With the advent of technology, celebrity opinions on a wide range of political and social issues
have become more accessible than ever.
And their power to influence public opinion at the polls, and in the streets, is now commonplace.
Whether you agree with them or not, stars are using their amplified voices to advocate
for the causes they believe in with no apologies.
From heated Oscar speeches to taking a knee during the national anthem, here are a few
celebrities throughout the years who've gotten political on live TV.
Ali and the Vietnam War
Muhammad Ali famously refused to fight in the Vietnam War because, as a black Muslim,
he was a conscientious objector.
He once said on live TV,
"My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry
people in the mud for big powerful America."
On June 20th, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned his conviction, which helped power the anti-war
movement.
Speaking at college campuses, Ali said,
"My enemies are white people, not Viet Cong or Chinese or Japanese, you my opposer when
I want freedom.
You my opposer when I want justice.
You my opposer when I want equality."
Sarandon and Robbins fight HIV
At the 65th Academy Awards ceremony in '93, celebs wore red ribbons to support those living
with HIV and AIDS.
When Susan Sarandon and her then long-time beau, Tim Robbins, took to the stage to present
an award, the activist pair protested the U.S. government for their detention of Haitians
who tested positive for HIV.
"We'd like to call attention to the 266 Haitians that are being held in Guantanamo Bay by the
United States government."
Sarandon continued,
"We'd like to ask our governing officials in Washington to admit that HIV is not a crime
and to admit these people into the United States."
Sally Field and the war
When Sally Field accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Actress for her role on Brothers & Sisters
in 2007, nobody expected her acceptance speech to become a referendum on U.S. involvement
in Iraq.
After the usual thank you's, she closed with a blistering sentiment that was cut for the
tape-delayed TV audience.
"So surely this belongs to all the mothers of the world"
"Especially the mothers who stand with an open heart and wait."
She continued, saying she was proud to play one of the women who wait for their children
to come home from war, adding:
"And let's face it, if mothers ruled the world, there would be no g--damn wars in the first
place!"
Sean Penn and gay rights
Outside the 81st Academy Awards in 2009, militant anti-gay protesters railed against marriage
equality.
Inside, Sean Penn nabbed Best Actor for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco
politician and gay rights activist who was assassinated in 1978.
Addressing the scene outside, he said,
"I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage
to sit and reflect."
He continued,
"We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
Mark Ruffalo and the pipeline
In 2016, Mark Ruffalo protested alongside the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other environmental
activists in defiance of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota that was then under
construction.
After returning from the protest, he appeared on CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, taking
a moment long after Tapper bid him goodbye.
"You have a corporation and a state that is working on behalf of a corporation to hurt
our people.
They're militarized."
He continued,
"And the governor...
Dalrymple of of of of North Dakota, if there's blood on anyone's hands, it's on his hands."
Kaepernick takes a knee
No protest in recent memory has sparked more controversy than former San Francisco 49ers
quarterback Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the national anthem in an effort
to bring awareness toward police brutality.
He told NFL media in 2016,
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black
people and people of color."
His decision came with immediate backlash from fans, NFL owners, and presidential candidates
alike.
But Kaepernick stood his ground, saying,
"I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.
If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is
right."
Kaepernick left the 49ers in 2017, and has since sued the NFL owners for collusion after
no team signed him.
By the way, the NFL now requires players to stand for the anthem or be subject to fines.
Viola Davis and the Women's March
The "Me Too" movement was in full swing at the 2018 Women's March.
But Viola Davis noted in her speech that women of color who were sexually assaulted before
the age of 18 are 66 percent more likely to be assaulted again.
"When I raise my hand, I am aware of all the women who are still in silence."
Davis then echoed the words of Martin Luther King Jr., telling the crowd that the price
of freedom is not free.
"Every day that we breathe and we live, that we've got to bring up everyone with us."
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