It is no secret that the vast majority of Hollywood celebrities fall on the liberal side of the spectrum. Therefore, it should come to no one’s surprise that many of them are in favor of a government-run “public option” as a means of health care reform.

Recently, comedian Will Ferrell and several other famous and not-so-famous celebrities created a viral Internet video called “Something Terrible Is Happening” and which first appeared on the Web site, www.funnyordie.com. In that video, Ferrell and his friends offer a satirical plea to remember the filthy rich insurance company executives, who are the “real victims of health care reform.”

There’s something bizarre about one group of filthy rich people complaining about another group of filthy rich people.

Now, according to Forbes magazine, Ferrell made $40 million and was Hollywood’s highest paid actor in 2005. If Ferrell and his celebrity friends are so concerned about the Americans who don’t have health insurance, why don’t they each pony up a million and take care of the problem?

Of course, that never happens. No, it’s much easier to just ask the average, middle-class Americans to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance to those who don’t have it. And when those average Americans so much as dare to suggest that maybe people could afford health insurance if they didn’t spend hundreds of dollars a month on things like cell phones, cable television or expensive clothes, the celebrities can then point their fingers and say those average Joes are “mean people.”

Plus, there’s another ulterior motive at play here. If Americans don’t have to pay for their health insurance because it’s provided by the government (i.e., the taxpayers), then that gives those Americans more money that can then be spent on the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

But ultimately, I still think the main reason celebrities latch on to these “social justice” type causes is because it allows them to feel better about themselves.

After all, it’s obvious that celebrities “care,” because they want to protect the environment, and save health care reform, and fight for animal rights. We’re just supposed to ignore the fact that a lot of them live in mansions with carbon footprints that would dwarf most major factories.

And in the mirage world that is Hollywood, it doesn’t matter that you actually do good things, all that matters is that you “appear” to be doing good things.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. What do actors and actresses do for a living? They pretend to be something they’re not.