I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of reading about these glitzy ‘star power’ dinner benefits for social causes. It’s not the social cause that bugs me. Heck, I don’t care if you put together a $1000-per-plate dinner to raise money for the spotted owl or if you have a local bake sale to pay for the church mission trip. Whatever. The part that irks me the most is the persistent thick fog of fakery lingering at so many of these rich-beautiful-people wearin five-figure-costin custom tailored power suit supper galas.
Like this one.
Angelina, Condoleezza and Hillary combined their considerable star power Wednesday night to cast a spotlight on the international effort to fight HIV and AIDS.
For one night, the campaign against HIV trumped the buzz over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s re-election bid, speculation over whether Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will run for president, even gossip about actress Angelina Jolie’s relationship with Brad Pitt.
Well of course we’re suppose to believe that everyone in attendance talked only about the fight against HIV-AIDS and that none in the 30-years and under crowd trash-talked Angelina’s makeup and hair, and none of the guys in the audience actually wished they were there to witness a ‘Rage-in-the-Cage’ X-treme cage-fight night between Hillary and Condi.
Riiight.
The women were all speakers at a dinner of the Global Business Coalition on HIV-AIDS, helping raise $1.3 million.
Volkswagen of South Africa, Getty Images, MAC Cosmetics, Bristol- Myers-Squibb, Virgin United and DeBeers were honored for their work against AIDS.
Corporations representing billions of dollars there to be honored for their humanitarian efforts. And none of these executives had anything on their mind but HIV-AIDS. And don’t believe for a minute that there was any lobbying going on. Naw, no way. Not at such an important night focusing on such an important cause.
Riiight.
While the women went out of their way to praise each other, Clinton drew loud applause when she called on the Bush administration and Congress to recognize the importance of condoms in the fight against AIDS.
“There is a great deal of political pressure to only talk about abstinence, and to deny support for condoms and education on using them,” Clinton said. “This policy will lead to the unnecessary deaths of many people.”
Surely Hillary must have regretted taking advantage of the moment to divert attention from such an important subject so she could shine the spotlight on herself and get a dig in against the president. After all, she wasn’t attending the benefit to espouse any serious political agenda. She wouldn’t have mistaken this special night as just another opportunity for her to practice the stump speech.
Riiight.
Earlier, Rice told the crowd at the Kennedy Center that the involvement of businesses along with government is crucial in fighting AIDS, which she said can threaten the stability of countries and entire regions.
She praised the bipartisan cooperation in Congress in support of funding AIDS prevention and singled out Clinton’s work, telling the New York senator, “It’s a pleasure to share the podium with you.”
My goodness! Who would have known that Condi was such a fan of Hillary Clinton and that she has actually been marvelling Hil’s good works in support of AIDS prevention? But the piece de resistance was the genuine honest comment from Condi about sharing the podium with Hillary. Gee, I wonder if they really do spend a lot of time together? You know, summertime family picnics at the house in Chappaqua.
Riiight.
Clinton got one of the big laughs of the evening when she pondered the life of a glamorous movie star.
“It’s hard being a beautiful celebrity,” Clinton said. “I wouldn’t know, but I’ve got to imagine it has to be very difficult.”
Uhmm…
Riiight.