by Caroline Page 3L and Garen Aliksanian, 3L

Best Drama

Hands down, my favorite drama (and movie in general) of all time is “Braveheart.” Now mind you, this is before Mel Gibson had his infamous drunk rant and tarnished his reputation. The story follows the people of Scotland in the 14^th century in their mission to gain freedom from England, under the rule of King Edward I (“Longshanks”). This is a great date movie, too, because while there is plenty of drama and action for the guys, there is a very powerful romance that inspires the main character of William Wallace in his fight. The movie powerfully illustrates the age-old underdog story and keeps you invested in the characters throughout. As the film comes to an end and Wallace yells “Mercy!” in the most powerful scene of the movie, you may need some tissues nearby. If you are in the mood for a truly powerful story, pop this one in the DVD player and enjoy!

Best Comedy

There are so many comedies to choose from that it’s really hard to pick the “best.” When I think of a movie that makes me laugh every time I watch it, one of my favorites has to be “Role Models.” The comedic chemistry between Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd is absolutely hilarious. Rudd plays the bitter, cynical, “I hate the world” character perfectly and his sarcastic comments keep you laughing throughout the film. Scott’s interaction with child actor Bobb’e J. Thompson is equally hysterical, to the point that you forget this little kid is only 10 years old. “McLovin” himself, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, plays the nerdy kid once again, offering a perfect comedic match to Rudd’s character. To round out the cast is the always funny Jane Lynch, who keeps the insults and awkward laughs coming all movie long. If you’re in the mood to laugh, this is my “best” choice!

Best Horror

This is a hard category for me to rank because I feel like most “horror movies” are just stupid and anything but scary. I mean seriously, do you remember the hype for “The Blair Witch Project”? I wanted a refund of my ticket money 10 minutes into the mess. If I think of all the horror films I’ve seen, the one that sticks out in my mind is “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” I realize there are numerous versions of this movie, but the one I found the most “scary” would be the 1994 version entitled “The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre” starring then-unknown Renee Zellwegger and Matthew McConaughey. The creepiness of McConaughey’s character and the Leatherface mask really freaked me out. Then the story in general was scary because it reminds you how many crazy people there really are in this world that enjoy torturing and killing innocent people just for fun. This horror film will keep you on the edge of your seat and force you to keep one eye open when you go to bed!

Best Drama

I have to give this title to none other than the many award-winning “Forrest Gump.” The film follows the story of a ‘simpleton’ whose life is full of great adventures, great accomplishment, and great happiness, but also with great hardships and great sorrow. The story is told as a narrative, and the audience lives all the most intimate moments of Forrest’s life in such vivid detail. This film is my favorite drama because it’s a feel good movie that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and it doesn’t hurt that it has gifted us with a chain of shrimp restaurants, Bubba Gump Shrimp, and more catchphrases than we can shake a stick at.

Best Comedy

My favorite comedy of all time has to be the 1992 cult classic, “Brain Donors.” Well, at least it’s a classic to me. This whacky flick follows a lawyer, a taxi driver, and a handyman as they team up and convince a rich widow that they would be the perfect match to run her ballet company, all in hopes of making their millions. Of course the three know nothing about ballet, or about business, which leads to about an hour and a half of pure hilarity. This film is heavy on the slapstick comedy, which I think people need every once in a while.

Best Horror

Now this one is tough. There are so few horror movies that are truly scary. Therefore I’ll go with the always fun, yet still somewhat scary, “Freddy v. Jason.” Any movie that mixes in horror legends Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees with a cast of twenty-somethings is bound to be great. This film is also known as Kelly Rowland’s big break onto the Silver Screen, unless we count her appearance as Girl #2 in 1999’s “Beverly Hood.” Overall, the film provides us with the suspense that scary movies thrive on, the back story of two of the greatest horror films franchises ever, and comedic relief placed appropriately throughout.

