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Hollywood Hypocrisy and the Green Oscars
Feb 18, 2020 / Written by: Gary Isbell
No group gives itself more awards than Hollywood actors. Although they may be very talented and hardworking as actors, that does that make them authorities on climate change. As with most things, Hollywood’s eco-message is out of touch with mainstream America.
Every year at the Oscar award’s ceremony, for example, winners spout off about the present climate “catastrophe.” They showcase their care for the environment by using recycled water bottles, LED lighting and electric vehicles while producing their movies. They even boast of recycled tuxedos and vegan dining as their contribution to reducing carbon footprints.
At this year’s Oscars, everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Joaquin Phoenix used the event to hype the climate crisis. They capitalized on their visibility using emotional arguments, not facts. Hollywood is quick to quote works such as Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truths, but never a word about Gregory Wrightstone's Inconvenient Facts: The Science that Al Gore Doesn't Want you to Know. Rational debate with facts is inconvenient; emotions are far more effective.
Hollywood is heavy on its words but out of touch with mainstream America in its acts. Many actors travel by carbon-heavy private jets, or luxury limos to give their eco-friendly speeches at award ceremonies.
Many film studios now have sustainability requirements in place encouraging the use of “clean” energy on set and the recycling of production materials. In this way they present their eco-credentials to the public.
However, Hollywood conveniently ignores a study by the University of California Los Angeles, 1 showing that, relative to size, movie making in Los Angeles is a larger contributor to air pollution than any other major industry except fuel refineries. The study showed that it is more toxic to the environment than aerospace manufacturing and the hotel and clothing industries.
Hollywood also promotes secondary industries that contribute to air pollution. For example, the fashion industry is fueled by Hollywood trends. Publicists, journalists and actors trot about the globe in jets and throw lavish events promoting the industry’s recent accomplishments.
Finally, the average American receives a never-ending barrage of climate hype from Hollywood. However, most Americans put it on the bottom of their lists of concerns.
In the Social Series Gallup Poll, Americans have been asked every year since 2001 about their top four concerns. For nineteen straight years, climate change has not appeared once. 2
Pew Research polled the American public in 2019 in eighteen public policy priorities and climate change came in second last. Between 2008-2013, climate change came in dead last. 3 Thus, climate change is not nearly the major concern for the average American. Indeed, the climate “catastrophe” is much more a product of the hype and drama coming from media, universities and Hollywood personalities than the scientific reality.
Perhaps more Hollywood actors should follow the advice of Anthony Hopkins. In an interview with Brad Pitt in December of 2019 he said, “I don’t know, I’m just an actor. I don’t have any opinions. Actors are pretty stupid. My opinion is not worth anything.” These are words spoken from a man who clearly knows he is not a credible authority on issues such as climate change. He is also not willing to risk appearing as a fool by peddling false claims.
The recent “green” Oscars is another case of actors disconnected from the public they entertain. They are people who use their celebrity status to bolster the floundering cause of climate change. Acting is best left in the area of fiction. Climate change should be left in the hands of honest scientists. When the two meet, it is a disaster.
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