True story: I live in a (gerrymandered) Congressional district with a population of mostly hard-right conservatives. The Democratic Party has long written off my district, and even when a Democrat or Independent runs against the incumbent Republican a–hole, those candidates rarely have any financial support. I’ve often pondered the idea of running against the guy just to make a f–king point, but I know it would be more hassle than it’s worth. What I’m saying is… I spend too much time daydreaming about what it would be like to run for office when there is literally no shot at winning. I have a feeling that Scarlett Johansson has similar daydreams.
Scarlett Johansson may soon ditch Hollywood for a life in politics. The “Ghost in the Shell” star conceded during a recent interview that she wouldn’t be opposed to running for office.
“I’ve always been interested in local politics,” Johansson said during a chat with Michael Strahan. “Right now I think with my young daughter, and also as my career is going right now, it’s not the right time. But eventually, maybe if my daughter was older and I could totally focus myself on something like that, I think it could be interesting.”
This is something Nancy Pelosi has talked about before, that so many women are interested in politics and interested in running for office, but they ultimately decide not to run until their kids are adults. Men don’t have to make those kinds of decisions and choices. In fact, if a man is a father with young children, that’s seen as an asset to his public image. So, should Scarlett run for office? Meh. I would imagine that in her daydreams, she’s thinking about joining the New York City Council and then maybe a mayoral run, perhaps? And why not?
Also: the box office predictions for Ghost in the Shell are all over the place. Some want to believe that the movie can “beat” Beauty and the Beast. Doubtful. I think Boss Baby will do well though. Also: GQ had a great piece on Ghost’s whitewashing mess.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Is Scarlett educated?
Does she have experience in politics? She went to the women’s march, but has she been politically active before?
I would like to support a woman in government, but i don’t think i want to support ScarJo.
Now, Emma Watson, Rowan Blanchard, even Zendaya, I can see.
First choice though, Emma Thompson.
what is with you americans and your nonchalantness about celeb politicians? none of those people have any business being in politics! no wonder your president is a game show host.
i’m trying to be supportive here, because I think more ladies should go into politics, we’ve got to fight for ourselves, the Pences of the world Do Not Like Ladies.
The women I mentioned afterwards are all involved in social justice, and Emma is often involved in calling out inadequacies within Hollywood. I don’t think acting, or most any previous job, should disqualify you, but you need to have the necessary skills, diplomacy, education on government systems and public health, ideally some work with the government or major NGOs.
Also, I’m not American, despite having family and close friends there 😉
Emma Watson’s publicist is probably getting a bonus if she reads this..
lol, oh no. you misread me on that one.
I’m referring to Emma Thompson, who is significantly more well spoken and better suited. Also pretty sure she’s a Brit… soooooo that’s not happening.
I’m not nonchalant about celebrity politicians at all, and I didn’t vote for Trump. I want educated, smart public servants.
Lol ‘youuuuuuu Americans!’
Seriously though — is this common anywhere else? I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a country where a politician was a former actor/singer/reality TV star/media personality. Obviously not all Americans are nonchalant about it, but clearly enough are.
Rowan Blanchard???
You took the words right out of my mouth. Even goes for the other women you mentioned. I’m all for progressive, well intentioned people aspiring to make a change for the better, but please know how politics works more than Just a cursory amount. That’s how things get stalled and it becomes almost anti-productive. Not to compare this group with orange Lucifer, but look what we have now…a “leader” (lmfao) who can’t even read. We need seriously brilliant, educated power players to counter this nightmare first and foremost.
I think celebrities should stay away from politics except in difficult times (like right know) to call out the government/power players on their bullshit. But they should not seek official fonctions. I know the bar is now set lower than ever, but still, no. Celebs should Begin to try to understand the politics of their own industry. That would be a good start.
I feel like we’re living the movie Idiocracy. It scares the feces outta me that maybe oneday, we’ll have a reality t.v. show titled “WHO wants to be president?”…When someone loses a challenge, the catchphrase will be “You’re impeached”
We’re all fukked.
Ghost In The Shell is going to bomb in the states. I can’t speak on its international numbers just yet but yea it’s not beating Boss Baby or Beauty and the Beast. Itll be lucky to scrape by $25 million for the weekend. What’s funny to me is that within the industry folks were really believing that Scarjo was going to sell this property and that’s why she got $20 million to do the film but the only issue is what films has Scarjo actually sold besides Lucy? If only the industry would actually listen to folks like us when we tell them no one wants to see Matt Damon being China’s savior anymore than they want to see Scarjo being the lead in a Japanese anime.
Being both a woman and an artist, she is one of the first ones American society tells to sit down and shut up. Take care of your babies! Just entertain us and keep your political opinions to yourself! She should run, if she feels she could make a difference. I wish a mother (or father, imagine that) of young children would run for office and demand on site daycare.
I agree she should run for office if she wants….more power to her. 🙂
How did “Trump is a reality star president” lead to “Lets get more stupid celebs into office” instead of “Lets keep them as far away as possible”?