By Jasmine Abrams 2L

1. Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson’s children, filed suit against Rebecca White for defamation. During an interview on television, White claimed that Rowe sent her an email stating “Do I want the kids? Hell no. Does it look good for me to ask for them? Absolutely.” Rowe is asking the judge to issue a default judgment for $490,000. Who knew lying about Debbie Rowe could cost so much?
2. In February, Elite Maids, a cleaning service company, sued Courtney Love for unpaid services. Love failed to show up in court on and the judge entered default against her in the amount of $3,058.48. Let’s hope her home is spic-and-span by now!
3. The production company that officiates the Miss California pageant filed a cross-complaint against former Miss California Carrie Prejean to recover the $5,200 the pageant provided her with for her breast augmentation. Apparently these alleged “private facts” ceased being private the minute she walked onto the stage in a bikini.
4. The Los Angeles-based 220 Laboratories is suing Kate Hudson for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract, among other things. 220 Laboratories had an oral contract to develop a hair product line with Hudson and a friend. They claim that once Hudson found out about their secret volcanic ash ingredient, she took the samples and ran. That explains her unkempt hair!
5. Roy Pearson, Jr., a judge in Washington, sued a dry cleaning shop for $54 million for losing his pants. A U.S. district judge found for the defendants; and Pearson said he would appeal.
6. Huseyin Kalkan, the Kurdish Democratic Society party major of Batman, a city in southeastern Turkey, sued Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from “The Dark Knight.” He accused the producers of the hit film of using the city’s name without permission. Batman first appeared as a comic book character in 1939, but I guess no one from the town thought to take legal action until recently.
7. Aging German playboy Rolf Eden, who is known for having been a star in the Berlin nightlife scene in the ‘50s filed charges against a 19-year-old ageist. The two spent the night out and when they came back to his home she said that he was too old for her and refused to sleep with him.
8. In 2008, a married Stephen Chang, an investment broker in his 30s, sued a midtown strip club in Manhattan. As he was getting a lap dance, the dancer swung her leg around and her heel hit him in the eyes causing him “to sustain serious injuries.”

By Timothy Sutton, 1L

Going to the movie theater is an American cultural past time. For some, the act is a semi-spiritual pilgrimage ritually observed more frequently than attendance at mass or temple. Many of us went to the movie theater for our very first date. At that age, some of us even had our parents purchase the tickets. So how can we choose the “best theater,” where we spend $15 and 90 minutes paying homage to the stars of the big screen? After reviewing numerous online editorials, blogs, and trashy celebrity rag tags, I came up with a general guideline for ranking the top two theaters for SW students. The rankings are based on a set of criteria listed in order of most heavily weighted in importance, to icing on the cake. Here is my list: Distance from school, price of ticket, visual and audio quality, demographics, and parking accessibility.

(1) Pacific ArcLight Hollywood, “The Dome.”

Hands down, this is the most exciting movie experience in Los Angeles. The Dome is conveniently located 4.5 miles from campus, which is about a 10-minute drive up Rossmore Avenue. Tickets range from $12 at “non-peak,” hours to $14.50 on weekends. The gigantic 32-feet-high and 82-feet-wide dome is the largest movie screen in Los Angeles. The Dome has been renovated with more than 40 computer-enhanced surround sound speakers and state-of-the-art digital image projectors. The historic loge seating accommodates more than 800 guests and creates a distinct hum of excitement on the opening night of a blockbuster film release. Moviegoers select their seating location similar to the electronic reservation system of an airliner. This unique feature tends to filter out the casual movie watchers, who are likely to make lewd or disruptive comments during an Oscar-winning performance, and attracts more serious movie aficionados. A multi-level parking structure sits just behind the theater and is accessible at all hours of the day for a nominal parking fee. The icing on the cake at the ArcLight Hollywood is the well-dressed 30-somethings enjoying a snack and a cocktail at the Café bar. This lounge element really distinguishes the ArcLight as a mature viewer’s destination.

