"PoliWood": In Defense of Celebrities Speaking Out

Barry Levinson's documentary "PoliWood," which debuts tonight on Showtime, starts with the famous scene from his movie "Avalon," with a family mesmerized by the new TV set in their midst, not uttering a word to one another.

Throughout his documentary, Levinson outlines the impact that television has had on society and the electoral process, including the rise of the celebrity as political spokesperson. But while there is plenty of indictment of 24-cable news and campaign stagecraft, "PoliWood" often defends the right of Hollywood figures to step into the political fray.

Here's my interview with Levinson and his documentary, which focuses on the Creative Coalition members as they make their way through the Democratic and Republican conventions last year and the inauguration this year.