel.)

While you're there, why don't you just donate a couple bucks to them too? And sign the declaration. Everyone's doing it ...


(photo courtesy of one.org)

P.S. MTV, it's "Who has signed ..." not "Who've signed."