(2) AMC Century City 15

Eight and a half miles west down Wilshire Boulevard, you can find this hidden gem at the Westfield Century City Mall. I am a personal fan of AMC theaters because of their awesome Moviewatchers Rewards Membership. Every qualifying ticket purchase earns you points, which can be redeemed like CVS bucks, for discounts or even free movie tickets! About every 10 purchased tickets will earn you one for free. Movie Gold Passes can be purchased from Sam’s Club or Costco for $7 a ticket and have no restrictions on date, time or showing. Full-price tickets range from $12 to $13, depending on your choice of self-service or teller- assisted payment options. Stadium-style seating here is the real deal, with plush red seats that recline and a cup holder in each arm rest. Oh, the little luxuries we hold so dear. The sound system is THX digital madness that melts your ears during car chases and battlefield scenes. The digital projection is flawless, and the overall experience is very “black box,” serious cinema. It is not out of the ordinary to sit next to a celebrity – Creative Artists Agency is across the street – but this theater will fill up quickly on weekends. The crowd is Beverly Hills High School Musical meets Octo-mom, but somehow it feels California dreamy. The staff here is not particularly friendly, but parking is uber-convenient with the upgraded red-light/green-light, parking space indicators, which help you quickly locate open stalls just before the credits roll. Not that you’re ever late!

By: Sheila Hassani, LLM

SW offers its students a chance to go beyond the traditional classroom method of learning by giving them opportunities to experience the attorney role first-hand. Through the externship program, students have a variety of on-site placements to choose from. One of those options is placement within the entertainment industry.

Entertainment externships are highly competitive. Previous and current placements have included Comedy Central, Rhino Entertainment, Screen Actors Guild, and CBS Television Studios.

Since the focus of this issue is best of, we asked some students who are currently doing entertainment externships about their placements, and here is what they had to say:

Sheila Hassani, an LL.M. student in the entertainment and media program, is currently externing at CBS Televisions Studios. “I deal with a lot of contracts at CBS and I do a lot of drafting,” she said. Hassani works with production lawyers at CBS on new (“NCIS: LA”, “Melrose Place”, “The Good Wife”) and current shows (“NCIS”, “Numb3rs”). She assists with location agreements, editor/producer agreements, and equipment agreements.

“I have really learned a lot in the short time I have been at CBS. You cannot really ‘learn’ what you need to know in the classroom. The majority of it comes from actually practicing and being here has given me firsthand experience,” she said.

Christian Eimer, an LL.M student in the entertainment and media program, is externing at Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, Inc. Christian is learning about the specific procedures at WBITD when it comes to distributing Warner Bros. content to networks and motion picture companies in international markets. Most of the contract partners of WBITD are located in countries other than the United States, especially in Canada, Europe, but also Asia.

Currently, Eimer is researching whether the terms and conditions of a special WBITD web site designed exclusively for international business partners needs to be updated to satisfy certain technological developments.  This requires the comparison of the existing terms and conditions with those of the main Warner Bros. web site as well as with those from third parties doing business in a similar field.

Danielle DeRose is externing at Fox Broadcasting Company in the Legal Affairs department. As a 3L who will graduate this spring, DeRose had a different goal in mind when choosing to extern.

“The reason I wanted to work at Fox is because I am hoping to figure out, once and for all, if entertainment is the route I want to take after law school. I graduate this spring, and I still have no clue what I want to do with my life. I’m hoping this in-house experience will shed some light for me,” she said.

While at Fox, DeRose has mainly been drafting and reviewing contracts. Specifically, she works on special events agreements, promotional agreements, winner releases, as well as other things as they come up.

Bernetta Hardy externs at Rhino Entertainment, a subsidiary company of Warner Music Group, where she primarily drafts synch licenses.

“I have learned a lot about language during my externship. I learned that the entertainment industry has its own special language. Words and expressions commonly used in daily conversations, often times have different meanings and significance within the entertainment industry,” she said.

By: Bernetta Hardy, 4L

In 2009, the world watched numerous musicians dramatize their personal and professional conflicts within the legal arena. Domestic disputes, record label battles, and nightclub brawls seemingly consumed the music industry throughout the year. Nonetheless, although lawsuits involving musicians dominated the internet and airways, a select group of legal actions stood out amongst the rest.

