This I Believe: All You Are Is Always Enough

Recently while surfing the Internet, I came across the This I Believe website. For those not familiar with the site it is, "A national media project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives." Some essays are written by celebrities, but the majority are submitted by everyday people. After reading a few essays, I began to wonder what I believe in. What drives me to be the person I am, but more importantly what driving me to be the person I want to become? It is an important question to answer, thus I have decided to write about my own core belief this week.

I believe that all you are is always enough. It is a concept that not only affects my personal life, but my professional life as well. It is the reason I am the person I have grown to be and the reason I want to be an actress. However, my brother was the first to give me this advice. Having grown up in a small suburb, my family was the only of Greek Orthodox descent in the entire county. It was not merely that we were different from the rest of suburbia, but that we stuck out. I think that most teenagers are already self-conscious and eager to fit in with their peers. Therefore when a cultural gap actually exists the problem is magnified.

For me this manifested itself through my attempts to look and be like everyone else. I joined clubs, played sports and even dyed my hair. Among teens and pre-teens it is becoming less acceptable to be an individual; those who do stand out often become targets for ridicule and bullying. Speaking from my own experience, I felt there was a “right way” and a “wrong way” to be and in order to be “right” I should follow the lead of my friends. With this idea in mind, I quit the local theatre I had performed at for many years despite the fact that I enjoyed my time there and loved performing. To my surprise, my brother was the one who came to me upset after hearing about my resignation. He is five years my senior and I had always looked up to him. As he had always been a bit of a jock, I assumed he viewed my interaction in the theatre the same way my friends had. Having witnessed the changes in my behavior and appearance, he decided he needed to speak with me. After gathering why I felt the need to change into someone different, he told me that as people, all we are is always enough. The things that make me different from others are not necessarily wrong, and I should never be ashamed of the person I am or the things that interest me. If everyone were meant to be identical, there would be no point to living. He sited my favorite musician, Davey Havok of AFI seen in concert above as an example. In comparison to other punk bands AFI sounds similar, but their live shows set them apart from any other band currently touring.

This lesson took many years for me to understand and embrace, but today it is the one core belief I take with me at all times. Never was this concept more important than when I decided to major in theatre arts at college. I found that many of my friends and neighbors viewed the theatre as not being a legitimate career or a worthy ambition, but the advice my brother had given remained with me. The reality of the entertainment world is that it is a business that encourages individuality. There are many examples of actors and musicians who have achieved success because they embraced their differences rather than stifle them. Actress, Nia Vardalos seen at the top right at the 2003 Academy Awards where she was nominated for her performance in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A film she wrote based on her life growing up as a Greek American. The success of the film hinged on the experiences of a person outside of the "norm." Furthermore, as a fellow Greek American I personally can identify with the cultural gaps discussed in the film. In truth the reason the film did so well is because on some level everyone understands what it feels like to be the odd man out, only most hide it if possible. Fortunately for me I can't hide my cultural individuality, though I used to think it was unfortunate. We are what we are for a reason, and to fight is useless. Having embraced the person I am has taught me that all I am will always be enough.

Celebrities and Politics: Should They Mix?

According to a recent CBS News poll, President Bush, pictured giving the state of the union address, has seen an all time low approval rating. With only 28% of those polled finding satisfaction with the current administration, the race for the presidential office in 2008 has taken on new importance. With so many issues receiving attention in the news, the possibilities are seemingly endless for the candidates who have officially thrown their hats into the ring. With the nation at war, the environment in decline, health care reform, social security collapse, educational restructuring, religion, and abortion being just a few of the issues dividing the nation as well as the major political parties, one wonders what will become the leading hot button issue in the upcoming presidential race? However, much of this will depend upon the candidates chosen to represent their parties. Already political heavyweights are announcing their plans to run for election. With such announcements come the inevitable endorsements of celebrities, and campaign fundraisers. But is the majority of the voting public fed-up with celebrity involvement in politics; especially given the current political state of the nation?

One poll suggests just that, showing a reversal in public opinion. During the 2004 election the majority of the public supported celebrities becoming involved with political campaigns, some even giving speeches during the campaign trail. Now however, public opinion is that celebrities should not become involved in politics, particularly campaigns. And it’s not hard to understand voter’s frustration with celebrity activism; one need only examine the results of the last election, along with reaction to the current war with Iraq. During the 2004 presidential race, celebrity involvement caused more division along party lines among moderate voters, mostly due to comments concerning the War on Terror. But with the majority of Americans now disapproving of both the administration and the war, will celebrity involvement be as influential a factor as it was in the 2004 election?

At the forefront of the candidates is Illinois senator Barak Obama, scene giving a speech on the right. Recently, he has gained a significant amount of support with the help of some extremely powerful friends, namely Oprah Winfrey. Besides being Forbes Magazines third most powerful person in Hollywood, the media mogul possesses access to her television show, magazine, website, Production Company, and nearly 226 million dollars, not to mention countless business contacts. Obama is already taking advantage of Winfrey influential business partners, having just had a Hollywood fundraiser hosted by Steven Spielberg, tickets went for $2,300 dollars a head. But Obama isn’t the only candidate receiving support from Spielberg, Hillary Clinton is also hoping for some celebrity help in her bid for office. Help like that of Martha Stewart for instance, who announced at a luncheon that she would be supporting Clinton in 2008. David Beckham was also tapped by Clinton representatives for his endorsement, though as a British citizen he’ll be ineligible to vote in the election.

Despite a drop in public opinion, Republicans such as John McCain and Rudy Giuliani have also announced their intentions on running for presidency in 2008, though celebrity support for the GOP is less than A-List. In fact, during the 2004 election democrats boasted celebrity endorsements from the likes of Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lenny Kravitz, Bruce Springsteen and The Dixie Chicks. And yet, even with republicans being forced to rely on celebrities with far less star power, they managed to win the election. Which begs the question, just how much will celebrity involvement play a part in the upcoming presidential election?

With much of the public feeling disillusioned towards celebrity involvement in politics, mostly due to their lack of knowledge of the issues dividing the nation. Celebrity involvement reached its’ peak in the 2000 election between Gore and Bush, but the issues facing the nation then seem mild compared to the current issues. Thus, the majority of Americans have grown weary of celebrities speaking on the campaign trail, particularly during this time of war when speakers like Michael Moore, seen after delivering his infamous academy award acceptance speech, are more apt to anger voters than draw party support. So what will be the role celebrities play in this election? Funding; and when it comes to campaign funding both parties are on an equal footing. While democrats may lay claim to more A-Listers, republican generate nearly identical amounts of campaign funding through celebrity benefits. This means that potentially Hollywood may play the smallest role in the 2008 election, than it has since the Reagan administration.