In addition to spending their Christmas in Namibia where they monitored Empress Zahara’s growing shank-eye, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt also spent some time in some kind of wildlife sanctuary/resort – that‘s what the photo is from. When they left Namibia a few days after Christmas, they made a donation, through their foundation, to the sanctuary. The donation? Two million dollars. Day-um.
Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated two million US dollars (£1.2m) to a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia, where they spent Christmas with their children.
Jolie gave birth to the couple’s daughter Shiloh, in Swakopmund, Namibia, in 2006.
They chose to return there with Shiloh, now four, and her five siblings, three of whom are adopted, for Christmas.“We want (Shiloh) to grow up with an understanding of her country of birth,” Angelina said.
The family stayed at the Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary, 26 miles outside of Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, while they were there.
Run by physician Dr Rudie van Vuuren and his wife Marlice, the 10,000 hectare sanctuary accommodates mostly orphaned and injured animals that cannot be released back into the wild, including lions, leopards and cheetahs and baboons. It also provides luxury accommodation, the proceeds of which go towards conservation projects.
When the couple dropped in on the sanctuary for Christmas, their children watched Dr van Vuuren stitch the wounds of a wild dog. They also witnessed the release of a leopard back into the wild.
As a parting gift, the couple donated the money to the sanctuary.
[From The Press Association]
That’s nice. I wonder… you have to pay a fee to stay at the resort, I suppose, and then perhaps you are encouraged to donate, in addition to the flat rate? Do you think that’s how it works?
In other Angelina-related news, The Tourist is no longer considered a “bomb”! Exciting. While The Tourist dropped out of the top ten box office this weekend, its total international haul is now more than $120 million. E! News reports that experts are now predicting The Tourist’s international and domestic haul to end up coming in around $200 million. Which… that’s before DVD sales, I would think. Because I imagine the DVD sales will be very good. I’d like to own it, after all. And I’m not buying Salt.
Photos courtesy of Fame.
Donating 2 million to an animal sanctuary? These famewhores will do anything for publicity! *sarcasm*
@ Kaiser:
What the hell do you have against Salt? *hands on hips while stamping right foot really fast*
I think The Tourist will make back its budget but I stick to my original opinion: considering the movie is starred by the two biggest stars in Hollywood right now, the numbers so far have been really disappointing.
Love them for this, at least they do charitable donations with their money.
Eve – *sighing*
While I like Jolie when she’s doing ass-kicking roles, and there were some good parts in Salt (like Liev), overall I thought the plot was ridiculous.
i so wanted to like salt but I also thought it was ridiculous….and when she took her underwear off to put it on the camera, my head was in my hands
Namibia is underpopulated and a haven for wildlife sanctuory. Zimbabwe too, especially for the huge elephant populations, hence they have a yearly ratio to kill some and there is even a small industry of boots, bags, jackets done with elephant skin.
Safaris are great there while Kenya and Tanzania with its serengeti wild park are more popular for those trips.
I wish more poeple will donate for those causes especially for Congo rain forest which is the second ‘lung’ of the world after Brasil.
Congo, Brasil and Indonesia gather together 80 % of the worldly ecosystem and participate in its balance. Uncontrolled policies of deforestation to send woodstock to western countries and the killing of rare species are really threatening the whole ecosystem which affect the weather conditions, rise the temperature and us all.
As for the Tourist, i personally was never in doubt about the foreign revenues which would have balance it all. With 34 markets left, i am more inclined to think that it will finish around 250 millions worldwide, at the end of its run.
So congrats for it and thanks for the donation in a cause that i personally support.
I’m glad for the animals.
some people says their kids are not stable due to travelling but these kids got all the opportunities to see the real world only few can afford. watching how to rescue and release animals in Africa is thousand times educational and rewarding than just sit in america for 1 year and bitch in front of computers.
@ Kaiser:
I understand what you mean about Salt’s plot — quite frankly, I think Wanted’s plot was even more absurd — and I laughed out loud when she jumped from the bridge to all those vehicles but I had so much fun while watching it.
Anyway, I still have to wait until January, 21st to see The Tourist and decide if I agree with you or not.