The year began with the best domestic dispute of 2009: the domestic violence suit between Rhianna and Chris Brown. During the Grammy’s, media outlets and music fans diverted their attention from the flashy performances to reports of pop singer Rhianna filing domestic violence charges against her long-time boyfriend, R&B singer Brown. Allegedly, after a pre-Grammy party, an intense argument between Brown and Rhianna escalated into a physical confrontation. After the altercation, photos displaying Rhianna’s bruised face and vicious allegations of physical abuse from both parties bombarded the media outlets. Once the dust had settled, Brown pleaded guilty to all charges and received 180 days of labor service in Virginia, five years of probation and mandatory attendance in domestic abuse program. Although Brown and Rhianna appear physically distant, their professional lives remain intimately linked as evidenced by the release of Brown’s new single 24 hours following the public exhibition of Rhianna’s new song from her new album.

The best record label battle and the best intellectual property suits of the year quickly followed on the heels of the Brown and Rhianna incident. For years, Warner Music Group threatened to sue YouTube for copyright infringement because the site disseminated music from Warner artists without obtaining permission from the record label. After months of tough negotiations, the renowned record label and powerful entertainment-multimedia site finalized a licensing agreement that allowed YouTube users access to the label’s full catalog and user-generated content involving Warner artists.

The best intellectual property suits of the year were pursued by Lil’ Wayne and Courtney Love. This summer, Lil’ Wayne sued an independent film company that shot a documentary chronicling his life. The director of the project submitted the documentary, “The Carter” to the Sundance Film Festival, and the film was selected for screening. However, when the director refused to remove unsavory scenes from the film, Lil’ Wayne filed for an injunction that was swiftly denied by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.

Rock star Love initiated the second noted intellectual property suit against video game publisher, Activision. Love claims that the company’s controversial portrayal of her late husband, Kurt Cobain, in the “Guitar Hero 5” video game, constituted a breach of contract. The explosive rock star publicly proclaimed her plans to “sue the pants” off the video game publisher.

Despite Love’s colorful language and behavior, the most shocking legal incident of 2009 revolved around the demure English pop star, Leona Lewis. Lewis gained fame and fortune after becoming the 2006 winner of the “X-Factor,” the English counterpart to “American Idol.” Following her commercial success, Lewis wrote an autobiography titled, “Dreams” and engaged in an international book tour. During a book signing in London, Lewis was punched in the face by former “X-Factor” contestant Peter Kowalczyk. Subsequent reports noted that Kowalczyk waited in line for five hours to attack Lewis and laughed hysterically when the singer fled the scene. Kowalczyk was charged with common assault and is currently being held in a psychiatric hospital. Since the traumatic assault, Lewis has suspended her book tour and refrains from public appearances.

The alarming violence demonstrated against Lewis shocked the public and propelled Lewis to seek legal redress against her assailant. Similar circumstances prompted celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton, to sue Black Eyed Peas producer Will.I.Am for assault following a physical altercation outside of a Much Music Video Awards after party. Hilton alleged that the artist’s manager punched the celebrity blogger in the face after Will.I.Am berated Hilton for his negative comments toward Black Eyed Peas member, Fergie. Will.I.Am later denied the allegations, while Hilton pressed assault charges against both Will.I.Am and his manager. This legal action between Hilton and Will.I.Am constituted the best legal incident involving a media personality.

The Perez Hilton and Will.I.Am quarrel concluded the year’s best legal dramas involving music industry professionals. The listed lawsuits describe colorful and astonishing legal actions that demonstrate the extent in which many talented musicians and music industry professionals rely on the legal profession to resolve their personal and professional conflicts.

By: Sarah Mazkoori, 3L

Even though two months still remain, 2009 has already had enough juicy celebrity headlines to warrant this article. In fact, there are just too many stories to recount in the pages of The Commentator without printing a double issue. So, here are the top 10:

10. Michael Phelps gets caught smoking pot. You would think he’d still be high off of winning all those gold medals, not to mention landing millions in endorsement deals. Guess not.

9. Miss California Carrie Prejean lands on the list for her response to Perez Hilton’s question about gay marriage during the Miss USA pageant, in which Prejean said, “Well I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I think I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman.” Prejean became an instant celebrity; even more famous than the actual winner of the pageant. Does anyone even remember her name?

