AIDS is Just So Yesterday

You probably remember during the late 80's and most of the 90's every Hollywood awards show was awash with the hoity-toity, each of whom was wearing a red AIDS ribbon. In fact, failure to wear the ribbon could probably get you univited from the best parties in town. Seinfeld even did an episode where Kramer was threatened by a couple of gay guys because he refused to wear "the ribbon".

Well, having AIDS is not the badge of courage it once was and Hollywood has moved on:

The red ribbons gave way to the pink ribbons, which were overtaken by the yellow wristbands — until light blue ribbons came along. And they've all been shoved aside by the latest color to wash over Hollywood: green.

Maybe it's the burnout factor. Or perhaps it's because Hollywood has a short attention span. But as AIDS enters its 25th year, it is no longer The Cause among celebrities. There is also the perception that AIDS now affects only developing nations instead of the U.S., where ever-improving medical cocktails are helping those with HIV live longer.

Whatever the reason, the issue that once galvanized Hollywood is sharing the spotlight with a long list of causes: There's breast cancer, testicular cancer and African debt relief. There's Sept. 11, Katrina, the tsunami and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. And, most recently, global warming.

Angelina Jolie is bringing attention to the plight of orphans in Africa, in the latest round donating the proceeds of the sale of photos of newborn daughter Shiloh to African children's charities. Leonardo DiCaprio, who is involved in a range of environmental issues, has his own eco-website. Ted Danson is fighting to clean up the oceans. And just Tuesday, sheriff's deputies evicted actress Daryl Hannah from a tree in South Central community gardens in Los Angeles, where she was protesting the impending demise of one of the largest urban farms in the country.

There are so many rallying calls that some stars have completely given up wearing any symbol for fear of offending one group or another. During her acceptance speech after winning an MTV award recently, actress Jessica Alba was judicious: "Practice safe sex and drive hybrids if you can."

Local AIDS groups, struggling to raise funds, are longing for the days when they were the central focus of the entertainment industry's activism.

Sounds like these people are logical recruits for Al Gore's disciples.