The role of celebrity turned politician seemed to once never waver after the days when Ronald Reagan paved the path toward actors potentially becoming politicians if not President. Despite voters now bringing more scrutiny to such endeavors, celebrities still think they have the power to win in positions of high office. But perhaps Ashley Judd realized that the game of celebrities running for political roles has overstepped its boundaries, especially when moviemaking can sometimes make as much difference with better pay.
Of course, that depends on what kind of movies the celebrity chooses to make. Ashley Judd has done myriad genres in her films, including a few that went after a particular hot-button issue. What was going through her mind, though, when she decided to play the First Lady of the United States in White House terror thriller “Olympus Has Fallen?” Were her political aspirations to run for the U.S. Senate being formulated while she filmed this movie?
Answers to the above would make for an interesting documentary on Judd’s decision to run for political office. Considering how cameras follow everybody, chances are plentiful of footage being available for an insightful look into how a celebrity decides to delve into politics. And it doesn’t even have to be all about Judd as we see other celebrities continue to contemplate utilizing their Hollywood clout for potential political power.
Our star documentary would finally paint a necessary picture into why celebrities think they need to move into the world of politics to make any significant difference. Whether or not it has to do with the love of power, we may get insight into why celebrities don’t harness their powers in other avenues that wouldn’t involve cramming on learning government policy. Yes, we’d also have to see some footage of how a celebrity turned neophyte senator manages to learn all those government procedures so quickly.
It helps if the celeb already has some political knowledge. Most know that Sen. Al Franken has a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard University. Perhaps not many know Ashley Judd bests that with a Master’s degree in public administration from Harvard.
Whether that makes any difference is also a question a documentary about Judd’s run would have to ask. When nearly every career seems to rely strictly on experience over education, it brings in the Ronald Reagan factor once again. All of his political experience manages to supersede the reality that he only received a Bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology.
Ultimately, a documentary on Ashley Judd’s senate consideration has to hone in on why she decided to drop out. Did she realize that celebrity and politics are starting to wane? Would the glass cage be much more intense in that arena than it would if she kept on as a movie star? It certainly couldn’t be about being a woman.
If such a documentary really is made, we may finally see the insides as to why celebrities may not want to run any longer for higher office. Only then would the insight become painful if we see ruthless and experienced politicians gearing up to take advantage of the lack of notables having a public voice.
