Hugh Hefner for President

By Simisola Komolafe, 11.15.2006

Only in America could a former actor/ bodybuilder run for governor and actually win. The governor of California, who once appeared on stage in nothing but Speedos and baby oil, is now in a suit and tie signing reform bills.

NBC even toyed with the idea of producing a talk show for President Clinton. One would think great talent and expertise would be necessary to make such a drastic change in your profession; think again.

The dividing line between genres has thinned so drastically, it’s scary.

Hollywood has been hit hardest by this dividing line. An onslaught of wanna-be stars with no acting experience or talent. Britney Spears starred in her own movie, a slew of American Idol finalists have landed major Hollywood roles and R&B singer Beyonce Knowles has several blockbuster movies under her belt. It is safe to say from watching their performances that talent had little to do with it.

Of all the wanna-be stars, Paris Hilton takes the cake. She is the poster girl for superficial crossover talent. With a resume that reads heiress and professional partier, she landed an album and a lead role in a movie. In a matter of minutes she became an actress/singer/supermodel/fashion designer.

Sadly, this trend is only going to hurt the chances of professionals actually want to stick to their day jobs.

Unfortunately, artists who are actually good at what they do have a dilemma. Most of them don’t have billionaire fathers or million dollar record deals to support them as they audition for roles. Should they even bother coming to the audition?

In a shameless attempt to maximize profits, acting becomes a joke. Acting has become less about raw talent and more about profit making. Crossover stars may be great for box office sales, but they leave talented actors in the dust.

When Schwarzenegger said in The Terminator, “I’ll be back,” nobody would have guessed it would be as a governor. Maybe aspiring actors and politicians should follow his lead: get famous first, then switch to a different genre.

Who knows? From the way things are moving along, America should not be shocked if Hugh Hefner runs for President and wins.