This article originally appeared September 26, 2001 on the Yahoo! News web site under Yahoo!’s “Entertainment – E! Online” section at the following URL:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/eo/20010926/en/celebs_open_up_online_about_attacks_1.html 

The author for the article was not listed.  Below I include this article in its entirety, and have only removed the html links, for my discussion is only about the content of the article.
 

Wednesday September 26 08:48 PM EDT

Celebs Open Up Online About Attacks

Now that the media has temporarily put on hold its obsession with celebritydom, the celebrities are taking their messages straight to the masses.  Does anyone else find it amusing that celebrities "have messages" and they feel they need to bring these messages "to the masses?"

And what better way to reach out to fans (other than last Friday's America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon) than by posting their thoughts on the terror strikes on their official Websites?  For the love of God I hope whoever wrote that was being sarcastic.  In this time of tragedy in our country, let us all look not to God or each other for strength, but to celebrities, who have no idea what real Americans' lives are like.  I can't speak for all, but I personally take great comfort in knowing, at a time such as this, celebrities are still concerned with "the masses."  What noble patriots. 

Some, like the ultraliberal Barbra Streisand have put aside differences to pledge support to Dubya (this is slang for "W" in President George W. Bush) in the name of unity, while others, such as the the politically charged Rage Against the Machine, have questioned the government's impending strikes on Afghanistan. 

"In light of recent events, I strongly believe we must support our government despite our disagreements on certain policies," Streisand writes in a message posted to barbrastreisand.com. And why shouldn't she state something COMPLETELY OBVIOUS such as this?  Starting an anti-George Bush rally right now would be bad publicity, might hurt album sales, concert attendance or merchandise sales.  "We have seen that when we set aside our differences for the greater good, we can prevail against any negative force in this world."  I feel so warm and cozy inside now, I have a nearly uncontrollable urge to log on to Barbara's "official web site" and possibly register as an "official fan."  (Babs, by the way, did the unthinkable and removed all her anti-Bush rants from her site. Of course she did.  But it's not unthinkable. If she now vocally supports President Bush and at the same time has anti-President Bush sentiments on her "official website," she would certainly appear very foolish.) 

Meanwhile, in a message on www.ratm.com, Rage Against the Machine (a music group) writes: "On Tuesday, the victims were American. But (But what? But let's shift the focus off of what happened to America and simultaneously discount the tragedy that happened on our homeland?) the horrible scenes that we've witnessed on TV...are regular occurrences in other places around the globe... no they are not.  Planes flying into and destroying twin 110-story buildings in hugely populated cities such as New York are not a "regular occurrence in other places around the globe."  If these bozos want to give an anti-violence speech, they should not attempt to do so by first desensitizing the events in New York on September 11 by dismissing them as "regular occurrences in other places around the globe."  America does not need this music group trying to comfort us by telling us this sort of thing happens all the time.  We should stand together against this type of violence in all its forms, whenever it happens, whether its done in the name of religious fanaticism, or in the names of our own domestic elite.  It sounds like these fools are implying that any sort of military retaliation by "our own domestic elite" in an effort to defend our nation and rid the world of terrorism would be considered the same "violence" as the terrorists' attacks.  The fools that make up this band are incapable of realizing what this country has gone through in its history to preserve the many freedoms Rage Against The Machine currently enjoys.  If this country had adopted Rage Against The Machine's silly "No violence.  Period.  No matter what." philosophy in the face of any adversity, our country would not be as it is today.  When a violent act is committed against this nation, this nation defends itself.  It does not throw its arms up and say "we must stand against violence, and not commit any ourselves."  We should all stand together and hope that none of the members of Rage Against The Machine are registered voters.

Other musicians are dealing in different ways. On her site, Alanis Morissette released a free download of her song "Utopia" in "the spirit of wanting to offer comfort to everyone who is grieving."  Releasing free downloads- what an astounding example of selfless philanthropy!!!  Perhaps Alanis can put a loaded shotgun in her mouth and pull the trigger in a proactive gesture to comfort everyone who would surely be grieving and holding their ears when she releases her next album??

"I believe this is a hugely defining time for us as human beings," says Morissette on alanismorissette.com. "I believe we live in a relative realm and that it is in the face of what some are calling 'evil' (some?  What does wise Alanis call it?  Innocent target practice?) that we are able to know ourselves as peaceful, transcendent and willing to contemplate the motivations for doing what happened on September 11."  So, what Alanis is saying is that we are capable of seeing what happened and thinking about it.  And this is the woman who will sing and comfort America?  Both "Morissette" and "Moron" start with "Mor..."  That can't be purely coincidental!