That’s comparable to me donating $25 to SPCA and no one writes about that.
and talking about greed, some commenters in other sites are already complaining that that 2M should have been spent in America- for their lazy asses. after so many times they speak evil against Jolie-Pitts now they beg for that money. Selfish.
Wow, sounds like an amazing holiday for the kids! And good on them re the donation, it helps the work of the sanctuary and gives it and the conservation work a nice bit of international publicity. All good.
# munchies
LOL, actually a better correlation is to compare the differente type of youth.
I am sure that the JP kids are less in front of TV to watch all day long all the garbage (reality shows, teen mums, kardashians, rap culture) than the average young american at home.
I am also sure that seeing the world and the different people and the different beauties will give them all the weapons to get more secure in themselves than the average american who at 12 already think about the day when he/she will fix her/his nose and get a boobjob.
And why would those 2 millions go only in the US ? It’s not like her movies make the majority of revenues in the US…
She is an international star who makes most of her money from overseas successes, a self proclaimed world citizen with an american passeport and background.
i so wanted to like salt but I also thought it was ridiculous….and when she took her underwear off to put it on the camera, my head was in my hands
@ Latam2012:
I thought that was kinda hot. That and the scene where she talks to Schreiber through the glass…*sigh* I wish they had had a sex scene.
and talking about greed, some commenters in other sites are already complaining that that 2M should have been spent in America- for their lazy asses. after so many times they speak evil against Jolie-Pitts now they beg for that money. Selfish.
@Munchies:
You know that if they had spent the money in America these very same people would complain that they should have spent it elsewhere. No matter what they do, they will always be criticized for it.
I liked Salt but I wouldn’t want to own it. It is the number one DVD though.
I liked SALT too and i appreciate it better than WANTED.
It was a silly popcorn but most popcorns, including the legenderay James Bond flicks are silly too.
I want to know who Empress Z has in her death glare? That is HYSTERICAL. I wish I was that good at the stink eye!
Totally enojyed Salt it was exactly what I expected, action filled, non stop over the top stunts.
I love that they teach their children about donating time and money. We can hate on them all we want they are more focused on raising citizen of the world.
@Samigirl some of us thought she was actually peeking at a boy that is standing to the left of her in the larger pic. Add that to the pics of her holding Knox’s hand as they are getting on a plane and I think the Empress is becoming a softy.
good for the animals…
@mln76- SAY IT AIN’T SO!
Not a fan, but really happy about this donation!
salt is in the red box at b.b. for$ 1.00.seems like the kids like the trip . just wish they not tell how much money thet they give .
it’s too early for the last laugh… Come back when it’s $200 million…
. . . just wish they not tell how much money thet they give .
——————————————————
The Jolie-Pitts are not the ones who tell how much money they give. The entities they give the money to are the ones who tell and they do it because it is good pubicity for their cause. If the Jolie-Pitt’s give $2M and the world knows about it then it is great publicity for the cause and others interested in wildlife conservation will also give. It just makes good sense.
@munchies . . . you are so right!! Those kids are getting a priceless education and they will grow up to be loving, caring people and do good things in this world. (And they will hopefully never have any idea what a Snooki is!!)
I really liked “Salt” and thought the plot was no more ridiculous than any other of those “kick-ass” movies. (I mean, compare it to “The Expendables,” which I also liked but, come on!! All those old guys running around like it was 1984!! Loved it!!) I didn’t like “Wanted” because that plot was what I call ridiculous!! I haven’t seen “The Tourist” yet, first because of the snow and then because I was sick. I might get to see it this week if I can beat the next snow storm!!
I’m not even slightly surprised that “Tourist” will turn out to be a money maker. Yes, I agree that the producers are probably a little unhappy that it was not a mega hit but they know the movie will make them some money and that’s better than the alternative. They are probably all delirious that it wasn’t that Reese Witherspoon bomb because that turkey cost more than “Tourist” and I don’t think it has made more than $20M and has disappeared from theatres in the US and has zero international appeal. So, really, it’s all in how you look at it.
If you ask me, The Empress is giving Saint Angie the stink eye!
Clearly the Tourist has underperformed at home but also outperformed against all odds and crirtics to reach 55 millions in that very hostile environment.
The foreign market was a given as the audience there is less caught in critics and also versatile and consitently watch Jolie’s movies.
