Occupy Wall Street is a cultural phenomenon which has captured the attention of our country, and has had a profound effect on how we look at wealth. Having attended the Homelessness in Focus meeting on Wednesday, I really came to understand the problem these people are fighting. It is the unbelievable greed which keeps the poor poor and the rich richer. It is the unbelievably destitute conditions that this greed has left other human beings in. It is the ignorance of the general population to this problem, to the extent that most of the 99% don’t even realize they’re part of the 99%.

Obviously, news outlets have been talking about the movement for quite some time, putting it in the spotlight of the medias attention. But there is another group of people who’s attentions have been grabbed as well. That is the group of artists and celebrities. Now, whether or not they agree with the movement is an issue of politics, one that every person, regardless of position, has to think about. But unlike the general public, celebrities have the issue of not really being part of the 99%. While they may not be the 1% the Occupy Wall Street protesters have in mind, they are still mainly part of the 1%. They certainly share very little in common with the homeless seen at the Homelessness in Focus meeting, and have much more in common with those being protested against. The question then becomes how appropriate it is for celebrities to get involved or respond, especially if they are on the side of the movement.

There are those vocal celebrities who strongly support the movement and have attended Zuccotti Park to add their voices. While this doesn’t seem so bad, depending on the person, it has been viewed in varying lights. People like David Crosby and Graham Nash were accepted warmly into the demonstration, most likely due to their history at events like these. Other celebrities like Kanye West and Anne Hathaway have been viewed in a more questionable light. After making millions performing, they’re going down to protest with the common folk? It doesn’t sit well with everyone.

But there are other artists who respect the movement, and are therefore keeping their distance. The best example of this is with Christopher Nolan and the filming of the new Batman movie. There was talk for a while that Nolan might use Occupy Wall Street as a backdrop from a civil unrest scene in the film. It never happened though actor Matthew Modine has gone on record saying how close it was to coming to fruition. Despite the possibility to give the protesters a temporary job and some money, Nolan decided he didn’t want to trivialize the movement by making a film there. There were more important things going on than making a movie. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the movement, it’s hard to argue with Nolan’s logic.

It’s hard to know what the right move is for rich supporters of the movement. Maybe it’s better to stay quiet and silently support. Maybe its better to support vocally from a distance. Maybe its best to come down and support with the 99%. Whichever way you slice it, this movement is too big to be ignored by the rich and famous among us.