STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Drew · Gucci

Jessica Simpson Snubs the President

lynnie · Chanel

with a diff. president and/or a diff. celebrity- i'd think it was rude. But it IS jessica simpson- i'm not really sure she'd get her ideas across very clearly. and it IS george w- i wouldn't say i'd personally pass this opportunity up, but i'm sure there are so many that hate him too much to want to meet with him, even if it was a good opportunity to mouth off on what they thought of the world today.

NCshopper · Hermes

I see your point, but it's not just meeting the president--it would be at a Republican Party fundraiser and if you're someone of her celebrity then you might inadvertently be a reason people would go to the fundraiser. So if she doesn't agree with the GOP platform, then she might not want to help them raise money. I also think that she'd have to explain her reasons for being at a Republican fundraiser because the media would be all over it and really I don't think Jessica explaining her political views is a good thing for her career. I think it's best she doesn't pick sides because she may end up like the Dixie Chicks--being totally ostracized because they spoke out about their beliefs when their fans didn't think they should have spoken out or their fans disagreed with their beliefs.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i don't disagree with her not showing up. if she is going on behalf of Operation Smile, which is a non-partisan charity then she needs to support their non-partisan beliefs by not associating herself with a political party. yes, while it may be a good opportunity to lobby the president, she is also associating herself with the republican party. two things (maybe they are far-fetched ideas) could result, 1) the charity could become pissed at her for associating with the republican party while she is acting on behalf of operation smile. 2) wealthy democratic supporters of operation smile may choose to no longer donate to this charity because of the association.

yes, those are far fetched, but if she is acting on behalf of the charity, she needs to respect their values.

luckylily · Gucci

I think she made the right decision. Certain types of non profits can easily lose their tax exempt status if if they appear to be supporting a political candidate. This is a HUGE deal for non partisan non profits.

Edited because I remembered that the non profit I work for would be less than happy with me for posting a political opinion from a work computer. LOL.

-- Edited by luckylily at 14:56, 2006-03-16

honey · Gucci

i actually side with her. given her celebrity i totally think meeting at a rep. fund raiser could be construed as a political endorsement. i don't doubt that if she had showed up pictures of her at the event would be all over the place (and probably used by the rnc in promotional materials) implying that she supports his political beliefs.

eta: i just wanted to add that the dems would do the same thing (i.e. use her picture to support) so i would again side with her if she decided not to meet a democratic president at a democratic fundraising event.

also i think it's a little underhanded that her invitation is tied to attending a fundraising event. any other time, i would be inclined to agree with the arrogance call.

-- Edited by honey at 15:56, 2006-03-16

laken1 · Hermes

Drew - I'm with you - I think it was arrogant. If you really are concerned with getting your non-profit out there, you'd take the opportunity to do it in any setting. I guess I liken it to networking in normal life - sometimes you go to events you don't want to attend for the cause. I am also assuming the "invitation" means you don't have to pay the $2,500 - if that's not the case then I can see why she wouldn't go - I know I wouldn't give $2,500 to a politicall affiliation that I didn't agree with. I don't think you should back out if you accepted - not sure if that's the case but that's how it sounds.

Drew · Gucci

I guess I kind of expect her to have a backbone and be able to get her message across, but Bono she is not. I guess she wouldn't be able to have the kind of impact Bono would in that circumstance and thinks she would come off as supportive of the GOP (which is silly if one simply makes ones views heard/known ahead of time)? I just didn't really understand how someone, even the media, could misconstrue a fundraising/awareness initiative for her charity. If she couldn't stand her ground the way Bono (and lots of others, like Jolie) could, then I guess she could get "walked all over" and made to look a way she doesn't intend. I think that makes her look kinda pathetic and weak though...

asf · Kate Spade

i'm on jess' side with this one. but then, you'd have to pay me the $2500 to get me to meet our president.

i'm sure the only reason she was invited was to draw horny old rich men to the event, not because the president gives a crap about what she has to say regarding operation smile or anything else. i also think that maybe it was op. smile that asked her not to do it, if she really did accept at first. she did grow up in texas and got her start in her church choir, so i'd bet she has some values in common with w and isn't reneging for partisan reasons.

