celebrities
When Hollywood takes Washington. Keep tabs on the celebrities influencing politics with their activism, opinions, campaign endorsements and more.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex: One Year After Becoming a Royal
Meghan Markle, former Suits actress, married Prince Harry one year ago on May 19, 2018. It was at that time that Meghan became a royal with all the rights and privileges that any other royal has. Even though their wedding and marriage have been different in many ways, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had a whirlwind first year together.
Margaret MinnicksPublished 5 years ago in The SwampWhy Don't We Warm to Meghan?
I love the Royal family, always have. I love hearing news of a Royal wedding, or a Royal baby. I love the Queen, she has done her role to perfection. I feel tremendously proud to have such a great ruling monarch. Her achievements are incredible.
Hayley DodwellPublished 5 years ago in The SwampYe and "Free Thought"
Music is an integral part of the culture in America. Specifically hip-hop, which according to USA Today, has recently overtaken rock as the most listened to genre in the US. Because of this, influential artists have become household names, inspiring children across the country and connecting listeners from all walks of life. While rappers have always been the topic of conversation due to their sometimes braggadocious tendencies and contentious statements, there is one artist who has been the talk of the nation for all the wrong reasons, Kanye West, a rapper from Chicago. Over the last couple of months, Kanye has become a polarizing figure in the music industry, causing a stir of controversy from his unconventional and perverse statements, in actuality, he’s a complex individual who has made valid points, which have been construed against him by the media and his peers.
Cameron DuncanPublished 5 years ago in The SwampThe Pop Face of Politics
Full disclosure, this may become a book at some point. The research involved was extensive and well worth it. Also, the feud between the people involved is not going to die away like a pop song after a few weeks at the top of the charts. Cardi B broke onto the national stage last year with her hit single "Bodak Yellow" and followed it up with a string of #1 rap songs that still hasn't ended. Lady Gaga has been around for a while longer and also has a string of hits, and is currently winning awards for her first movie performance in A Star is Born. Outside of being born in New York City (The Bronx for Cardi B, Manhattan for Gaga), these ladies are feuding with high profile Conservatives and the result is an interesting mix of politics and pop culture.
Edward AndersonPublished 5 years ago in The SwampWhen Activists Betray Us
We love our heroes. Fictional characters, our favorite teacher, celebrity activists ... we worship the people who inspire us to be better. We rely on them to give us faith that the world isn’t as cruel as it seems. When we feel that progress is being trampled, we look to them for reassurance.
Alex CaseyPublished 5 years ago in The SwampMeghan Markle Fans Have Committed Crimes in Her Name
The self-dubbed "Megulators" or "Sussex Squad" have now officially crossed the line. Two days before news broke that fans of Meghan Markle threatened to kill a woman, hacked into her bank account, and stole her money, I wrote a story asking if Markle's fans were crossing a line and now they have. On December 5, it was reported that a woman and her sister's lives had been threatened by fans of Meghan Markle.
- Top Story - November 2018
Them Furious Days
At 3:39 AM of November 28, 2018, Harry Leslie Smith died. He was 95.He spent his twilight years in turning to writing and championing public services such as the NHS to see that the generations of his children and his grandchildren wouldn't live in the same squalid conditions that he had. Harry was born in 1923, so coming of age into the Great Depression, he has spoken at length of the horrors of pauper's pits and workhouses, horrors that would befall his own family. He started his first job at the age of 10, delivering coal. Harry referred to British life at this point a "barbarous time."
C. Raymond MartinPublished 5 years ago in The Swamp Bill Hicks Is Not Alex Jones
I'm a big fan of Bill Hicks. I have read two of his biographies, sat through three documentaries, and watched his specials so many times to the point that I can recite chunks of his material—usually in unwelcome social situations. His message of challenging mediocrity wherever it lies is something that resonates with me, even now. So I know Hicks had something of a penchant for conspiracy theories, particularly regarding the assassination of JFK and the Waco siege, though there's another theory that hits close to home and this one involves the man himself.Now, I don't buy into a lot of conspiracy theories, this one included. I've given some theories a chance and found most don't stand up to scrutiny. I've dismissed most as being absurd and left its believers to their own devices in the darkest corners of the internet. Believe what you want to believe, I say. But this theory pisses me off a little bit and it's a theory that believes that Hicks faked his cancer diagnosis, "died," and reinvented himself as Alex Jones. Chew on that for a second.
C. Raymond MartinPublished 5 years ago in The SwampMegyn Kelly Not Elected
"This is about Megyn Kelly and her spectacular implosion. She went from hottest newsagent around to being too toxic to be on air for any network." That fabulous quote is from The Kelly Collapse (out now!), written by yours truly. It's about how the former Fox News personality went from commanding $20 million per year to hashing out her exit deal with NBC. Which brings us to the point of this article, NBC News realized what a mistake they made but not before making one more error; they were going to feature Kelly heavily in their midterm election coverage.
Edward AndersonPublished 5 years ago in The SwampColin Kaepernick, Misunderstood Genius
Colin Kaepernick is a name that many American Football fans have known for years, but he has become a much more important figure in the past few months. He has polarized the country and has even brought other countries’ attentions to the issues that he sees important. His actions of kneeling during the national anthem in the pregame of NFL games have brought global attention to a national issue. His statements made shortly after he began his protests told the world that he was protesting a country that “oppresses black people and people of color.” He was not the only one protesting this way and was joined by many of the league’s other athletes shortly after. Many of the league’s officials were upset by this, and it even got the attention, and comments, of the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump. A few months after these actions, Nike unveiled their newest advertising campaign with Kaepernick as the face. This caused even more debate and created an even bigger divide between the two sides either supporting him or calling for him to be axed as a sponsor.
Kyle ClaytonPublished 6 years ago in The SwampA Rough Guide to the Intellectual Dark Web - Peterson, Shapiro, Harris, and the Weinstein Brothers
The members of the Intellectual Dark Web have declared the start of a new era of utilising modern technological communication for the exchange of advanced cultural ideas. If you are unaware of this group of intelligentsia who are currently brainstorming seminars, lectures, debates, and YouTube channels everywhere then you should put your thinking cap on and get involved.
Johnny VedmorePublished 6 years ago in The SwampHarry Belafonte
Of 20th century civil rights activists Harry Belafonte is one of the most passionate messengers. Belafonte was widely praised in the 1950s as the King of Calypso—he is remembered as a friend of Martin Luther King Junior and for his historical involvement in anti-poverty activism which preceded the 60s summer of love by a decade. Born in Harlem, New York City, Belafonte's upstanding character, intricate prose, and indomitable dedication to peaceful resolution stands to challenge racist presuppositions about men of colour living in the city.