Plus the Tourist has a european flavour which is appealing abroad.
I read somewhere that the executives didn’t spent as much money on advertising betting only on the appeal of Jolie and Depp mega star status and injecting 30 millions for marketing.
So if that information is true it will break even in the coming days.
But i beleive that it would at least make another 100 millions with all the markets left and those that just opened, the domestic run that will probably add another 20 millions before its run is over.
I really don’t see how it won’t add another 100 millions with all those criteria as uts run has still 12 weeks to go.
They are probably all delirious that it wasn’t that Reese Witherspoon bomb because that turkey cost more than “Tourist” and I don’t think it has made more than $20M and has disappeared from theatres in the US and has zero international appeal.
@ Mslewis:
When I read that I decided to check how bad it was for Witherspoon’s movie and boy, it is indeed a complete disaster:
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jimbrooks10.htm
120 million dollars to make what seems to be a simple romantic comedy?
Yeahhh … the golden globes can come!!!
I wonder if A and B are planing on adopting another black kid? From Haiti, maybe, if not another African country.
Let’s face it, Shiloh’s country of birth could have been anywhere. Having an African passport doesn’t make her black like Zahara, who is now old enough to notice she’s the only kid in the family with dark skin. Maybe it doesn’t matter…or maybe it does. I don’t know.
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
Far be it for any of us to guess what their family plan is, but I think that when Angelina got pregnant with the twins she was surprised. I think they had planned to have a baby and then when the baby was 1 1/2 or 2 to adopt from another African country. I think the twins are a handful, and have pushed back any plans for adoption a few years. I can’t imagine that Brad and Angelina would bring another baby/toddler into the family right now.
The other factor is that Maddox had actually said to his parents “why don’t I look like anyone in the family.” (paraphrasing) … I know Julie Pitt-Neal (Brad’s sister) has adopted children from Ethiopia. So Zahara does have family, albiet extended family, that resembles her.
Besides, I still think Zahara looks uncannily like Angelina – the expressions, the lips, the face shape, the eyes.
@crazydaisy: Zahara has two Ethiopian cousins. Brad Pitt’s sister, Julie Pitt Neal, and her husband, adopted two little boys from Ethiopia. Also, Julie Neal’s sister-in-law (her husband’s sister) adopted an Ethiopian child.
I understand all the Ethiopian adoptions took place after the family met Z. She’s evidently had quite an influence.
I also think they would’ve adopted again by now, but the twins are a handful.
Awesome donation!
My question is :
What makes Zahara so special compared to Bullock’s adopted son, Mary-Louise Parker’s adopted daughter, Tom Cruise’s adopted son, Michelle Pfeiffer adopted daughter, Meg Ryan adopted daughter, Katherine heigel adopted daughter and the countless of anonymous adopting out of their race, let it be asian or african, that some people always have the urge to feel concern about her racial identification ?
It’s not like she doesn’t have a mother who is wordly enough to expose her to Africa and her roots. It’s not like she doesn’t have relatives from her own country. It’s not like she doesn’t have a black nanny.
All those named before don’t even have that.
So why ? Why the recurrent concern about her roots when plenty of anonymous and non anonymous adopt left and right from Haiti, Africa, Asia and you don’t feel the need to suggest their white parent to adopt another one so that they will connect to their roots and won’t have those identification problems you often imply….as if it didn’t exist in same race family besides.
@Lisa Turtle: There was an unsubstantiated rumor that Brad and Angie had planned to adopt a second child from Ethiopia at the same time Julie Pitt Neal and her husband were adopting their second Ethiopian child, but those plans were derailed when Angie found she was pregnant and expecting twins. As stated above, this may or may not be true.
@nnn – I think you already know the answer to your question. It’s never been about Zahara not having a ‘like-type’ sibling, its about Jolie being her mother. Were the J-Ps to adopt another child from Ethopia or another African country, the ‘outraged concern’ would remain exactly the same. The arguments would probably run along the lines off ‘Look at her, depriving abother child of her heritage and culture and real family just for her own selfish reasons’.
