(The vertically-challenged lead-singer of U2, Bono, will start contributing to the New York Times in 2009. Photo courtesy of The Guardian.)The New York Times announced this week that it's hired a new columnist for its editorial section and his name may come as a surprise to many: Bono. That's right, the lead-singer of U2 will pen between 6 and 10 editorials for the paper in 2009...at no cost.
While there's no question he's a living legend in the music business, can he thrive as a columnist? Other famous musicians and celebs have contributed to the paper before and have proven their individual worth.
Take the drummer from Queen, Brian May, who blogged for the Times's science section, and just completed his PhD in astrophysics. Or look at Seinfeld creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David who scribed his usual neurosis-laden shtick for the paper and currently is writing for the Huffington Post, most recently about November 4th. Angelina Jolie has even written about the US's duty to stay in Iraq to help with reconstruction and humanitarian efforts for the Washington Post. Pretty heavy stuff.
The pieces they write are usually provocative, well-written and interesting. But do we want our celebrities mixing with politics, science and social issues in long-print form? Well, maybe not to deliver straight news, but why the heck not when it comes to them writing an editorial.
Times editorial page Editor Andrew Rosenthal, who hired Bono, notes that in fact, some of the country's most gifted and intelligent public servants aren't so gifted at giving their opinions. Take Condi Rice for example, who Rosenthal calls a "particularly bad op-ed writer." He also cited Tom Wolfe as a writer who can't control his word limit.
I don't think Bono will become the next Paul Krugman, the editorial writer for the Times, who was just awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. But celebrities can change the world for the better. So, let them talk and let them write.
I'll be waiting around for Bono to start penning his op-ed's, most likely about an important humanitarian cause, like AIDS in Africa or poverty around the globe. All I could hope for though, is that in the future, The Times will hire George Clooney so I can see Bill O'Reilly deliver a Talking Points Memo about how celebrity journalism is ruining the world.
1 comment:
Errata:
Why "vertically challenged"? Is he short? How is that relevant? How do we know that from a photo of the man in pornstar glasses?
Pet Word Alert! "will pen between 6 and 10 editorials"/"waiting around for Bono to start penning."
Erm, Brian May is Queen's guitarist, not the group's drummer. Check all facts.
Where's the link for the Rosenthal quote? When and where did he say this? ALWAYS source your quotes by linking.
Last two links link to same Krugman Nobel article. Is that intentional?
"But do we want our celebrities mixing with politics, science and social issues in long-print form? Well, maybe not to deliver straight news, but why the heck not when it comes to them writing an editorial." Is this your thesis? Feels a little thin on the ground, a bit obvious. Not much here to disagree with, or to chew on, intellectually. Why not note that most big-media pundits become celebrities, after a fashion? Thus, the celebrity turned op-ed writer merely inverts that logic, right? Also, are there any celebs who've turned out to be incisive, better-than-competent editorialists? HUFFINGTON POST is crawling with Hollywood liberals, thumping their tubs. Can any of them write? Or think? And how far back does the history of this phenomenon stretch? Eleanor Roosevelt famously wrote a column for some women's magazine, back in the day.
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