Aside from Morissette, an avid Yoga enthusiast and student of Eastern spirituality, another spiritual celeb, Shirley MacLaine, is trying to promote healing in her own way.  Hopefully "her own way" means she will be volunteering for the first manned mission to Pluto and also offer to have every existing copy of her published books and videos collected and recycled into a form of fuel for her rocket ship.

Since the catastrophe the actress, as famous for her books on reincarnation as for her memorable screen roles, made two previously members-only chakra meditation sessions available for free on her site, shirleymaclaine.com. For greater love hath no man than this:  than if a man offer another man a free, online, chakra meditation session.  This is almost as genuine as the Oral Roberts University televangelist Richard Roberts urging home viewers of his television audience to "lay hands on" the screens of their television sets so that he could pray for them.  The bible does contain passages on "the laying on of hands."  Somehow, I don't feel Richard Roberts holding his hands up to the camera in his television studio, and the person 1500 miles away placing their hands on their television screen is quite what God had in mind. 

"Let's allow our souls to smile and remember that adversity introduces us to ourselves," MacLaine writes. Maybe you have to be reincarnated a few times before this makes any sort of sense?  And, as for our enemies, she suggests we "melt their weapons, melt their hearts, melt their anger with love." She definitely has the "melt" part of it correct.  But she needs to include the word "nuclear," and work on re-wording that sentence.

Here's a quick rundown of other Web-based celeb reactions: 

• Cindy Crawford writes in a September 21 message: "Having just had a beautiful baby girl, I was filled with so many conflicting emotions.  Perhaps Cindy can fly in to Manhattan and make an announcement to the rescue workers that she just had a "beautiful baby girl?"  I wonder if the police and fire fighters digging through twisted steel and concrete and finding pieces of the bodies of their friends and family members would really care that Cindy just gave birth to her "beautiful baby girl," or care what the super model really thinks of anything?  Joy at becoming a mother again and deep sorrow for the tragic loss of so many lives. I'm not sure either reality has set in. I'm not sure anything ever set in for Cindy, from grade school up to the events of September 11, 2001.  I am filled with overwhelming admiration for the heroism and bravery displayed by so many."  And I, Cindy, am overwhelmed by your ability to say something so meaningless in a time of great need. 

 
• "My first response once it seeped into my brain that there was something that really had happened was that I wanted to be with my children," says Melissa Etheridge. Her special, artificially inseminated children, which she and her partner will attempt to raise in a world free of pesky male influence.  "That was an overwhelming need at that point in time time of the crisis." I thought the overwhelming need was to rescue survivors, secure America, and take steps to avenge our free country?  Looks like one of us has our priorities screwed up.

 
• "Those of you who are strong need to be there for those who have lost someone today. We have to be here for each other right now," writes Tori Amos in a September 11 posting. 

 
• "I hope that we can do our best to be patient with one another and accommodate each other in our different forms of grieving and coping," Moby suggests in a message dated September 14. This may be the only intelligent thing I read in this article.

 
• "When I said that I think our nation is a bit arrogant, what I meant is that as a world superpower...I feel like we've taken on the attitude that we, as a country, are untouchable. How did we get that way? I wholeheartedly appreciate the freedom we have in the United States. I think this is a wake up call for us all to take notice that these freedoms are not a given," writes Backstreeter Kevin Richardson in response to controversial comments he made criticizing America's foreign policy. Finally, a back street boy has given his opinion.  I suddenly feel very calm.  My confidence in and perspective of America has been restored.  I want to thank Kevin by joining the official Backstreet Boys website and buying Backstreet Boys merchandise. 

 
• "Our hearts and prayers go out to the injured and the families of those who perished," writes Steven Tyler on behalf of Aerosmith (news - web sites). "This country is all about freedom and we're proud to be an American band."

 
• "P. Diddy and the entire Bad Boy family would like to thank all the rescue workers for their heroic efforts during the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) tragedy. Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with all those touched by this great tragedy," Sean "Puffy" Combs writes on his p-diddy.com. I'm sure that when the news got out that Puff Doodey or P Puffy or Puff Duddy or whatever he has crowned himself as of late, "thanked" the rescue workers, that a new wave of energy poured forth among the rescue workers, stirring action and giving the whole rescue movement a refreshing boost.  The following paragraph on P Dud's site reminded his fans that he is the baddest mother fuc**r on the planet, and he's got cash and hos in all the zip codes, along with various touring announcements and new merchandise pricing and availability.

"It is time to hug your neighbor and embrace your nation," says Hope, who has rallied generations of Americans in times of crisis. "God bless you! God bless our country!" 
 

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