This Isn't About You, Al

Looking back on the Don Imus debacle, I'm struck by how Al Sharpton managed to place himself at the center of the controversy. Sharpton became the unofficial representative of everyone offended by Imus's comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. As such, he many have been partially responsible for MSNBC, CBS, and several sponsors dropping the Imus show (though I think these companies would have taken action with or without Al Sharpton). But along the way, he became a distraction and an easy target for those wishing to defend Imus. More than one commentator stood up for Imus by questioning Sharpton's consistency and integrity and bringing up Sharpton's past mistakes. Of course, nothing Sharpton said or did excuses Imus's comments, but by placing himself at the center of the controversy, Al gave people an opportunity to focus on him instead of the Rutgers basketball team.


(An aside: Many people have criticized Sharpton for attacking Imus while ignoring rap artists whose lyrics use similarly offensive language. To be fair, Sharpton has consistently spoken out against misogyny in hip hop.)

Sharpton isn't the only Al who has these problems. I've long been frustrated about Al Gore putting himself at the center of the global warming debate. In the past year, "Gore" has become almost synonymous with "global warming," making the former Vice President a punching bag for climate change skeptics. Pointing out Gore's lack of scientific credentials and seeming reluctance to practice what he preaches is a lot easier than debunking the work of climate scientists. I suppose that An Inconvenient Truth has helped people better understand the causes of global warming and what is at stake if something isn't done, but most people were well aware of the problem of climate change before Al Gore told them about it.


Don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with celebrity activism. Every person has the right and should be encouraged to use the resources available to him or her to take stand for what he or she believes in. But when the activist becomes as big of a story as the cause, the cause is necessarily compromised.