What is wrong with us as a Nation?

[Laurie]

LeBron James--5 years 96 million dollars to play basketball. To run around in shorts and pass and dunk a basketball? Seriously?

In my opinion if someone is making 96 millions dollars over a five year period they should come up with a way to end world hunger. They should find a way to end homelessness is the United States. 96 million sure as heck should find the cure for cancer--ALL cancer, it should find the cure to AIDS.

96 million dollars should be able to stop the freaking oil spill in the gulf!

Heck 96 million dollars should find a way to take a pill go to bed fat and wake up skinny!

What is wrong with us that we pay salaries like this for sports figures and entertainment figures. Is Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Green Day, Poison & Brett Michaels really that talented--I mean seriously people. They have multiple homes (maybe not Justin and Miley yet) they have multiple vehicles, they are bazillionares and all because they can play sports or act or sing--it's really rather ridiculous.

Yet as much as it shocks me I am someone who has paid to see a movie, or a concert or a sports event--and honestly all the while they are no more deserving of any riches than I am.

I wonder how much we pay school teachers who are ridiculed and even abused while trying to teach?

I wonder how much your average military man makes keeping our country safe?

I wonder how much police and fireman make to keep us alive and safe from harm.

I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near 96 millions dollars.

 

[caiti]

I know it's ridiculous. I've thought the same thing for years. I think people get paid ungodly salaries because no one has stopped it yet. And for it to be stopped EVERYONE'S gotta stop doling out that kind of money. Of course, then lots of people wouldn't want to become famous and there'd be jobs and income lost from lack of entertainment and sports sales. So most people just keep doing what's being done cause it'd be messy to fix, even if it would be the right thing to do.

Teacher or police officers don't make that much because they don't bring in revenue like actors or athletes. Pretty much every person in every job is paid based on the revenue they bring in.

I honestly turn on the TV sometimes and look at the new house [insert celebrity here] just bought and don't know how they do it. I wouldn't even know what to do with that much house or stuff. How do they not feel guilty for buying a $10,000 purse or shirt that was probably made in sweatshops in one of the many many countries that have them (yes, we have sweatshops in the states)? At least buy stuff that you think is worth the price if you have the choice.

 

[Rickman]

Laurie - I understand your rant entirely! But be careful what you wish for!
If Cops got a piece of the fine, bet your bippy they'd write more tickets!
If good teachers were rewarded monitarily by the success of their students scores,
think they'd get better?? And the bad ones docked pay?
Not sticking-up for athletes at all, what would YOU expect to get if you were the best at what you did, and brought millions a game to a team??
And how would you spend it??

 

[Riven]

Before you complain about how much they are getting paid, think about how much the teams must actually make to pay them that much. It's not their fault, they are enabled. By who? By the public. Every CD we buy, movie we watch, sports game you see ( I don't watch traditional sports, can't stand 'em, if I'm going to be sitting in my living room yelling at the TV I'm going to at least be playing a video game with my kids or something).

The only way to stop it is to not support those teams, etc. Usually those sorts of contracts include endorsements like doing x amt of commercials for said product, etc.

When you break it down it's that the public cares more about sports, etc. than their kids education. Usually in schools more money is spent on sports than on drama, speech, arts, and music programs.

I saw this at an early age, when the entire school would get out for a state football or basketball tourney so everyone could go root for them, but for speech we had to make up the work before we went...

 

[Laurie]

Rick this is something I do know--Chuck was already the best fighter test pilot the US ever had--THE BEST and then you know what he did? He went and broke the sound barrier. He didn't get more money for doing it, he did it because he could.

Nolan Ryan pitched for the California Angels, Houston Astros, and then the Texas Rangers. When the Rangers got him he was starting to age, and I'm sure they thought he wouldn't be as great as he was for the Angels or the Astros but still good--and at 43 years of age he pitched his 6th no hitter. They actually wanted to re-do his contract to pay him more money, but he said no--he would honor his contract.

These feets amaze me as I'm sure you don't hear Tom Cruise say please don't pay me I just want to do this movie. Or Brett Favre say please don't pay me I just want to play football. Or Jay Z say my album is free, my concert is free.

What I was trying to say is how ridiculous it is we pay tons of money to people who really do nothing other than entertain us. They aren't out to change the world, fix the world or even help the world.

Those who do those things make a very minimal amount IMO and that is just very twisted.

 

[Riven]

No one said it was right, but lets say you go into work tomorrow and your boss says hey, I'm going to start paying you $200K a year from now on... are you going to say no?

 

[Laurie]

Nope Nicole I am not going to say no--but I like to think I would say you know what I don't need a gold toilet to pee on or a house I don't have enough people to fit into or more than one car to drive. I KNOW I would say, hey church you know that new plumbing you've been wanting well here it is. And I KNOW I would say, hello breast cancer research--I have a donation for you.

But I would also say--okay chins what new stuff do ya'll want???!

 

[mishellyshel]

I just hope with all that money, he uses some of it for good.

How bout a nice basketball youth organization for the kids who cant afford it and keep them off the streets. Do some good Mr Miami Heat!

 

[Riven]

A lot of these people who make a lot of money do donate a lot, some don't have a lot of expensive things ( Eminem still has the car he first leased when his first album came out) , and for many of them, their careers only last 4 years until they're replaced by the newer better version.

