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June 08, 2009, 11:04 AM ET
Facebook Campaign May Have Led UCLA Graduation Speaker to Pull Out
Controversial commencement speakers are hardy spring perennials on American campuses. A college invites a speaker hoping for an inspirational oration or a celebrity presence or something, in short, to make the day memorable for the graduates and their families, and to reflect well on the institution at large.
Inevitably some of those invited speakers bring controversy with them, whether because of something they did or said on a hot-button issue, or just because of who they are. Critics, typically more from off campus than on, then speak out, assailing the choice of speaker, demanding an alternative, and making various threats (refusing to attend, withholding alumni gifts, embarrassing the institution, etc.) if they are ignored.
In most cases, of course, the college and the speaker ride out the storm and the commencement goes ahead as planned. Case in point: President Obama’s appearance last month at the University of Notre Dame’s graduation ceremony.
But not every speaker may have the stature to face down the critics, and not all critics are outsiders. The Los Angeles Times reported today that the scheduled speaker at the University of California at Los Angeles’s commencement next Friday — the actor James Franco — had backed out apparently because of a months-long campaign by hundreds of students against his selection that was carried out via the Facebook social-networking site.
Mr. Franco, who has received acclaim for several movie roles and who won a Golden Globe Award, was said by his UCLA critics to be too young (at 31 he would be the youngest commencement speaker in university history). In fact, he was a classmate of some of those who will receive degrees next week: He originally enrolled at UCLA in 1996, but dropped out to pursue his acting career, and only completed his degree last year.
In a written statement issued by UCLA, the actor said preparation for his next film had made it impossible for him to speak as scheduled. He said he regretted not being able to honor his commitment to appear at commencement.
For its part, UCLA had no comment on Mr. Franco’s withdrawal. Officials there were busy lining up a last-minute understudy: Brad Delson, a UCLA alumnus and lead guitarist for the Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park. Mr. Delson’s age? 31. —Andrew Mytelka
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