Celeb Protesters- The Occupy Wall Street
protest got a shot of
celebrity. The recent "Occupy Wall Street" protests have drawn their share of famous attendees, for good and for bad. And it's for this reason that Wonderwall is looking at celebrities willing to join the crowd and chant for or against the political causes that mattered to them. Have a look at these stars gone political.
Susan Sarandon is easily one of the most political active celebrities out there, and she recently joined the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York. Whether it's rooting in favor of a Democratic candidate or protesting an American military effort, Sarandon has never been afraid to make her voice heard. susan sarandon occupy wall street,
Penn badgley occupy. It's not just Hollywood's liberal elite who joined the Occupy protests. "Gossip Girl" star Penn Badgley was seen stepping away from the upper-crust atmosphere of his CW series and joining protesters to call for more equal distribution of the nation's wealth. penn badgley occupy, gossip girl spoilers, penn badgley girlfriend,
She's known for dressing like a one-woman circus, but Lady Gaga got about as buttoned-down as she can in September 2010, when she spoke to Congress about the need to repeal the U.S. military's ban on openly gay soldiers. Sure, she was wearing a meat dress just days before, but a year later, gay soldiers could actually serve.
It's a sign of how protests -- celebrity-inclusive and otherwise -- can work in 2011: Mark Ruffalo attended the Occupy Wall Street events in person, but has also been especially active on Twitter. Via social media, he's been justifying the protesters' right to assembly and shooting down criticism of this political movement. mark ruffalo twitter,
When California voted on whether to ban gay marriage, Drew Barrymore was one of the famous faces who spoke out against such a restriction. Ultimately, the controversial Prop 8 passed, but it faced an opponent in Barrymore, who spoke alongside her gay friends in Hollywood about why she felt the ban was unethical. drew barrymore bisexual,
Perhaps the most politically active A-list celebrity today, Sean Penn has been channeling his trademark fury into causes for years. One of the most vocal critics of the Bush administration -- he called its leaders "villainously and criminally obscene people" -- and an anti-war protest regular, Penn has traveled around the world -- to Iran, to Venezuela, to Cuba, to Haiti -- to personally investigate worldwide strife. sean penn egyptian,
Shakira was among the celebrities who, in 2010, criticized Arizona's stringent anti-illegal immigrant legislative act. She traveled to the state and spoke with Latino families she said would suffer under the law. Ultimately, she spoke to state officials, protesting the law on the grounds that it could deter Arizona immigrants from reporting crimes for fear of getting deported.
Not every celeb's visit to the Occupy protests has gone over so well. Kanye West -- the uber-wealthy rapper who hasn't shied away from flaunting his lifestyle in his music, in his videos and in interviews -- showed up too, but was accused of being a hypocrite. Protesters -- who claim that a small fraction of the population controls an undue share of the nation's wealth -- said West only attended to get himself publicity. kanye west hypocrite, kanye west net worth,
Sometimes celebrity protests take stranger forms. In 2009, Jessica Alba plastered posters of great white sharks around Oklahoma City, allegedly to draw the public's attention to the species' dwindling numbers. In the end, she wasn't charged with vandalism, because the affected property owners didn't want to pursue the matter. Alba publicly apologized for the odd pro-shark stunt, and donated money to United Way, whose billboard was one of Alba's targets.
It's not only liberal causes that celebs rally behind. Though many conservative-leaning notables have declined to appear with the masses at Tea Party rallies of the past two years, former "SNL" actress Victoria Jackson has been active and vocal. And she doesn't shy away from getting into the nitty-gritty about her feelings toward Obama, liberal causes and the current state of
pop culture. victoria jackson occupy wall street,
According to The Daily Beast, Martin Sheen holds a record for being the most-arrested celebrity. That may sound surprising, especially given his levelheaded public image in projects like "The West Wing," but Sheen is a vocal advocate for many issues, including farmworkers' rights and anti-nuclear and anti-war causes. As a result of his protests, he's been put in cuffs a whopping 66 times. martin sheen arrest,
No stranger to advocacy, Daryl Hannah was arrested in August 2011 at the White House for protesting a planned oil pipeline. Hannah was previously arrested in 2006 for chaining herself to a tree in Los Angeles to protest its destruction. During her downtime from protesting, she also acts. daryl hannah arrest,
Danny Glover reportedly "electrified" a crowd at a Los Angeles Occupy Wall Street event, but he's no stranger to political action. A champion of the working class, Glover was arrested in 2010 for his protest against Sodexo, a food services company that he accused of illegally and unethically treating its employees. Glover had previously implored male celebs to boycott Hugo Boss suits on grounds that the company had plans to lay off hundreds of workers.
Kathy Griffin doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, whether about other celebrities or about political causes. In 2009, Griffin joined a protest in Sacramento, Calif., against Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in that state. That's putting a big mouth to use for a big cause. kathy griffin tour dates,
You can't discuss celebrity political protests without mentioning John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 "bed-in." In March 1969, the couple used the buzz surrounding their wedding to promote world peace, specifically by inviting the press into their suite at the Amsterdam Hilton. Lennon and Ono sat in their bed innocently and talked with reporters about alternatives to war. The odd, intimate spectacle epitomized everything about Lennon's celebrity at this point in his career: quirky but politically motivated, and as much about the world around him as it was about himself.
Anyone who's seen the documentary "The Cove" has seen Hayden Panettiere's protest against dolphin hunters in Japan. Panettiere and other protesters attempted to block the hunters in 2007, an act that ultimately resulted in Japan putting out a warrant for the actress's arrest. The warrant was later dropped, and in 2010, Panettiere returned to the Japan to again protest dolphin hunting.
The hip-hop artist and actor attempted to breathe life into the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of the song "Katrina Clap" outside the venue. He intended to raise awareness of the plight of post-Katrina New Orleans. And although Mos Def had obtained all proper citation needed to perform his protest song, he was still arrested by police, who assumed he didn't.
One of the most active celebrity protesters ever, Jane Fonda, whose anti-Vietnam War efforts earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane," has fought for a variety of liberal causes to the point that she's today known as much for her activism as for her film work. Beyond the Vietnam War, Fonda also called for the resignation of Richard Nixon and supported worldwide feminist causes. jane fonda seniors workout,
In one of the oddest acts of celebrity public demonstration, singer Erykah Badu filmed a video for her song "Window Seat" that she described as a "protest" about "liberating yourself." In it, she exits a car and walks around Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Badu sheds one article of clothing at a time until she's completely nude, at which point a shot rings out and she falls to the ground. The video was filmed live on an open set, and bystanders are visibly confused as to what's happening. Badu later clarified that she meant no disrespect to JFK in staging the protest.
Though he supports many environmental causes, Harrelson has become identified specifically with the fight to legalize marijuana. In 1996, Harrelson was arrested in Kentucky for planting four hemp seeds in protest of the fact that state law there doesn't differentiate between hemp and marijuana. He then successfully fought the charges. woody harrelson justin timberlake smoke, marijuana laws by state,
Q'orianka Kilcher -- Jewel's cousin, perhaps best known for staring opposite Colin Farrell in the Pocahontas movie "The New World" -- is an advocate of many liberal causes, but is perhaps especially known for her support of those relating to Native Americans. In June 2010, the half-Peruvian star and her mother were arrested for chaining themselves to the gates of the White House in protest of Obama meeting with Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez, who aims to drill for oil in his country's indigenous lands. native american celebrities, jewel tour dates,
