When pop singer and teen actress Lindsay Lohan recently announced to the world at large her desire to perform for US troops in Iraq, her offer was met with stinging ridicule from the media.
“I wanted to do what Marilyn Monroe did, when she went and just set up a stage and did a concert for the troops by herself,” Lindsay commented, referring to her idol’s visits to US troops in Korea in the 1950s. “I’ve been trying to go to Iraq with Hillary Clinton for so long. Hillary was trying to work it out, but it seemed too dangerous.”
Lohans reaction to the conflict in Iraq – while prompting a cynical response form the press – in effect, directly underscore the changes that have occurred in the social and political viewpoints of American celebrities, and by extension, many everyday citizens, since the US commenced hostilites in 2003.
At the forefront of entertaining soldiers in war torn areas has been the United Service Organization (USO), which bills itself as being “a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform.” With Hollywood legend Bob Hope at its helm for decades, the USO has shown its support by bringing artists and shows to American troops for generations.
Entertaining American troops in war torn countries was once a role that was taken very seriously by artitsts and celebrities and carried with it prestige and kudos for the entertainers who gave up their time and energy to bring a brief respite to the soldiers on the frontline.
Conversely, in recent times giving of time and talent for the war effort has become something of a social and political minefield. The current crop of stars – those likely to put their hand up in the past — are now grappling with the warring interests of patriotism, personal politics and fears for personal safety, with no easy solution in sight. The result, fewer are willing to play for the troops, and more are vocal about their nebulous attitudes to the war.
Why has the calibre of entertainer willing to lend their time and energy in supporting troops overseas changed so dramatically since earlier conflicts such as World War Two and the Vietnam War, when entertainers couldn’t offer their presence fast enough in their support of the war effort?
Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas singer who succeeded Hope in 2000 as head of the USO’s talent-recruiting effort, told the media that he believes that the dangers in Iraq, along with personal issues with the government’s war policies, have slowed the tide of show-business volunteers for USO tours.
It’s a vastly different picture to the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when a cavalcade of the biggest names in show business rallied to help the USO.
“After 9/11, we couldn’t have had enough airplanes for the people who were volunteering to go,” observed Newton.
Among the fray, A-list celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon, all of whom made trips to visit American soldiers and voice their support for the war against terror.
But now, says Newton ““with the war being up one day and down the next, it becomes increasingly difficult to get new people to go.”
Entertaining the troops was in danger of becoming the equivalent of drawing a line in the sand.
In 2003, the actor Bruce Willis, a Republican Party supporter and one of the few Hollywood celebrities to publicly back the US’ stance during the ongoing war on Iraq led by President Bush, made a highly publicized visit to the front line.
Willis wasn’t just there for the troops, he was happy to deliver his message: “The peculiar thing back home is that the liberal media was trying to portray it as a bad war…but being over here just a couple of days, seeing how well our troops and the allied troops are being received here, (I) think the Iraqi people are happy we’re here.” He even offered a bounty for the capture of the then AWOL dictator Saddam Hussein.
But Newton’s job isn’t impossible, and doesn’t have to involve separating entertainers into political camps.
USO Vice President Donna St. John, when asked about the role personal politics plays in determining which artists sign up for USO tours, insists that: “we are an apolitical organization.”
And some artists are taking this charter to heart, finding a way to manage conflicting interests for a greater good that recalls their predecessors.
High profile entertainers such as Robin Williams and controversial spoken word performer Henry Rollins have also made the trip to the frontline, but have taken great pains to stress their singular motivation – support the men and women in the armed forces.
Williams, an outspoken critic of his government’s management of the war, also thinks many stars have turned down requests to perform for the USO because they thought such performances would amount to endorsing the war.
Popular with American troops since his performance as DJ Adrian Cronauer in the wartime film Good Morning Vietnam, Williams has regularly tripped to Iraq for his country’s soldiers. “I’m there for the [troops], not for W.,” he said, in a reference to the US President.
Likewise, the fiercely anti-Bush Rollins said commitment to the forces outweighs personal politicking. “The last thing I’m gonna do is make some guy think he’s doing a bad job, and he’s there for no reason,” said Rollins.”Yeah, I disagree with the war. Is it going to do that guy any good, when he’s in Baghdad, to hear that I take exception with this particular conflict? No. He needs to hear that I’m his fan, America’s rooting for him and he’s a hero and we want him home”
Actor Gary Sinise, whose Lt. Dan Band has been performing for American soldiers at home, further emphasizes the need for neutral ground. Using the poor treatment of Vietnam veterans upon their return to the US as his touchstone, the enthusiastic USO star argues that they “took the brunt of everyone’s anger about that war. We can’t let that happen again. Whether there’s a Democrat or Republican in the White House, the troops are the troops, and they deserve our support.”