8. Jon Gosselin makes the list, basically just for being an all-around jerk. Okay, some people argue that he is not a celebrity. I disagree. The TLC hit show featuring the Gosselin gang has plunged Jon, Kate, and their eight kids to celebrity status. Jon’s screw-up? There are just too many to list here, but they include leaving his wife, getting engaged two months later, constantly wearing Ed Hardy T-shirts, and fighting to remain on the show, even though no one wants to see him anymore.

7. South Carolina U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson heckles Pres. Barack Obama during a speech to a joint session of Congress. Wilson shouted, “You lie!” in response to Obama’s statements on illegal immigrants. How can you think this behavior is acceptable, Joe Wilson? Were you raised in a barn? Wait – you are from South Carolina; maybe you were raised in a barn.

6. Two members of the Kardashian family make the list. They must be so proud! Kourtney is No. 6 on this list for getting pregnant with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, after breaking up with him because he cheated on her multiple times. That poor baby.

5. Khloe Kardashian is No. 5 on the list for “marrying” Los Angeles Laker’s forward Lamar Odom in a lavish and expensive ceremony when their “marriage” could not even be finalized because the pre-nup was not ready in time. Apparently, not being able to agree on a pre-nup will not stop anyone from getting “married.”

4. Any celebrity who signs on to be a part of any werewolf or vampire movie or television show. Okay, this one may be just a personal pet peeve, but hasn’t the world had enough already? Yes, it has!

3. Chris Brown makes the list for beating up Rihanna – which leads us to No. 2:

2. Rihanna for getting back together with her abuser – even for a short period of time.

1. The No. 1 celebrity screw-up of 2009? It has to go to Kanye West, for grabbing the microphone out of Taylor Swift’s hands at the 2009 VMAs. With the thousands of viewers who caught the act live while watching at home, along with the millions who viewed the clip on YouTube, this screw-up probably received the most buzz of any other 2009 celeb faux pas. Congratulations, Kanye!

By Danny Franklin, 3L

Nouvelle Vague devoted their set to Hollywood and covered popular songs from 80s Films. Photo courtesy of Danielle Skornik.

French pop music brings a taste of it unique sound to Los Angeles. Wednesday September 23 marked the first ever Ooh La L.A. music festival which imported some of the French world’s most talented, unique and slightly pretentious musicians to the MusicBox at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. The three day tour-de-force music festival kicked off it’s premier night with French provocateur, Sebastien Tellier and Nouvelle Vague.

The Ooh La L.A. festival had Goldenvoice, of the Coachella Music Festival and All Points West fame, as a promoter. Music festivals emerged as a major force of cultural exchange capable of attracting flocks of tourist attraction to small and big towns alike. Big concert promoters like Goldenvoice and Live Nation have found a way to capitalize off music cultural exchanges in the last decade through the new phenomena called media consolidation. These mega-promoters provide the excitement and pretty much guaranteed crowds to get big names to headline. Live Nation, which promotes for House of Blues among other venues, boasts that they can do this because they are “vertically aligned from artist to fan.” Goldenvoice, via the Oh La L.A. brought Los Angeles a French music festival with the goal of promoting an understanding of French culture in what can easily be classified as the music capital of the world. Goldenvoice, one of the major competitors, controlling concert promotions for a vast majority of the Los Angeles venues ranging from the Fiarplex at Pomona, to the L.A. City Hall, to the Hollywood Bowl.

When SebastianTellier, the headlining act for the first night, took to the stage, his long hair & beard were a frazzled mess, hiding his eyes behind huge dark sunshades, a champagne flute in one hand an a bottle of champagne in the other. He raised his glass, soluted the audience, chugged it down and began riffing on his guitar. After the opening song, the first words out of his mouth were, “I’d like to take two minutes tell you about my bi-sexuality,” cupping his left hand while thrusting his right index finger into it, then softly whispering the words “you know.” His unique brand of electro pop and guitar grooves are brilliantly crafted crescendo’s that are nostalgically familiar because he hired Guy-Manuel De-Homem Christo, one half of the extremely successful French electro-duo, Daft Punk to produce his newest album, “Sexuality.” Tellier was a huge crowd pleaser, not only because of his sex-obsessed music but his stage presence with his debonair attitude and arrogant… qu’est ce que c’est… oh yeah, Frenchness!

