STARS ARE TWO-FACED ON SUVS

[Klaus]

STARS ARE TWO-FACED ON SUVS

By RICHARD JOHNSON with PAULA FROELICH and CHRIS WILSON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MANY of the Hollywood celebrities behind the new campaign against gas-guzzling SUVs are hypocrites who consume huge quantities of fossil fuels in their stretch limos, Gulfstream jets and oversized Beverly Hills mansions.

TV producer Norman ("All in the Family") Lear, who is spearheading the conservation crusade along with columnist Arianna Huffington, built a garage for 21 cars five years ago which stands 45 feet tall.

"Lear's neighbors . . . contend that the structure, complete with a tennis court atop, was built in violation of city height restrictions," the Los Angeles Times reports. "Lear's parking garage has ruined the aesthetics of the wooded canyon."

Gwyneth Paltrow is appearing in ads for Lear's Enviromental Media Association (EMA) accusing SUV owners of supporting terrorism. But some of Paltrow's neighbors find her to be an odd choice for an anti-SUV poster girl.

"She drives a Mercedes-Benz SUV," says a tipster who lives down the block from Paltrow's West Village digs. "Not only does she drive an SUV, she selfishly parks it on the sidewalk in our neighborhood." Paltrow's publicist did not return calls.

The commercials have outraged drivers from all walks of life. They juxtapose footage of Americans filling up their SUVs with clips of Middle Eastern terrorists in face masks raising AK-47s.

Chevy Chase and his wife are avid supporters of the EMA, but that doesn't stop them from cruising around Westchester in the luxury of a SUV.

"They keep it in the back and it's very rarely used," Chase's rep, Alan Eichorn, tells PAGE SIX's Ian Spiegelman. "They only use it when they have to attach the horse trailer or when they're carrying a lot of kids."

Eichorn explains that the Chases are "extremely enviromentally conscious," that they have not one but two of Toyota's Prius model hybrid cars, and that they even use solar panels to heat their swimming pool.

"They hate having the SUV and they're going to get rid of it as soon as the carmakers come out with a hybrid version."

Barbra Streisand, meanwhile, never seems to tire of telling other people how to live, but the world would be a pretty smog-filled place if the rest of us lived like her. As The Post reported recently, Streisand and her hubby James Brolin have SUVs. Streisand's rep would not comment on what vehicles the couple is currently driving, but said that they plan to buy a Prius.

[SJ]

Klaus:

I think you sum the whole debate best by posting Jason's Profile. Although I admit to agreeing with some of Jason's points, I think "antagonizing" members of this board is the wrong way to exercise one's democratic rights. I'd like to see improved MPG and lower emissions brought about by consumer advocate groups, rather than disrespecting a fellow American.

I don't like it when some one chooses a Toyota Tundra over a Chevrolet/GMC or Ford truck, but I respect that person's right to choose. Further, I don't approach the Toyota owner with my 20+ reasons why they should have purchased a very comparable American nameplate.

[Klaus]

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[MAC]

Well, the anti-SUV campaign is working out great, I would love to be the Prius dealer in Beverly Hills, all the stars will be rushing down to my showroom to buy Prius. It would be funny to see Bill Clinton and Barbara Steisand in a Prius, or Al Gore and Arianna Huffington in a little Honda. Dream on. Looks like these jokers have taken on something more than they can handle, in the past the silent majority just quietly watch from the sideline, but I am seeing great deal of report of resentment in the main press.

[InfamousTeeDog]

Who really cares what movie stars really think. The only reason that a lot people listen to movie stars is the fact that they are simpled minded sheep who can't for an opinion of their own. What happened to all of the smart people? People with any self-esteem or a reasonably average IQ can understand, analyze and format their own viewpoint with an empathetic ear towards others.

How come actors/actresses know how to act...but can't learn how to act? I think money can easily turn someone's opinion especially actors.

"Honesty is the best policy...unless you are really good at lying."

