I apologize in advance: I need to indulge in writing this posting, in hopes that my Brad Pitt party will end soon. For those who know me, I am clearly not a fan of Hollywoodies or have the slightest interest in the lives of these amazingly beautiful people we see on the movie screen. I’ve never been a huge fan of Brad perhaps because I don’t want to add more attention to his stardom but ever since I watched Benjamin Button, I became interested in knowing what this guy is all about and his coupling with Angelina.
What I find most interesting about him and Angelina, beyond the fact that they are one of the most beautiful couples in Hollywood (beautiful people dating other beautiful people is actually a little disturbing to me), is that she has awakened in him the energy to perform humanitarian and environmental work. I’m not sure what his history of charity was before Angelina but it clearly never radiated as it does now. I think that is what is truly beautiful about this pair, that they really bring out the best in eachother. This is the energy that I feel when I hear about them, not the information that I gather from magazines.
I just saw him on the Chronicle today with Nancy Pelosi to promote his new foundation to sustainably build New Orleans (www.makeitrightnola.org). He’s partnered up with William McDonough, the brain behind Cradle to Cradle design, to build eco-friendly and sustainable homes for those displaced by New Orleans. This is only his most recent work; he’s contributed to many other causes previously.
I think it’s so inspiring to see people use their power for good causes, rather than to promote themselves or what I call celebrity materialism. And doing a little bit of research on him makes it easier for me to reconcile my natural discomfort with movie stars. Disregarding their personal power and the circle of paparazzis that they carry around, celebrities like Brad are perhaps just normal people like the rest of us.