For some people, whatever she does will be wrong, regardless.
nnn- I mentioned that point on another thread,why the concern for Zahara and not Connor who is 15 and as far as I know has no relatives who are black.dawna- Thanks for donating $25 to the SPCA (great organization). As for THE Tourist I think its doing good $91 M worlwide in 24 days with all the bad reviews. It made more on Dec 30th than it did on the 16th It will be over $120M this week. According to another site the foreign #’s are $50M and domestic $54M
# 36
The Tourist has already hit 120 millions.
The 91 millions you are refering too doesn’t include the updated foreign figures of the last week (week-end included).
With the round of new markets opening next week, it may very well hit 150 millions by the end of next week.
Oh – that’s cool about the cousins. I didn’t know that.
@nnn – it’s not that Zahara is “more special” than any other child…it’s just that she is a member of a planned Global Rainbow Family, as it were, with many children from many backgrounds. Naturally, that creates special dynamics and considerations.
I have so much respect for people who adopt children at all, period. Parents who make the choice to adopt outside their own ethnicity get special props. They know that they will have special issues to deal with because of how people are, and they go in with their eyes open.
Humans are tribal creatures, after all. Historically, we tend to stick with our own kind—for better or worse (often worse). Rainbow groups of any size help to expand our notion of Tribe and Family. I believe this is a beautiful and necessary expansion the human species needs to embrace if we are to have long-term, peaceful (hopefully, one day) survival on this diverse planet.
And people from similar tribes and cultures do share a bond. Skin color and nationality are two of many traits that people can have in common. It’s not some arbitrary urge to feel concern about identity. It’s a reality.
Therefore, I would imagine that parents who adopt an entire rainbow family put plenty of thought into balancing the diversity of their brood. Jolie-Pitts included.
I know it’s a touchy subject, but this is a gossip site for people who obviously are “concerned” about celebrities and their lives! And many of us love Angelina & Co. So naturally, we’d be concerned about this, too. 🙂
I think the interest comes from several interviews where Angelina said this idea of racially matching siblings was important to her. I thought this was a bit ridiculous on her part. I don’t think she needs to race match siblings and now that Zahara has cousins from her country that probably makes it less necessary.
Staying on a wildlife reserve is like my dream trip, those kids are lucky. Though I’m not envious of the jet lag.
I liked Salt better than Tourist but I’m still waiting on her breakout movie before purchasing a dvd.
Angelina’s best movie was Changeling, it had me with tears on my eyes the whole film.
The planned rainbow is a fabrication done by people who are not part of that family so it concern them, nor Zahara or her family and they need to stop applying their concern and infering their own racial conscience unto a member of someone else’s family like they know how that kid relate to her own skin and background which is something intimate and personal to everyone.
Poeple adopt out of love not for rainbow, cosmetic purposes.
And besides others have adopted much more children from all over the world without the recurrent : is it good for the kid ?
I can name the late jospehine Baker or Mia farrow. Both of them adopted a dozen of children from a dozen of nationalities and background.
Plus it’s very simplistic to assume that it only needed another african or another asian to connect to one’s roots. Ethiopia is not Angola nor South Africa and even within the same country, you can have totally different nationalism according tribes, especialy in Africa.
The point is, self identification is personal and has nothing to do with having parents who are not your race. It’s about being exposed to your roots, let it be by travelling, through your history, art done by Black people.
Nothing to do with having someone with the same skincolor as you who may not have the same relation to his/her own skin that you have. Hell you can have brothers, sisters of the same race, raised together and who relate to their own skin totally different.
Thanks nnn I didn’t read the part about TT already reaching $120.
The animal sanctuary sounds like a good organization to support. We have a local group here that also cares for ill and injured animals of all kinds, as well as doing pet adoptions, and I think the people who do that always deserve support.
Reese’s movie is definitely the major bomb of the year, but sorry, I still think the Tourist will be labeled a flop when they look at low domestic #s vs. overblown budget/big paydays. Everyone knew it would do fine overseas, but I would think the studio expected it to be a $100 million earner in the US, and it’s barely cracked half that. Both stars had other films this year that did great so it probably won’t affect them, but I can’t imagine anyone is happy with how it performed at the US box office.
I’m all for supporting animal conservation and welfare but do they have announce it every time they make a donation?? I’m sure many celebrities donate on the quiet.
