On August 13 Ashton Kutcher delivered a speech at the Teen Choice Awards that caused quite a stir among conservatives. From Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh to Sean Hannity, everyone was singing the praises of this unlikely hero. I did not watch the awards show, but after seeing the video of the speech posted on virtually every conservative site, I reluctantly played it for myself.
I must admit that I was surprised to hear what Kutcher had to say on the subjects of “opportunity”, “being sexy”, and “living life”. The advice was mature and well-thought-out. If a young person were to take it to heart, he or she might make better decisions that would, ultimately, result in a better life for that individual.
I do, however, see a few problems with Kutcher’s speech. The first is that the “Two and a Half Men” star obviously did not write the speech, which was clearly a shout-out for Kutcher’s new movie, “Jobs”, that was released within days of the Teen Choice Awards. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using a speech writer; it would be ridiculous for us to expect a celebrity appearing on a national show to write his own dialogue. It was a very good speech and accomplished exactly what it was intended to do (even including direct references to Steve Jobs), and Kutcher’s delivery was spot on.
Nevertheless, I am amazed that some of the smartest people on the planet are buying into the notion that Ashton Kutcher sent America’s young people a message straight from his heart that lines up perfectly with old-fashioned American values.
Kutcher began with opportunity saying, “I believe opportunity looks a lot like hard work.” That statement is well put. In fact, it is such a good comment on opportunity that it has been around in various forms since the early 1900s and is frequently attributed to Thomas Edison who is credited with saying, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Now, I am not suggesting that the comment should not have been included, but I would have liked to see him credit the source.
Kutcher then moved on to “being sexy”. He said, “The sexiest thing in the entire world is being smart and thoughtful and generous. Everything else is crap.” I am certain that parents everywhere leapt to their feet and cheered when they heard this statement, but I had a hard time believing that Kutcher meant a word of it. If he believes what he says, why did he and Demi Moore tweet a photo of themselves in bed together on their fifth wedding anniversary? If “everything else is crap”, why did he appear naked on Ellen DeGeneres’ show on September 11, 2011 to promote his role on “Two and a Half Men?” By Kutcher’s own definition those actions would be nothing more than “crap”.
Finally, Kutcher moved on to “living life”. He said, “When you grow up, [you accept that] the world is the way it is. Your life is to live your life inside the world.” Then he went on to encourage America’s youth to build a life for themselves outside the mainstream instead of simply accepting the life that someone else may think is good enough. Very good; very Steve Jobs.
In a time when we see so many celebrities promoting the most foul behavior, Ashton Kutcher’s speech was a breath of fresh air. I have no doubt that he has applied the virtues of hard work and seizing opportunity to his personal life. I do wish, however, that he would practice what he preaches about “being sexy” and set an example for his young fans with his actions as well as his words.
Joyce Swann is the author of Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother co-author of The Chosen, a dystopian novel about the battle of one U.S. family to restore the Constitution and stop the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act. For more information, visit her website at http://www.frontier2000.net.
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