It’s reasonable for conservatives to tune out a celebrity’s political call to action in the Age of Trump. After all, the vast majority of stars lean decidedly to the left. Of that group, many serve up talking points that haven’t been vetted by enough brain cells. Suffice to say calling conservatives Nazis, white supremacists or worse is hardly the best way to win hearts and/or minds. 
So when Jennifer Lawrence parachuted into Colorado’s election cycle, many greeted the news with skepticism, if not some serious eye rolls. Turns out the Oscar winner may have a point.
Lawrence’s new election-themed video breaks down why she wants you to vote for Amendments Y and Z. The video is on behalf of Fair Maps Colorado, the group driving the anti-gerrymandering measures.
The amendments would set up 12-member panels to draw congressional (Y) and stage legislative district maps (Z). Those panels would consist of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as unaffiliateds, allowing what is promised to be a more balanced, transparent effort.
She claims the measures have robust bipartisan support.
Independence Institute President Jon Caldara is tentatively on Team Lawrence regarding her Colorado effort. He says the measures on the ballot would take the process away from politicians, even though they’d still appoint people to the panels in question. “Most importantly it cuts out our hideous courts from drawing them … and that it has bipartisan support,” he adds. “We don’t love it, but it’s marginally better than what we have now.”
Here’s what Coloradans should love. Lawrence’s video doesn’t sling any mud. It’s not teeming with histrionics like other celebrity-driven PSAs. It also lacks that repetitive phrasing that’s become a cliché in the world of Hollywood election videos.
Complain all you want about stars throwing themselves into political debates. Lawrence’s approach is measured and reasonable, no matter where you stand on ways to address gerrymandering woes.
That doesn’t mean Amendments Y and Z will save the day as the “Hunger Games” star suggests.
“It’s wrong when politicians pick their voters. Y and Z will fix the system so Colorado voters pick their representatives — not the other way around,” she vows in the video.
The video is a far cry from Lawrence’s past rhetoric. She broke into the Hollywood scene as a fresh-faced star who seemed shocked by her sudden success. It was…refreshing.
She quickly found “her voice,” which happened to align perfectly with her progressive peers.
Need proof? She claimed a Trump presidential victory would mean “the end of the world.”
Spoiler alert: We’re all still here.
Later, she told a reporter how she dreamed of throwing a drink in President Trump’s face.
More
recently she’s adopted a kinder, gentler tone. She even attacked her fellow Democrats for being cruel to Trump supporters. “You laughed at them when their plight was very real,” she says.
Her newfound activism stands in stark contrast to Chelsea Handler. The sharp-tongued comic claimed she left her Netflix talk show last year to pursue full-time activism. It’s an unlikely tale given how easily she could pursue both.
No matter. What counts is how inept her activism is proving to be. Her social media missives are hateful and bombastic, exactly the tone that drives away those who might otherwise give her views a chance.
The same is true of actress-turned-activist Alyssa Milano. The former “Charmed” star rages from her Twitter account, adding little to the political conversation beyond fury and hard-left bromides.
Lawrence may be watching stars like Handler and Milano and opting for the opposite path.
Caldara is still uneasy about an outsider, even an Oscar-winning one, elbowing her way into the Centennial State’s affairs. “She should have as much say in Colorado politics as I do in what movie she stars in,” he says.
He might not be alone in that sentiment. As of Oct. 20, Lawrence’s video has a microscopic 700-plus views on YouTube. Perhaps Coloradans have little interest in what a celebrity like Lawrence has to say, even if it’s actually worth hearing.
Christian Toto is the editor of the conservative entertainment site HollywoodInToto.com and host of the Hollywood in Toto Podcast.