Sports players risk losing their contract getting hurt, something that can last a life time. To tour singers are away from their friends and families for a year or more...

Eminem talks about it all the time, he talked about it in the movie Funny People, he says...

Eminem: You know what? I think you freaked up.
George Simmons: How's that?
Eminem: I think you freaked up. I think... I don't think you should have took that medicine.
George Simmons: Why not?
Eminem: I don't know. Personally, I think you should have just let yourself die. Honestly man, what are - what are gonna do now? Make another bs movie? Sleep with another chick who doesn't like you? You know? That was your way out right there.
George Simmons: Mmm.
Eminem: Now you're freaking stuck.
George Simmons: Yeah.
Eminem: You're stuck, just like me. Can't go to freaking Chuck E. Cheese. I can't go to Target, I can't go to Best Buy. I can't go to freaking Wal-Mart, K-Mart. You freaking name it, I can't go there.

What he's saying is... he NEVER gets a day off, he can't go to the beach, he can't take his daughters out, he can't just go shopping whenever. For the same reason he gets paid so much. These people didn't ask for that, it's part of their lives, but they didn't chose that. They get paid that much, because we ( as a nation ) allow it. Being cross at them is only misdirecting hostility. Like a child who's a brat, it's not their fault, the parents enabled it. Also on Funny People it shows the main character ( a famous comedian) coming out of the dr. after being told he's pretty much going to die of leukemia, but all the people are still there, they want their pics taken, they want an autograph... they don't care if you're having a bad day, got bad news, you're sick, your kid is sick, etc.
There was a thread about something similar not too long ago, and people were saying that Angelina Jolie "only" donated like 7 million or billion to charity last year... most people don't even give a quarter to the salvation army bell ringers at Christmas, but they're quick to criticize what others do or don't do.

 

[StevieP]

Laurie I see what you are saying and I agree with you. Many (not all) of these rich people are selfish. Eminem makes $31 million. Noboby NEEDS multiple houses, million dollar cars, thousands of outfits, ten-thousand dollar watches, ect.

 

[AZChins]

I want $96 million. I'd have so much fun paying off people's houses and trying to surprise people with that. I'd want to make as many people as I could as happy as possible with my blessing.

 

[Luci]

laurie, i totally agree with your post.

i wish teachers were paid more. they are the foundation of (nearly) every successful human. education is so important. i watched my mom for years. as a bilingual kindergarten teacher for 30+ years, she poured her heart and soul into those kids. she definitely didnt get paid what she should've. she didnt complain- shes very humble. but i know that now she devotes her retired time to volunteering at her old school. thats right- shes VOLUNTEERING her time teaching. she didnt get paid enough then, and shes not getting paid now. but she still does it. not many entertainers will voluntarily give time and effort for the rest of society without having some sort of compensation.

yes, i agree that we give them that ability. we allow entertainers to continue what theyre doing. we're humans, we're suckered into being entertained. but the point of laurie's post is WHAT ARE THEY GIVING BACK? i dont care if entertainers "lost their normal lives", and i believe that they did in fact choose that. i feel as though fear of being mauled by paparazzi is a lame excuse for not giving back. Kristin Davis (Charlotte of sex and the city) actively works in Africa with elephants- maybe not a life changing activity for some, but she's giving back. Shakira (oh how i love her!) has founded TWO organizations to help promote schools in developing countries.

imagine what could be accomplished if every entertainer actively participated and donated to charity. and im not talking about just one time, or once a year. im talking ongoing. as society we have so many different classes and niches that we forget that we're a whole. i dont care what a person makes, they must give back. i can say this because i love doing volunteer work. heck, if i had all the 96 million, id invest in alternative energy solutions, donate to scholarships for students to go to college, and maybe even fund my campaign for office! lol...im kinda serious about that one

but the fact is, i don't have that money. i can only give back what im able to. but why multiple houses for celebrities? maybe they need to calm the heck down and be a bit modest for once. and for a celebrity with 96 million, would parting with 5 million be that noticeable to them?

 

[eroomlorac]

LeBron James--5 years 96 million dollars to play basketball. To run around in shorts and pass and dunk a basketball? Seriously?

In my opinion if someone is making 96 millions dollars over a five year period they should come up with a way to end world hunger. They should find a way to end homelessness is the United States. 96 million sure as heck should find the cure for cancer--ALL cancer, it should find the cure to AIDS.

96 million dollars should be able to stop the freaking oil spill in the gulf!

Heck 96 million dollars should find a way to take a pill go to bed fat and wake up skinny!

What is wrong with us that we pay salaries like this for sports figures and entertainment figures. Is Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Green Day, Poison & Brett Michaels really that talented--I mean seriously people. They have multiple homes (maybe not Justin and Miley yet) they have multiple vehicles, they are bazillionares and all because they can play sports or act or sing--it's really rather ridiculous.

Yet as much as it shocks me I am someone who has paid to see a movie, or a concert or a sports event--and honestly all the while they are no more deserving of any riches than I am.

I wonder how much we pay school teachers who are ridiculed and even abused while trying to teach?

I wonder how much your average military man makes keeping our country safe?

I wonder how much police and fireman make to keep us alive and safe from harm.

I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near 96 millions dollars.

Amen, Sister. Well said. :clap1::clap1::clap1::clap1::clap1: