Hollywood Politics: 2011's Top Celebrity/Politician Stories (PHOTOS)

While it's been said that Washington is Hollywood for ugly people, it's the beautiful people who have found themselves -- with increasing frequency -- crashing the parties in DC.

For a non-election year, 2011 has been a banner time for the intermingling of politics and celebrity. From publicly smacking down of GOP candidates and supporting Occupy Wall Street to takedowns of former darling President Obama, big stars have gone beyond the usual money-giving and quiet advocacy to become forces in the news cycle. Progressives such as Matt Damon and Alec Baldwin have drawn headlines, as have arch-conservatives such as former "SNL" star Victoria Jackson. Whether that means entertainers are getting smarter, or politics is becoming entertainment, it's hard to say, but it's certainly drawn attention to issues both left and right.

Here are some of the top Hollywood Politics stories of 2011; suggest others in the comments.

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Comments

[june53]

11:17 AM on 01/15/2012

People, please. Celebrities are just people.
Their comments and endorsements are no
greater or lesser than yours. I am amused
that such credence is given to either the
extremes - right or left. We have to get back
to one person, one vote - rehabilitate the
polical finance laws; remove the corporate
"citizen" from being considered a person.
"Corporations are peoples folks thinking"
is why we have the fiscal & social disaster
left in the wake of Bust43 and his ilk and
is fundamentally the flaw in why Obama
can not make true progress because the
s**t is too deep and the incumbents of
both sides only think of themselves and
the Lobbyist from K-Street who truly run
our government along with the Supreme
Court sanctioned "Super-Pacs" - Rich
people who only want to be richer & to
highjack the country from "we, the people".
OY!

[Edy Williams]

09:45 PM on 01/13/2012

Where is our best funny man? Jim Belushi? He reminds us of his brother we miss so much! Here is an incredible example of a successful good looking guy happy on the "narrow path",no arrogance, no conceit, just pure good funny great times. .Every second is a treasure! That voice, those BLUE eyes twinkling,Having us all giggle. Hope we see "K9" on Encore again for 20 times!
Who needs Matt Damon?., the 17 year old Tiger in "Zoo" stole the film with a little girl that is a doll!

[Skookum1]

01:20 PM on 12/31/2011

In the Sarah Palin item you refer to Alaska as "The Great White North"......that's a new one on me and on millions of others.......since when has Alaska been part of CANADA??

You owe Bob and Doug Mackenzie an apology, I'd say.

[csmomo]

08:42 AM on 12/28/2011

Welll well well--seems some insignificant "actor" (if that is what he is, I don't know what he's done) does not like the way Obama has handled his office????

Call out somebody, stop the presses and get the Army on alert! If he had been paying a great deal of attention he may have noticed that the Republicans have blocked everything Obama has tried to get through the Congress. Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden was found and destroyed, Little George's War has ended and our men and women are back from Iraq (except for around 6,000 who died for Little George and Big Dick). Of course the Iraqis will immediately start killing each other until they get another Sadaam type in power over them, and things will be back to square one so that another Republican draft dodger can "send troops" to rescue and reform them.

[Biochemist she]

12:02 AM on 12/28/2011

What the heck is going on with Victoria Jackson?!?

That is one heaping helping of w ingnut word salad if I've ever heard one.

Someone get this woman some psychiatric help.

[Randi Grogan]

11:17 PM on 12/27/2011

Matt Damon has received an enormous amount of press. I know passion in people, I meet them, I work with them. I can't and won't speak for someone but I can almost gurantee with his passion for people, his passion for a better tomorrow, he'll still vote for the man occupying the White House. None of the candidates in the GOP support any of what Matt Damon has stood for. His belief that everyone deserves a better tomorrow, etc. I hope we (meaning Democrats) don't lose him as a supporter, his voice as others are needed to bring clarity to the masses. We all have issues with certain items, but my view is we have a President that truly cares about the people. Some on the Right don't like him because he made Health Care an immediate goal. I can list over 50 accomplishments far more than W had in 8 years. I have faith in the hope of a better tomorrow and the only way to achieve that for the Gay Community is seeing this President re-elected. Mr. Obama, you have my vote.

[csmomo]

08:44 AM on 12/28/2011

Well, it seems Mr. Damon has spoken and Obama can now forget being re-elected.

[AZMcG]

09:41 PM on 12/26/2011

LOVE Kathy Griffin when she digs her claws into the Palins - it's hilarious! They shouldn't be the only ones profiting off of their pathetic "reality show" lives! If we all have to continue to suffer these fools - we might as well laugh about it! Thanks Kathy!

[csmomo]

08:44 AM on 12/28/2011

The Palins are SOOOO YESTERDAY.

[hjo4]

01:47 PM on 12/26/2011

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hjo4
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05:09 PM on 12/23/2011
Matt Damon is about to learn a very important lesson.His movie will BOMB big time this weekend and he has lost many fans for opening his big mouth ,once again.]

I called it. His movie grossed 7.8 million on Christmas holiday weekend. That is a huge failure by any standards.

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:04 AM on 12/26/2011

OWS was one of the biggest failures in history.
But believe as you will.

[Aramaki]

10:59 AM on 12/25/2011

Matt bought a Zoo, an his movie bought a po0 (at the Box Office).

See what I just did there?

He would have been better off buying a clue

[Edy Williams]

09:50 PM on 01/13/2012

Didnt that 17 year old TIGER move you!, in behalf of all our remaining tigers? That little husky voiced girl, like a cute Drew barrymore. Least the film had that. Damon's seemed to have changed alot, liked him way back SINGLE!! Great in Borne Identity!

[Aramaki]

10:38 AM on 12/25/2011

Sooo.... Matt's new movie bombed spectacularly at the Box Office this weekend.

Who didn't see that one coming?

Anyone?
Anyone?

Hey Matt, maybe you ought to stick to making movies (which is what you're supposed to be good at.....supposedly....) that don't stink up the Box office, and leave the running of the country to people who know how to instead of running your mouth and making yourself toxic to any studio that might have any fanciful notions of making a tidy profit at the Theaters by hiring you.

[Sammmo]

12:42 PM on 12/27/2011

heh, heh,heh, Damon.Yes, stick to your movie bombs and try to grow some balls, Damon!

[Edy Williams]

09:55 PM on 01/13/2012

It is funny,he is like a Buillionaire now, can't he find a more humane cause rather than pick on our Cool leader that got rid of a mass murder man? Why doesnt he spread his dough around in Hiati? Like 1,000 trailer homes, a New afforable cafateria camp of fresh fruit,fresh clean clothing,showers, a new medical clinic,etc, etc, .Talk is CHEAP.

[WalterDog]

10:06 AM on 12/25/2011

The truth is that the pressure Lowe's received was not from a "group" but a lone individual posing a group. That is makes it even sadder. A huge corporation caving because one person said "boo!"

[The Dominion]

09:12 AM on 12/25/2011

Just musing...

I wonder what George Clooney, who has actually met the president, thinks of his friend Matt now? Interesting that Brad Pitt, who has been an ardent supporter of the the POTUS, lives with a woman who has stated that Obama is all "smoke and mirrors" because he hasn't espoused Her particular projects fast enough. I wonder what Their dinner discussions are like.

Always fascinating how opposites attract.

To be a fly on the wall in a mansion...or a member of the cleaning staff with really good hearing in the room next door...

Things that make you go hmmm....

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:05 AM on 12/26/2011

You need to get a life.

[The Dominion]

01:37 AM on 12/27/2011

Wow...how inventive...of ALL the posts on this topic, you decided to pick on Mine, a post aimed at no one here?

Yeah. Whatever.

[csmomo]

08:47 AM on 12/28/2011

Well of course we should all base our political opinions on the opinions of people like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

[rich3324]

05:13 AM on 12/25/2011

Let's hope we see less of palin in 2012.

[panabaker]

07:36 AM on 12/25/2011

Lets hope we see less of Griffin in 2012......

[rich3324]

09:28 AM on 12/25/2011

Let's hope not.

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:06 AM on 12/26/2011

No one will even be able to remember her name a year from now.

[Vapula]

09:55 PM on 12/24/2011

Plain gets my vote for the most ugly, inside and out.