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

Drew wrote:

"It just feels wrong," one Simpson insider told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the actress keeps her political views private.

I'm pretty sure that she said in a mag interview or something a few years ago that she loves Bush.

Anyway, I personally think she's trying to keep a low profile right now...until the divorce gossip blows over.

halleybird · Hermes

valenciana wrote:

I'm pretty sure that she said in a mag interview or something a few years ago that she loves Bush.

Yeah, I thought she did too.

I think it's stupid of her. Like she knows anything about his policies anyway. I think she's just trying to stay in the news as much as possible.

tri_sarah_tops · Marc Jacobs

I don't think that turning down the invitation was arrogant or wrong. She wasn't personally invited to the White House for dinner or anything, it was a republican fund raiser and she shouldn't appear at a partisian event as a representative of a non partisan charity organization.

honey · Gucci

Drew wrote:

I guess I kind of expect her to have a backbone and be able to get her message across, but Bono she is not. I guess she wouldn't be able to have the kind of impact Bono would in that circumstance and thinks she would come off as supportive of the GOP (which is silly if one simply makes ones views heard/known ahead of time)? I just didn't really understand how someone, even the media, could misconstrue a fundraising/awareness initiative for her charity. If she couldn't stand her ground the way Bono (and lots of others, like Jolie) could, then I guess she could get "walked all over" and made to look a way she doesn't intend. I think that makes her look kinda pathetic and weak though...

if it were me i wouldn't risk it. i feel like months down the long the pics would reappear and the captions wouldn't read "js @ a project smile event" but "js at a republican fundraiser" which is not bad per se, assuming she is a republican, but it's just too easy for them (or anyone for that matter) to manipulate her image to promote a specific agenda.

ejc423 · Coach

I think it was pretty darn smart to turn down the invite. . . Look at how much publicity she and Operation Smile are getting out of it.

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

asf wrote:

i'm on jess' side with this one. but then, you'd have to pay me the $2500 to get me to meet our president.

Ditto.

Drew · Gucci

I saw a follow up report this morning, and was informed the GOP was trying to use her for a greater attendence for THEIR fundraising. In that light, it is perfectly understandable why she would back out (she had agreed originally according to this morning's news report). I guess I was being naive about what was going on, but good for her for standing up after-all.

shopgirl · Kenneth Cole

Why does Bush and the Republicans want to meet her? Are they going to donate a lot of money to her charity, or are they trying use her to show how hip they are in an appeal to younger voters.

halleybird · Hermes

Drew wrote:

I saw a follow up report this morning, and was informed the GOP was trying to use her for a greater attendence for THEIR fundraising. In that light, it is perfectly understandable why she would back out (she had agreed originally according to this morning's news report). I guess I was being naive about what was going on, but good for her for standing up after-all.

that is funny, because my news station aired a story saying that Papa Joe announced it had *nothing* to do with politics, and the reason they didn't go was a "scheduling conflict."

I live in a very Republican city, though. I wonder if that has something to do with it?

Drew · Gucci

halleybird wrote:

that is funny, because my news station aired a story saying that Papa Joe announced it had *nothing* to do with politics, and the reason they didn't go was a "scheduling conflict." I live in a very Republican city, though. I wonder if that has something to do with it?

Yep, pretty funny. Except, these days I don't know what's real and what's not anymore. Every news station has their own spin; they sound believable at the time (a newscaster on a reputable station simply reporting the truth), then you start hearing other sides and other versions, and the truth is totally lost. Not just with this either, it seems with everything these days. Sheesh.

bumblebee · Coach

they always say it's a "scheduling conflict." that's the most expedient way for a celebrity to get out of anything they've previously committed to. no one ever asks what the scheduling conflict was, they never have to explain it, etc. magic.