[Klaus]

STARS ARE TWO-FACED ON SUVS

By RICHARD JOHNSON with PAULA FROELICH and CHRIS WILSON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MANY of the Hollywood celebrities behind the new campaign against gas-guzzling SUVs are hypocrites who consume huge quantities of fossil fuels in their stretch limos, Gulfstream jets and oversized Beverly Hills mansions.

TV producer Norman ("All in the Family") Lear, who is spearheading the conservation crusade along with columnist Arianna Huffington, built a garage for 21 cars five years ago which stands 45 feet tall.

"Lear's neighbors . . . contend that the structure, complete with a tennis court atop, was built in violation of city height restrictions," the Los Angeles Times reports. "Lear's parking garage has ruined the aesthetics of the wooded canyon."

Gwyneth Paltrow is appearing in ads for Lear's Enviromental Media Association (EMA) accusing SUV owners of supporting terrorism. But some of Paltrow's neighbors find her to be an odd choice for an anti-SUV poster girl.

"She drives a Mercedes-Benz SUV," says a tipster who lives down the block from Paltrow's West Village digs. "Not only does she drive an SUV, she selfishly parks it on the sidewalk in our neighborhood." Paltrow's publicist did not return calls.

The commercials have outraged drivers from all walks of life. They juxtapose footage of Americans filling up their SUVs with clips of Middle Eastern terrorists in face masks raising AK-47s.

Chevy Chase and his wife are avid supporters of the EMA, but that doesn't stop them from cruising around Westchester in the luxury of a SUV.

"They keep it in the back and it's very rarely used," Chase's rep, Alan Eichorn, tells PAGE SIX's Ian Spiegelman. "They only use it when they have to attach the horse trailer or when they're carrying a lot of kids."

Eichorn explains that the Chases are "extremely enviromentally conscious," that they have not one but two of Toyota's Prius model hybrid cars, and that they even use solar panels to heat their swimming pool.

"They hate having the SUV and they're going to get rid of it as soon as the carmakers come out with a hybrid version."

Barbra Streisand, meanwhile, never seems to tire of telling other people how to live, but the world would be a pretty smog-filled place if the rest of us lived like her. As The Post reported recently, Streisand and her hubby James Brolin have SUVs. Streisand's rep would not comment on what vehicles the couple is currently driving, but said that they plan to buy a Prius.

[SJ]

Mike:

Exactly, and I reiterate that it is a person's own agenda that makes for right and wrong on this issue.

For example, one person may look at a Toyota Prius and think, "How cool; this person is consuming the minimal amount of fuel as a car owner." I look at the Toyota Prius owner and think, "there's another Japanese car on our roads."

It all depends on where your priorities reside. I can belong to Sierra Club and drive a Hummer - there is a weak correlation that people keep driving [that correlation being that SUV owners don't care about the environment].

[Klaus]

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[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

SJ: "Ford is supposed to offer a Hybrid Escape SUV in the Summer of '04 and GM is working on at least 5 near-term models that use alternative fuel sources. "

I'm looking forward to seeing the new GM and Ford lineups and I hope they will go a long way to narrowing the gap and reversing the trend.

One thing I'd like to add is that even though I recognize that all things being equal, buying American is best, I think that a lot of the stigma surrounding Japanese cars needs to be reconsidered.

15 years ago, when the US/Japan auto trade dispute was a hot issue, I vowed to never buy Japanese. Times have changed.

The US economy and US car companies are on much better footing. Over the same time our biggest foreign trade deficit has shifted from Japan to China. Consequently, China's economy is growing rapidly while Japan's has crumbled.

Furthermore, in my view, China is, at best, a "strategic competitor", while Japan is our biggest counterweight in the region.

I can't help but feel a little reassured that helping our Japanese friends has some indirect strategic benefit to American interests in the long run.