Dunning-Kruger.
I think most actors and actresses have large egos. You need to be supremely self confident (to the point of ignoring reality in certain cases) to be successful. It’s probably compounded by the yes-men I assume most celebs have around.
Spot on. The arrogance and narcissism involved is appalling.
She gives me Matt Damon vibes… good actor and decent movies; you WANT to like them… but in person they are…. problematic. Case in point is her warm/fuzzy for Woody Allen, and now this arrogant assumption that she is fit for public office. She comes off as entitled and out of touch. She does herself no favors in interviews because of this.
Ghost in the Shell is a rare classic and I don’t care what she says there was no excuse to recast the lead as a blue eyed blond with big boobies. Won’t be seeing it
She and Matt Damon both give off a very similar vibe. They project this attitude of “I’m intelligent and woke” but then they speak and it becomes obvious that they are neither.
Wow, she’s really arrogant. First, her little popcorn booth and now the presidency? Take several seats, Scarlett.
But a loud mouth , reality star, shady business man with a bad temper and a terrible problem of impulsiveness without thought is ok to run, and win? She maybe arrogant , but considering what we currently have , it’s not out of the realm of possibility .
+1000000
To be fair – most people were pretty against Trump running. I personally was against it, and I’m not really in favor of Scarlett either. It seems more like a vanity project than anything else. But in comparison – of course she’d be much better.
I agree Erinn, I don’t what her to be president either . But look at Trump’s little vanity project , we’re all suffering . There’s nothing wrong with being politically active and being informed , but not everyone should run for office . I also agree that she would be an improvement .
Presidency? She specifically said local politics.
I don’t think that Scarlett is fit to make decisions about garbage collection. In my recent local council elections about 95% of candidate statements could be summed up as: “I HAVE LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR 30 YEARS AND AM ON THE PTA / A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER”. I would trust those people more than Scarlett, who is completely divorced from reality.
Also, she’s not even good at what she does do (mediocre actress, failed popcorn store founder), which strikes me as all the more insulting.
Having an “interest” in something doesn’t make you qualified to get involved in it.
Agreed. This woman is delusional.
But isn’t that what she said? She’s not running now, you don’t know if by the time her daughter’s all grown up, she would have educated herself in the field. She merely expressed an interest and people are already losing their minds about it.
Al Franken has arguably been the strongest voice for the opposition through the confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s appointments. Let’s not discredit an entire group of mostly progressive Americans based solely on their choice of occupation.
Franken did a lot of political humor, though, and then transitioned into more journalistic media work and then served as a fellow with the Kennedy School of Government. It was a long transition from his being a comedian into politics.
ScarJo is more “Yeah, that sounds cool, I’ll try it, maybe.”
Al Franken went to Harvard.
Then again, Trump went to Penn…
Good God, no. What qualifications does she have for office? Campaigning and governing are two different things.
I don’t think someone with probably a high school education should be running for office. She may be smart, but she is an actress with no experience in politics. This is in the same regards as wanting a doctor with a medical degree and experience to take care of you. Just because you have money, does not mean that you have the qualifications necessary to be in politics (Pres. Trump is a prime example)
Why would experience in politics matter? She’s not saying she wants to be a senator. You’ve got to start somewhere, most people who run for something like city council don’t have political experience.
And though I generally agree about education, Trump is an ivy leaguer.
Fellow political science and law students must be seething. I’m all for women in the field, but c’mon now.
Nothing wrong with ambition. As long as she educates herself, why not?
That’s what I’m saying. She didn’t even say she was gunning for a government position. Its more of a ‘well, if I can, maybe I will. Let’s see where the future takes us. More of a probability ( or maybe a fantasy).
That’s what I’m saying. She didn’t even say she was gunning for a government position. Its more of a ‘well, if I can, maybe I will. Let’s see where the future takes us’. More of a probability ( or maybe a fantasy).
Celebrities shouldn’t become politicians. I like ScarJo, but do actors even realize the amount of work that goes into campaigning alone? Narcissism might be appealing for republicans, but I doubt it would win you votes for democrats. Neither she, and definitely not Damon or Batfleck should run.
GQ’s piece is great, I just wish they had covered the white washing angle since they did so well tackling the rest of the issues. Scarlett Johansson always comes off as wannabe woke but she’s ignorant as they come, not only did she take the role in Ghost in a Shell (especially after Emma Stone’s fiasco of playing a Chinese/Hawaiian/white woman) but then has nothing meaningful to say about it either.
I think the line between fame, politics and activism has become too blurred. Being a politician, a good one, requires a pretty sophisticated understanding of policy (foreign and domestic), economics and trade, diplomacy and negotiation, defense, regulation, the law, ethics, and more. Not only this, it also requires a fundamental understanding of how government works, which we can see is a very important element of basic governing competency, something we are sorely lacking. I wish our society would get back to some common sense and put the right people into office.