Mel: First off, they don’t announce when they make a donation; the charity announces it. It’s a way of calling attention to their organization and hoping it inspires other people to donate. Secondly, even if they did announce their donation themselves, so what? It’s called using your celebrity to a good purpose (bringing attention to the charity so that others may be interested in it and donate to it), and there’s not a thing wrong with it.
@lucy2: If Tourist makes $200 million it will earn back its production costs and everything after that will be profit. It doesn’t matter if it makes the bulk of its box office domestically or overseas, $200 million is $200 million.
I’m just surprised the studio spent $100 mil making a movie like Tourist, no matter who was playing in it.
ITA Cheyenne especially with Florian as the director.But Graham King was the producer and I guess he had a lot of faith in Florian. BTW I believe he is involved in Angie’s Budapest movie ,too.OT I’m happy Nancy O “Dell is replacing Mary Hart on ET.I like her warm personality
Well done for the donation, but i still think it’s tacky to announce how much you’ve given to charity, and before someone tries to correct me that they didn’t announce it themselves- they could easily have requested anonymity or for the actual figure to be kept private. So indirectly they did announce it. And not just so that more people would donate to a worthy cause simply because they endorse it (nobody does) but because they like getting the credit and enhancing their image.
I missed seeing the Tourist myself, but between the horrid reviews and the lackluster box office, I think it’s safe to say it didn’t do well. Just because it makes back it’s production cost doesn’t mean it’s a successful movie. Most movies do that. I don’t think it’s a huge bomb, but nobody involved is happy with that result. The ‘expert’ opinion on E!’s website sounds like it was written by the studio.
Cheyenne, I know you will probably never agree with me on this, but again my point is that the film will be labeled a flop domestically, despite doing decent business overseas. They may break even or turn a small profit, but it’s hardly the blockbuster the studio anticipated.
It’s already been written up as such, along with Reese’s film and Gulliver’s Travels.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-movie-flops-20110103,0,2596207.story
This is why I don’t understand why some people can hate Angelina and Brad. They do so much good in the world. While so many other celebrities just sit back counting their money.
@Cheyenne My guess is about half of its 100mil budget was spend on salaries. According to Forbes 35mil went to JD&AJ alone.
It does better than expected after disappointing opening weekend in US but still not good enough to break even. I don’t think it would be making profit until it crossed 200mil mark. I think producers hoped for 100mil in US initially, but now would be happy to get 75mil there.
Having finally watched it I have to say that imho the movie is OK although both Angelina and Depp didn’t look their best in it which in case of Depp could be explained by plot twists but with Angelina it’s totally huge mistake on makeup/cinematography/director’s part. Those crazy blackened eyes at all times be it day or night, average morning or ball, were disasterous. Whoever thought that is lady like look should be fired. Weird that director claimed he wanted to show Jolie’s beauty but did everything he could to ruin it. Venice beauty made up for this a bit but still.
Anyways, good for them (Jolie-Pitts) to be so generous to so many good causes/people.
Lucy, whatever the LA Times says, the studio couldn’t care less if the movie is a flop in the U.S. as long as it makes up for it overseas. Money’s money, no matter where it comes from. If the overseas revenue gives the studio a profit, then as far as the studio is concerned, the film is a hit. All they care about is their bottom line, and that includes the total from the foreign box office.
Sorry Cheyenne but that old chestnut of an excuse about B and A drawing attention to said charity is worn out. In all the comment sections I’ve read over the years I’ve NEVER seen one person say they feel ‘inspired’ to donate, not even their so called fans.
And, as another poster, said they can donate anonymously.
I admire your loyality in defending their every action and its nothing but a positive move for any of us to donate to charity but as I said why the announcement? It comes across as self-serving, thereby tainting the act of giving.
I’m disabled, live in on a small income. I’m now in debt (which I’ve never been in my life before) because I had a horrible flood in my home last summer. I still give to two charities monthly, also give and help out any cause that touches me, as I did earlier today. I’m sharing this information because I’m anonymous on here. Nobody in my life knows this, not close friends or family because why would they, why would I need to tell them???? Unless I needed them to have a certain opinion of me.