Perhaps the most entertaining character of the night was lesser-known French-Canadian artist, by the name of Gonzales. Gonzales is a lot harder to categorize. He came out on stage wearing a nothing but a long black robe and white gloves. He sat alone at the piano and delivered a 10-minute virtuoso performance. But then he started talking and the pleasing sounds that he left resonating in your head quickly faded. In brief, he brought out his band, cursed at them for playing horribly, spit on the female vocalist, then sang ditty about how he had problems with constipation as a child, started rapping, asked the audience who came in “massively underwhelming numbers” to show some respect and shut up as he performs, then apologized for how harsh he’s been and asked for people to like him. My friends and I kept looking at each other and asking, “is this guy for real!??!” But there was something endearing about this man pouring his heart out on stage that you couldn’t help but wonder if his show would be any fun if he just sat and played the lone piano. He either carefully constructed his stage show to manipulate your emotions from astonishment, to disgust, hatred, anger, then to pity, or he’s just insane. It was up for us to decide. By the end, people didn’t know whether to applaud the performer or laugh at him. Regardless, his live show took a vaudeville act to the 21st century, and for that, I commend him.

More acts in the festival include Electro French Party, Cocoon, Poney Poney, and the marvelous Nouvelle Vague, a French cover band that takes 80’s pop music and reimagines them as “chillout jazz lounge music, a guaranteed crowd pleaser for children of the 80’s. Francophiles and music-lovers were all having a blast at the festival. The French music scene is definitely full of talent, and I can’t wait to see who will perform next year.

The Ooh La L.A. festival sheds light on the more serious and important dimension of the role of these giant international concert promoters.

By Timothy Sutton, 1L

Just recently, Chuck Norris filed suit against NBC, claiming “Law” and “Order” You’ll Get a Kick Out Of This! are trademarked names for his left and right legs. One of the world’s biggest celebrities, Norris is good at one thing and one thing only: kicking butt. Therefore, in 1990, Norris founded the Kick Drugs Out Of America KickStart program. The focus of the program, which currently operates in more than 44 Houston, Texas, area schools, is to prevent teenage drug use and deter teenagers from joining or forming gangs.

The overall mission of KickStart is to change and save children’s lives. Resiliency is enhanced through the values and philosophies taught through the martial arts. Norris uses his incredibly effective roundhouse kick to ensure that gangs and drugs get “the boot” in Houston. The star of “Walker Texas Ranger,” Norris uses the training of martial arts to alleviate the peer pressure of high-risk behaviors. Since it began, the program has graduated more than 6,300 successful students, many who continued on to college. Others have stayed behind, attempting to master the roundhouse kick.

The true social benefit of the program can be seen in the cost comparison of incarcerating a teenager estimated at $50,000, with the mere $550 it costs to participate in the KickStart program. The “science-based” evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the program returned some staggering results: The KickStart program attracts girls and boys in nearly equal percentages. The program attracts students in all ethnic groups.

Seventy-five percent of the students who begin the program in sixth grade continue, voluntarily, to enroll throughout middle school. KickStart students who participated in the program for the three years finished middle school with higher grades and better attendance records than those who did not participate. Ninety-six percent of KickStart students graduate from high school. KickStart students who participated in middle school have a lower dropout rate and higher grades during high school. Survey results suggest the KickStart students are more likely to refrain from engaging in drug-related activities, and are further along in understanding problems associated with drug use. Survey results also suggest that KickStart activities and participation boost students’ self-confidence, enhance the respect students receive from their peers and help them view their overall school experience positively.

Eighty-five percent of KickStart students’ families attend KickStart school functions, compared to an average of 8 to 10 percent at PTA meetings or other school functions. KickStart students’ parents reported that their children have more self-control and self-confidence because they participated in the program. Participating school campus administrators are enthusiastic about the impact of the program at their campuses, and they commentted that instructors are productive members of the campus community. Houston, Dallas and Galveston Independent School District studies show that drug- and gang-related peer pressure is the worst at the 6th-grade level.

