ABSTRACT
Every four years, in the months preceding the American presidential elections, the Hollywood-Washington connection becomes fodder for the nation’s media. Newspapers, talk radio, and cable news shows are filled with countless stories about which celebrity endorses which candidate, who gives how much money, and which Hollywood millionaire throws what dinner party for cash-starved Democratic and Republican hopefuls. Rarely do these stories focus on the serious political commitments made by movie star activists, many of whom have worked in the political trenches for years. Instead, the media trivializes Hollywood politics by ignoring the serious in favor of the salacious. Yet, Hollywood politics are far more complex, varied, and deep than most pundits realize.