Jason

[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

k_tower: "The fact that anyone is buying the drivel about gas and terrorism is hysterical! What about Nascar??? Are the redknecks of America supporting terrorism as well;"

If you believe Bush's ridiculous commercials saying that drug users support terrorism, then certainly you must also believe that oil use also supports terrorism. Islamic militants are not funded by drug cartels, they are funded by oil exporting states. I'm sorry, there's just no way around it.

So yes, it's time to re-think your use of oil. Does that mean you should stop wearing lipstick? Slow down, tiger, and put on your thinking cap for a second. I would suggest that if you have any concern for these issues that the more logical approach would be to look at "first order effects" first.

Where do we use the most oil in this country? Civil transportation. Which sector of civil transportation uses the most oil? Automobiles. If you want to get the most oil conservation bang for the buck, start there.

Jason

[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

SJ: "I think you sum the whole debate best by posting Jason's Profile."

I soon realized that despite the fact that a few people here can dish out vitriolic diatribes, some can't take a comparably tame general criticism without taking personal offense and complaining. And since everyone is evidently comfortable standing shoulder to shoulder with the more virulent defenders of the SUV status quoa, I've chosen the high road by not responding with personal attacks, acknowledging peoples' complaints, and posting apologies to those who complained.

"Although I admit to agreeing with some of Jason's points, I think "antagonizing" members of this board is the wrong way to exercise one's democratic rights. I'd like to see improved MPG and lower emissions brought about by consumer advocate groups, rather than disrespecting a fellow American."

How would you have these consumer advocate groups pursue their goals? Maybe you think they should only seek out people who already agree with them so that there is no chance that someone will misconstrue their attempts to educate as antagonism?

SJ: "I don't like it when some one chooses a Toyota Tundra over a Chevrolet/GMC or Ford truck, but I respect that person's right to choose. Further, I don't approach the Toyota owner with my 20+ reasons why they should have purchased a very comparable American nameplate."

I would suggest that talking to someone inclined to buy a comparable foreign car is a perfectly reasonable approach to reconciling your differences. Base your arguments on fact and you should be able to make a strong case. If the other person has an open mind, you will at least be able to understand their point of view or cause them to re-examine their beliefs. The worst that can happen is you walk away agreeing to disagree. I take that back -- the worst that can happen is you're afraid to talk to them, and instead hold them in contempt because they have not given the issue the same consideration you have.

-Jason

[Klaus]

I guess I had better defend my reading habits! I did a search on Norman Lear and SUV, and this is what I found.

Actually, I couldn't care less what the Hollywood crowd is up to. However, I am concerned about the shallow minds that do care - And what actions they may take.

[bklynh2srock]

Klaus, I wasn't making fun of you! Page Six is the first thing I read every day, then I move the the WSJ. People may make fun of the Post (intellectual snobs!), but it offers the best entertainment for 25 cents I've ever seen. No peep show comments, either, MAC or Z.

It's just . . . so . . . angry over here. We need some levity! It's just that years of studying Latin & ancient Greek have made me averse to any kind of seriousness.

[ktower_heels]

Tex,
What do you have against Frisco residents??

The fact that anyone is buying the drivel about gas and terrorism is hysterical! What about Nascar??? Are the redknecks of America supporting terrorism as well; cause those babies ain't running on water!
Let's look at our wonderful Petroleum products: MAKEUP is one of the largest.
So by the numbnuts of America's logic; every woman that wears lipstick is supporting terrorism!
This campaign just needs to be vanquished!!

[Texas Red]

I don't know why this kinda stuff gets my goat. I read it and get all pissed off and want to literally run over any Hollywood celeb, Frisco resident, or national newscaster I can find.

Geez. I think I'll just go to Hooter's, have a beer, and think happy thoughts. That's easy to do there.

[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

MAC: "you are easily influenced, unfortunately you don‘t even know it"

Without arguing any of my stated reasons (and I provided several substantive reasons why the US/Japan auto landscape has changed), you labeled me as frivolous for changing my tune on buying Japanese over a 15 year timespan?

