ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.
I have a history of being reluctant to make a big deal about celebrities, and this habit hasn’t made me any friends.When somebody famous shows up in my town and environs, I’m not star struck enough to stop what I’m doing and head over to where they’ve arrived. I figure they have appeared for their own benefit, not ours, even though a slew of local folks welcome them with open arms.
Such was the case this past week when three very famous people showed up in these parts, for a variety of reasons.
One was First Lady Jill Biden, who came to Camp Manitou-Lin, barely to the east of the Barry-Allegan County border. She supposedly was to talk to the kids about nutrition and hood health habits, but she is indeed the wife of the President of the United States. And that president right now has been faced with enough media demons to be in need of positive publicity.
Not to be outdone, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm showed up in Lansing as our current Secretary of Energy touting gasless carriages as the wave of the future. Of course, the media couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask for her take on the recent call for President Joe Biden to step aside in the 2024 race for president.
So, in both of these famous women’s visits, there was a political ingredient.
The one without politics was the surprise visit of former University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, perhaps the most popular male entertainment figurer in Michigan right now. The coach apparently is vacationing at Gun Lake and he stopped in at Russo’s. He is shown in this story’s photo with the Russo’s owner.
Former Gov. Rick Snyder had a cottage in the Gun Lake area and he was spotted dining at local eateries as well.
The problem here is us. We are a nation that worships the rich and famous, especially sports heroes. Politicians know it, and they use it to gain perky and positive publicity at virtually no cost to themselves. They don’t have to ask to place an advertisement, their mere appearance already has done just that.
That’s why I have a history of cropping politicians out of pictures when all they did was show up to take credit for something they didn’t do.
I’ve often mentioned about 25 years ago when State Rep. Bob Bender of Middleville gladly was coaxed into joining March of Dimes marchers for the ceremonial start on a Saturday morning and then departing in his car immediately afterward. So he talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk.
Bender is one of many celebrities and politicians to take advantage of their fame to get noticed, Politicians flatly do it in efforts to get elected or re-elected.
Now I’m not saying I won’t ever take a celeb’s photo if he or she comes to town. I’m saying I’ll find ways to avoid giving them free advertising and publicity.
