With whom we share a vote

Posted by Marc Hodak on February 20, 2008 under Irrationality | 2 Comments to Read

A friend of ours who knows Alan Alda recently recounted that many years after the end of M*A*S*H, the actor continued to get requests from individuals to be their doctor. Hearing this reminded me of Congressional hearings in 1985 into the “plight of the farmer” where they invited actresses Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, and Jane Fonda to testify…on the strength of having played farmers wives in film.

Congress arguably invites stars to hearings for their star power. But the fact that ordinary voters seriously identify actors with the skills, insights, or backgrounds of the characters they play is a serious concern for me. We share a vote with people unable to distinguish play from reality. At least some actors, like Alda, don’t confuse their acted abilities with their actor abilities.