There are three ways to donate to KickStart: a single donation via PayPal, a monthly pledge of various amount, and a yearly student sponsorship. For more information, you can visit www.kick-start.org/donate.

George Clooney visits South Darfur to attract attention to the humanitarian crisis.

By: Bernetta Hardy, 4L

Celebrities are not generally associated with humanitarian causes. Paparazzi frequently photograph them passing out in limousines, yelling at crewmembers on film sets, throwing temper tantrums in airports, and engaging in other indulgent behavior. As a result, most celebrities appear disinterested and ambivalent about social issues.

However, many celebrities actually employ their wealth and success for philanthropic purposes. For example, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle, stars of “Ocean’s Eleven, comprise a group of Hollywood actors, producers, and lawyers who jointly created a charitable organization called Not On Our Watch.

Not On Our Watch is a humanitarian organization that seeks to end genocide committed in violence-ridden areas like Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe. The founders of the organization usually go before the United Nations and plead for aid for the modern-day victims of genocide. They also donate millions of dollars and countless hours to organizations like the United States fund for UNICEF, which assists Zimbabwean refugee children living on the dangerous South African-Zimbabwe border.

Not On Our Watch achieved numerous accomplishments under the leadership of the film actors. Cheadle, whose book titled, “Not On Our Watch” sparked the creation of the organization, appeared before Congress several times and rallied for the U.S. intervention in the Darfur conflict. Damon and Brad Pitt frequently travel to Burma and Zimbabwe to spotlight the deplorable conditions existing within these countries. Furthermore, the U.N. recently named Clooney a United Nations Messenger of Peace when he recently addressed the United Nations press corps about his experiences in Darfur.

The actors’ activism demonstrates the compassion and humanity resonating within the entertainment industry. Artists of all backgrounds and genres donate countless resources to various notable causes. The most visible Hollywood champions of humanitarian causes are Angelina Jolie and Pitt. They have famously donated their time and money to local and international charitable organizations. In recent years, the two paired up to create the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. This foundation provides funding to various humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders.

Although “Brangelina” may be the most public example of philanthropy, other entertainers also provide financial and vocal support to various worthwhile causes. For example, “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Langoria established the Eva’s Heroes organization to provide safe, supportive environments for developmentally challenged young adults. Also, rapper Wyclef Jean founded the Yéle Haiti organization, which supports the structural and lifestyle improvement of Haiti. Jean’s most acclaimed accomplishment with the organization was Project Clean Streets. In this project, Jean paid 600 workers per day to collect garbage in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince. These charitable actors and musicians derive from a large segment of socially conscious celebrities. During this time of remembrance and reverence for public interest activists, let us not forget the artists who are in front of both the stage and humanitarian causes.

By Jasmine Abrams, 2L

On Sept. 12, The Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug and Alcohol Awareness held a charity event in Hollywood.

The Brent Shapiro Foundation was established by Robert Shapiro, O.J. Simpson’s defense attorney. In 2005, Shapiro’s son, Brent, following a life-long battle with alcohol and drug addiction, died at the age of 25. The Foundation has become “the national leader in the fight against drug and alcohol dependence” by educating parents and schools on how to communicate with students and identify any problems before they escalate.

In 2007, The Brent Shapiro Foundation held a live concert called Sober Day USA in New York to raise awareness about drug use and attracted swarms of people. The event served to shed light on a different approach to drug treatment and educate the general public.

The recent charity event, held at a private home, included celebrity supporters Larry King, Jessica Alba, Sean Combs, Denzel Washington, Barry Bonds, Rod Stewart, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, among others.

Drug and alcohol addiction has become an issue that affects not only celebrities in Hollywood but thousands of people across the United States. The Foundation provides an opportunity to raise awareness about drug and alcohol addiction and means of preventing its occurrence.

The organization is always seeking volunteers in various positions. Visit http://www.brentshapiro.org/ for more information and to get involved.