"do you know what a 9000SF house uses every MONTH? Minimum $2,000 of gas and electric"

Natural gas is much more abundant in the US so the link to terrorism isn't as plain as it is for oil -- and burning it doesn't pollute the environment. Electricity is mostly generated from domestic nuclear power which is also a relatively clean source of energy. Water, too, is a domestic resource, and is pretty environmentally friendly, last I checked.

Personally, I don't care whether Arianna showers with Evian water or sleeps on a bed of fresh-picked rose petals every night. I am more interested in the merits of the issue itself rather than whatever dirt you can find on the person presenting the issue.

Also, I do buy a lot of consumer stuff from China. But not automobiles. Back to the topic of automobiles, my point was that if you are not satisfied with American products, and have concerns about American interests in the Asia/Pacific region, then buying Japanese is preferrable to European.

"Stop the hate and all the negative energy, it does you no good and it does our great country no good."

"Hate and negative energy?" I'm for love and positive energy. Doing good for our country? I'm all for it! That's why I support energy policies that are good for America.

Jason

[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

SJ: "Advocate groups should pursue their goals through all reasonable channels: Public Demonstrations, Letters to local members of Congress, and Letters to the Automotive Industry, etc."

Why would someone who is offended by direct communication feel any less offended by the message if they read it in an op-ed? The argument is going to be the same either way, so if they are going to get offended by well-meaning, well-argued contentions made their favorite newsgroup, then chances are they would be offended by the same argument presented in other venues.

SJ: "To elaborate, I don't go up to Toyota owners _AFTER_ they've made their purchase and expect them to sell their car/truck because of my personal beliefs."

First, although I presented many challenges to SUV owners, don't forget that I also concurred that those who need the capability should get an SUV, and I said that I respect others' decisions who have listened to the arguments but arrived at a different conclusion, and I made the claim that owning an SUV and advocating reform are not necessarily mutually exclusive. So I don't think it's fair to characterize this approach as pure badgering.

Second, if I can get a membership to this board, then certainly there must be a spectrum of people reading it -- anywhere from die hard owners to people who just like big, shiny cars. Are you saying that in addition to SUV owners, advocates should stay away from people who are even considering buying an SUV?

In fact, with regards to the consumption aspect, SUV owners have an even higher vested interest in obtaining and using knowledge to reform regulation, since they are the ones who suffer the most at the pump.

-Jason

[\"Hummer\", heh, heh]

SJ "I look at the Toyota Prius owner and think, "there's another Japanese car on our roads."

When I look at a Toyota Prius, I think: "How sad that the only way to minimize one's oil consumption in the US today is to send jobs to Japan. It's too bad we are giving Japan a long term edge while we allow our big oil and auto lobbiests to set their own short-sighted fuel economy standards."

-Jason

[Zing]

Hey "Hummer, Heh, Heh," I have a little exercise for you. Click this link and see if you can find the little energy-wasting ghost in this picture. Make sure your volume is up extra high in case there are any clues.

[SJ]

Point #2:

Advocate groups should pursue their goals through all reasonable channels: Public Demonstrations, Letters to local members of Congress, and Letters to the Automotive Industry, etc.

Point #3:

To elaborate, I don't go up to Toyota owners AFTER they've made their purchase and expect them to sell their car/truck because of my personal beliefs. Just the same, we've already made a conscious decision to buy an American vehicle that is powered by a V8.

I don't post things on this site that I wouldn't say to a person's face and that is also why I've refrained from personal attacks. I have merely used the word Socialist because I have seen the sugar-coated approach prior to 1989 (in Eastern Europe).

My opinion is that your efforts here are very inappropriate in that you ultimately seek to "badger" us for our purchase. If this were not a web site with such a focus [h2 Enthusiasts], then I could foresee your points as being something other than belligerent.