Bee – I’m also sure there are a lot of successful people, be they actors, singers, artists out there who quietly give to charity. Sadly one of those actors passed away today, he was pure class.
The hypocrisy that people have against Brad and Angelina always surprises me. People go ballistic everytime Brad and Angelina do charity but heap praise for all other celebrities who do the same thing. Also I’m sure Brad and Angelina don’t care if organizations announce their donations. They wouldn’t give money if they didn’t care about the charity and they know publicity will get the organization more money. Most people probably have never heard of this reserve. Now they probably received thousands in donations. Also a lot of these donations come from their foundation. Since it’s public record I’m sure tabloids and blogs keep tabs and report donations when Brad and Angelina don’t.
I don’t get why The Tourist is Angelina’s failure but Johnny Depp is ignored. It’s amusing this the movie’s boxoffice makes headlines but Reese’s movie barely gets a blurb. It’s probably going to be a much bigger loss than The Tourist but for some reason Reese gets a bye.
This is so sweet of them, I really hope this encourages other people to donate to wildlife sanctuaries. Tropical rain forests are our greatest resource!!
“I’m also sure there are a lot of successful people, be they actors, singers, artists out there who quietly give to charity.”
Thank you for stating this. Many people donate and do charity work anonymously, and I’d assume a lot of celebrities do, so I get annoyed when people act like B&A are extraorinary because their stuff seems to get publicized. Very generous, yes, but I don’t think that’s out of the ordinary for many celebs.
Not trying to take anything away from their generousity–but it does not make them better than other celebs because we don’t know what other celebs are doing to be charitable.
@Mel: They can indeed donate anonymously but why should they? I’m willing to bet several thousand people who had never heard of Darfur before, donated to the relief fund after Angie went public about the situation and urged people to donate. So what’s your problem?
@Louise: ITA. The double-standard is hypocritical, not to mention ridiculous and just plain stupid.
Good for them! 😀
I recently saw Salt and I found it an entertaining watch. It was an OK, switch your mind off action flick, nothing more, nothing less. AJ even spoke Russian well I thought. I have seen far worse movies recently- Expendables being one of them!
The Tourist opened at Number 1 in my country in its first week and my favourite film reviewer gave it a solid 3 out of 5 stars (she seemed to have more of an understanding about what it was trying to be than the American critics who slammed it so harshly), which sounds about right.
I’ll see TT eventually and make up my own mind whether it is crap or not. *shrug*
When a good deed is done, debating the motives of the act are simply irrelevant.
This is a good charity. It is good that Brad and Angelina gave them money. GOOD.
I call BS on the celeb donating anonymously story. Every charity makes announcements whenever a celeb donates so they can get more donations. Most celebs want everyone to know. Most of them are FAR from shy. I just think people like to say the Jolie Pitts make these announcements so they can paint them as insincere, while pretending that their personal favorite celeb is REALLY sincere and donates without telling anyone. That’s just BS.
@Laura Every charity makes announcements whenever a celeb donates
Exactly. Those are not very loud though and most of the time don’t become news widely reported. Unfortunately with Brandgelina every little fart of theirs makes waves in the gossip world and sometimes even goes beyond that (see last year the_break_up fiasco). 2/3 of news items mentioning Brangelina are not even real news, they “report” fictional/rumored stories out of their asses.
That’s why their charitable activities are so widely known. Not because they do make a point of it being known (although sometimes they do like with her UN trips) but because ANYTHING related to them will bring clicks and comments so will inevitably be reported everywhere.
@ Laura-
http://www.givingback.org/Programs_Services/GivingBack30_2010.html
http://www.dosomething.org/blog/celebsgonegood/top-twenty
No announcements, no trumpets, no fanfare. Other Celebrities give too, they just aren’t don’t need the credit like the Brange do. I’m not saying they have to give anonymously, it’s their choice though. And if, I or anyone else, think that makes them spotlight-seeking famewhores, then that’s just my opinion.
I’m probablly not going to change your mind about this, (or that she’s had plastic surgery, he’s had plugs, she may use drugs, he might still smoke, they both use their kids for PR and try to manipulate their public image) or anything else that many other movie stars do, because you don’t want to believe it.
