Why do famous people always ask poor people to donate to charity?

Question

Why do famous people go on t.V. and ask the average joe to help pay for other poor people. Why do famous people give so little when they have so much?

Answer 1

I think they give so little in percentage to what they have. They consume so much. They do what is called conspicious consumption. I donated some money to a pollitical campaign. All they did was send me an email response. It was a great deal of money in terms of what I make. I realized that those people are independiently wealthy all of them all poilital parities and they do not need my money anyway.
I realize that they have everything they need and I might as well not waste my money. When I donated small amounts of money to the red cross on 911 and katrina I got thank you notes in the mail both times. I do not know why the rich tell us to donate. They really need to donate the same percentage of what we do. If we donate a certain percentage of our income then they should do that same income. For instance if I donate 25% of my weekly grocery money they should donate something as substantial of their life like say 25% of their weekly living expenses. That could be thousands of dollars in some of their cases. 25% of a normal persons grocery money for a week is a great deal of money for an adverage person. A rich person may spend tons of money on recreation on extravgent housing and shopping and eating out in that amount of time. How about they donate $10,000 for every amount we donate. Rich people spend so much money it is truly obsene. If they give only 1,000.00 and get some chairty dinner it is nothing to them and they get all this reconition. They really need to give their fair share. After all we are giving them money buy buying thier goods, watching thier shows on TV that are sponsored by advertizing and going to their movies. They do not need all the expensive things that are made with slave labor in foreign countries and furrs and diamonds anyway why not feed the poor and get health care for the poor spread it out not be obscene about money, alcohol, trips and drugs and throw pennys at charity to feel good.

Answer 2

I totally understand where a lot of posters are coming from. It seems as though everyone whats a dollar here and there for this and that. At my work, you have the option to donate a dollar to pet charities through the pin pad if you use your credit card. That way you can gracefully say no if you wish. To me, it all depends on where the money is going and how much the charity gets. Where I work, 100 percent goes to the charity, but that isn't always the case. I always ask before I donate.

Answer 3

Most famous people don't give anything to charity. But I think your premise is wrong: Those famous people who go on TV and ask for us to give to charity are probably giving a lot of money themselves.

For instance, where I live in Vermont, Trey Anestasio(sp?) from the band Phish, is constantly helping charities fund-raise. However, he is also making significant contributions himself. He has given well over a million dollars to various local and national charities.

You can probably go online and find how much these celebrities are actually giving, and then know which ones are hypocrites, which ones are generous, and which ones don't even pretend to care.

Finally, it is only fair to mention that many wealthy people give a lot of money to charity because they get big tax breaks for doing so. Thus, even though your question may not be right, the reason that some people give so much money isn't as altruistic as it might seem.

Answer 4

Well you know, I am a poor student (i think that is the only kind of student) and even though I have to be frugal on groceries and everything else if I have change I give it to the first person that I see on the street. I feel that people that have experienced poverty can easily relate to people in poverty, and thus are more willing to donate money. This situation somewhat relates to your question. Because wealthy people, or in your case celebrities can in no way relate to people living in poverty they are ignorant to the fact that there are more people than the eye can see walking down the street that are living in or below the poverty level. I also feel that wealthy people are belligerent; they could care less about other people because their lives are grand. I’m bitter toward celebrities so my opinion could be biased, but I guess a straightforward answer is, as others have stated, is that they are selfish. If you only need a penny, and you have two, give one away, am I right?

Answer 5

If you had a million dollars you would live the classy high life. That comes with a price. Movie stars have big bills as well big house's. Just because they make a lot of money doesn't mean they have it all in their pockets. Say you make $3000.00 a month? You have rent of $1000.00, car payment of $500.00, bills and food a month $500.00, how much can you really donate and still go out to dinner or amusement parks and have fun. That is the life style you live when you make more money. The same with minimum wage it balances it self and you don't have but a dollar to donate. $1.00

Answer 6

I think no matter how poor you are, you should alwasy donate as much as you can. I am poor. I live month to month, barely able to buy groceries, and am working my way through school. I still give to charity as much as I can. My family and I just gave a wonderful Christmas to a family that was less fortunate than ourselves.

Answer 7

There's some truth in what you are alleging, but let's take a look at the stereotype.

I believe that many celebrities who bother to appear on television to ask people to donate are giving as well. I remember after 9/11, Julia Roberts appeared on Red Cross commercials, asking people to give...blood, money, whatever was needed. She herself had donated $1,000,000.

Bill and Melinda Gates have a foundation, the endowments of which total $29.2 billion.

Tiger Woods established his foundation 10 years ago and gives quarterly grants to kids in need. He also just opened the Tiger Woods Learning Center, an educational facility in Southern California.

Sean Penn's travels to Irag and hands-on help in the immediate Hurricane Katrina aftermath seem genuine to me.

And Bono's tireless campaigning for more attention to the millions of starving people in Africa can't be questioned. He's there, in Africa or on the Senate floor, when he could be making money.

Of course there are bad guys out there...men and women without much of a social conscience, so obsessed with image that their "real" jobs sometimes appear to be shopping and pampering.

And yes, it does seem to me that those with the least tend to give the most. I think it's difficult for those new to the upper class to be reminded of where they came from. And it's impossible for those born into the upper class to relate to the hardships of the working poor and the homeless.

But we all must overcome our obstacles, whether they be fear, indifference, laziness or just plain lack of consciousness. I think it is our responsibility -- as citizens and community members to take individual responsibility for the welfare of others, because in doing so, we take care of ourselves, our country and our future.

Answer 8

Usually those celebrities DO give quite a bit, some millions of dollars a year. They aren't asking you to write a check for $1,000, just send a few bucks to the red cross or something.

Answer 9

because if they gave money we would not be poor....in-fact if celebrities would make less money we could feed a few families and maybe cure a few diseases

No No NO that is crazy Paris Hilton wouldn't be able to afford a $10,000 cracker she will end up throwing up later!

Answer 10

I believe a great deal of them do donate a lot of money , even with a LOT of money such as Oprah , there is no way they can help every body who needs help.