If there’s one thing celebrities love, it’s being praised for helping the less fortunate. But as the New York Post discovered, just because a famous person talks about helping people, that doesn’t mean the money you send in is being used wisely:
- Wyclef Jean’s charity, Yele Haiti, hasn’t filed a tax return since 2000, and nobody’s quite sure where the money is going. Also, Wyclef himself owes over $180,000 in income tax. Apparently, owing taxes doesn’t matter if you support Obama. Yes We Can… Evade Taxes!
- George Clooney’s Darfur charity, Not On Our Watch, has accepted gobs of cash from a quasi-legal Internet gambling venture off the shore of England called Rational Services Limited. Ocean’s Ill-Gotten!
- Tyra Banks started the TZONE Foundation to help disadvantaged girls, but the only ones taking advantage of Tyra’s charity are the employees. More of the cash they’ve raised has gone to themselves than to the people they’re supposedly helping. America’s Top Fraudsters!
- Bono’s charity is called One. As in chartering One plane for almost $300,000, and spending almost $10,000 on tickets for One U2 concert. Where the Balance Sheets Have No Name!
- If you think Larry King’s interviews insult your intelligence, you should take a look at his charity’s books. His Cardiac Foundation employs his own son for $200,000, and in 2006 it racked up $2.3 million in expenses. Lake of fire, you’re on the line!
But hey, at least they’re doing something, right?
(Hat tip to Deceiver superfriend Pastafarian)
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Celebrities not walking the walk? Taking people’s money under false pretenses (Go see my movie – it’s good”)?
I am shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you.
PASTA ROCKS!!!
I agree with Dave here; Celebrities are not always walking the walk. Glad to see them exposed.
There’s nothing quasi-legal about online gaming in the U.K. Looks to me like Rational Services Limited is perfectly legit.
Oh. Never mind, everybody. Carlo said it’s okay.
Yes Toubrouk. Yes I do. But lately not really much after 10:00.
What the hell? Where’s Pasta to take his bow? And I bought these flowers for nothing?
Love the bolded last lines, hilarious! Job well done all around. I’ve got flowers for you too Simon. (Actually they’re Pasta’s so if he shows up I’ll have to give them to him).
“Where the Balance Sheets Have No Name!” Where the Balance Sheets Have No Shame.
Seriously, I once heard of a charity that spent seventy percent of money raised on “operating expenses”, bottom line educate yourself about a charity before you donate.
Can Pasta and Deceiver back any of those allegations? I couldn’t find one lick of negative news about TZone – in fact, I couldn’t find any news reports about it at all…
Oh for G-d’s sake, if you’ve got issues with Obama, at least make it worthwhile, not trying to draw some shaky line between him and one of his celeb supporters. If you really want to make a political point, try connecting Obama to the sketchy charity- don’t pretend that the mere fact that one of his supporters is sketchy somehow means Obama is too.
PS by my previous comment I in now way am implying Obama is perfect or his supporters are as well. I just am trying to point out that the connection you’re trying to draw is absurd. You can do better.
I didn’t write the story The New York Post did. And I don’t work for Deceiver. If I did there would be a lot more boob/wiener stories. You know grown up hard hitting stuff.
When you mention TZone, I keep thinking of Tyra’s big forehead. I don’t know why.
^^Read the linked NY Post article. It has all of the info.
Celebrities always look for charities to help pump up their PR (and if it’s their own foundations, avoid paying taxes). A few are very hands-on and make sure the charities do what they are supposed to be doing. The late Paul Newman is an example. Others couldn’t care less if the charity is being run well or not, they just want the good publicity. Some do mean well but either don’t have the time or know enough about non-profits to figure out if the people handling the day-to-day operations are incompetent or crooked.
Good job, Pasta!
When do any of these charities actually go toward the people they claim they are helping?
So, Joe the Plumber owes a grand in taxes and it’s national news. I put up a blog post noting that a famous, big-time Obama supporter owes almost 200 times that much, and it’s a scandal. Interesting.
If you don’t want celebrity hypocrisy being examined, this might not be the blog for you.
Oops, sorry guys. I completely missed the NY Post link. Wonky computer, wonky eyes, recent cutbacks in caffeine… who knows?
Liberal charities for Darfur are a bunch of crap. Instead of real action, they choose to “slam” them via words, or raise funds for things that will never reach the people of Darfur that need it. Meanwhile, people are being murdered by the thousands, waiting for some sort of action.
The UN does the same thing, generally. Whenever there is a crisis in a country, and genocide taking place, I constantly see news articles saying that the UN “slams (put name here).” But not with ground troops, of course. No, with statements and legislature.
Generally, the UN always handles things poorly. Even when they do intervene, they tend to botch it. When control of the Somalia situation was handed back over to them, things went downhill, very fast. Now look what is happening. A new terrorist breeding ground is emerging.
It is this foot tapping that caused situations in Bosnia and Kosovo to go on for far too long, and now Darfur is in that same situation. Not on Our Watch? What? Real efforts to stop a tragedy?
I’m sure the people of Darfur are very thankful that you are raising money for them, as they watch their family members be mutilated.
“So, Joe the Plumber owes a grand in taxes and it’s national news. I put up a blog post noting that a famous, big-time Obama supporter owes almost 200 times that much, and it’s a scandal. Interesting.”
Hey- I didn’t mention Joe the Plumber. I think people who try to somehow make the connection that since he owed back taxes, that is a reflection on John McCain are crazy- just like I think trying to make the connection that an Obama supporter owing taxes is a reflection on Obama is crazy.
Charities have become such rackets these days. If anyone is looking for a legitimate charity which really does help humanity, consider sending donations to The Salvation Navy c/o Patrick of Atlantis, South Ledbetter Street, Dallas, Texas 75236.
If there’s every been evidence at how useless the UN is, it was Rwanda.
*ever*
This all reminds me of the tobacco company that donated hundreds of thousands to Cancer research, and then spent millions advertising their good deed.
Or those companies that make special edition products and announce that a certain amount of $ from each purchase goes to charity – except the small print always reads “up to a maximum of [some ridiculously low amount].”
You guys can slam Tyra all you want but you cannot deny that, in that photo, she looks fierce. I believe she might even be smiling with her eyes.
That’s right, I did. I compared the standard for him with the standard for this guy. How nutty.
And both comparisons are equally meaningless.
thatgengirl
Nov 15th, 2008 at 9:49 am
If there’s every been evidence at how useless the UN is, it was Rwanda.
So, so true.
Don’t tell me, tell America.
Astrid24
You are correct-Obama has practically NO connection to any charity!!!
The sainted Bongo of Me2 a self-important phony?
Say it isn’t so…
Hey Simon, your ad hominem attacks on posters are churlish and don’t address an incorrect assessment.
You’re welcome.
Here are two sources for verifying a charity:
Charity Navigator
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
http://www.bbb.org/charity/
Don’t trust Pantaz’s websites for verifying charities. The only real, legitimate, good charity is The Salvation Navy. Send all your money to it, C/O Patrick of Atlantis, South Ledbetter Street Dallas, TX. 75236, and when you die, you’ll go to Heaven.
T Baby [Tyra, for all you plebs] always looks fierce. I agree wholeheartedly, Queen Bee.
.
Carlo
Hey Simon, your ad hominem attacks on posters are churlish and don’t address an incorrect assessment.
Simon Scowl
You’re welcome.
Ahhh, Simon. You and your snappy little comebacks, always a delight.
We know.