Which is fine. But saying ‘I’m willing to bet several thousand people who had never heard of Darfur before, donated to the relief fund after Angie went public about the situation’ is ridiculous. If there are people who were truly ignorant of the conflict in Darfur before Lara Croft pointed it out, then I weep for mankind.
@Reality Your links prove exactly the opposite. All those donations WERE announced, that’s why it’s possible to make list of them out of PUBLIC RECORDS. The mere existence of these public records means that donations weren’t made anonimously and weren’t intended to be secret.
It’s just those celebtiries ain’t as gossip worthy as Brangelina, that’s the only difference. It’s not that they are lesser people, or irrelevant in a true sense of word but gossip sites usually don’t bother posting minutae about most of other celebrities for one reason or another. With Brangelina it’s enough to mention their names to provoke the usual holy war which means clicks which means income and increasing popularity.
All those “announcements” are not announcements per se but distribution of info taken from public records just like with those lists you’ve linked us to. It’s not done by Brangelina but by gossip bloggers eager to make another post about them.
“If there are people who were truly ignorant of the conflict in Darfur before Lara Croft pointed it out, then I weep for mankind.”
My thoughts, exactly. I just cannot wrap my head around the possibility that some people need an effing movie star to alert them to global suffering/events. Unreal.
Whoops, double post.
Reality @ Majosha: Then you’d better start crying a river.
@ Reality
The most appalling fact I learned from that link is that Will & Jada Smith give only $550,000 a year to charity. Sick, scientologist, money grubbing famewhores. I happen to know that the school they donated to is a Scientologist school, so its not even real charity, just part of their creepy religious mission. They paid more than that to keep their kid out of school so she could film a crap music video. Will Smith is one of the highest grossing movie stars in America, he’s made substantially more money than Brad or Angelina, and yet his charitable gifts are meager.
So why are people up in arms regarding Brad & Angelina’s charitable gifts?
N.D. I completely get what you’re saying in that Brangelina are more tabloid-friendly so their donations get covered more. The donations mentioned in the links were not ‘announced’, these figures come from their tax returns which are part of the public record. There’s a difference between end of the year reports that some journalist tracked down and fortnightly updates complete with pictures.
Sure, there’s more interest in the Brange in the media. But the reason they are such big celebrities has a lot to do with their choices (the scandalous way they got together, the baby pictures sold to people magazine, ‘private’ photos of her breastfeeding, constant intimate details of their lives, etc.) and I still think it’s tacky to name an exact figure, or allow the charity to do so on your behalf.
Simply stating ‘a donation was made’ and to whom would be far less crass. Or let reporters do the work themselves and keep it to yourself.
Well I donated to SOS Children’s Villages after learning about it because of Angelina’s involvement.So announcing a donation can be a good thing to bring attention to a worthy cause. FYI there are several villages here in the states so your donation stays here.I guess its also crass that Sandra Bullock announced she donated $1M to Haiti Relief and Hurricane Katrina and for The tsunami yet I didn’t see the negative comments.
@Reality I guess there we have to agree to disagree. I don’t think there is anything grass about being generous. It’s false modesty and pride to hide your good deeds when it could be used to promore the cause you’re helping, raise awareness etc. Besides, the exact sum will become known soon anyway as tax returns for their charity fund are part of public records and get reported every year.
Post 53 (sorry, can’t read the nic because of this website’s issues), clearly you don’t know that rather than being an ‘old chestnut’, it is the TRUTH that you know but deceitfully refuse to acknowledge. AJ is a UN Goodwill AMBASSADOR. Her ENTIRE *JOB* is to use her face to draw attention (not just public/fan donations; but pressure pollies etc) to plights. Its part of the JOB DESCRIPTION. She does NOT HAVE A CHOICE in the media being there, any more than the President has a choice in dealing with cameras and the media. It is part of her COMPULSORY job DUTY to liaise with the media. Instead of PRENTENDING you know, you clearly don’t know ANYTHING about the duties and obligations she has. You would be better served not running your mouth off and exposing your ignorance, but researching FIRST before opening your mouth (fingers) and making a monumental FOOL of yourself.
that’s a weird place to put $2 million – so the babies in Namibia are set for life up to and including college? No need for plumbing or sewage – because that would be worth annual fundraising dinners – infrastructure for Namibia!