From WNYKRs in New York, this is NPR's On the Media.

I'm Bob Garfield.

And I'm Brooke Gladstone.

Last month, when most anti-war Americans and their elected representatives were mostly keeping mum,

a group called Artists United to Win Without War issued a strong statement to President Bush,

signed by 100 celebrities,

including Kim Basinger, Carl Reiner, and David Duchovny.

That was followed this month by actors at rallies and actors in commercials,

like this one by Martin Sheen, urging Americans to join this week's virtual march on Washington.

Don't invade Iraq. Inspections work. War won't. The virtual march on Washington. Don't invade Iraq. Inspections work.

War won't.

The virtual march on Washington will allow every American opposed to the war to stand up and

be counted by calling, faxing, and emailing the U.S. Senate and the White House.

Rob Walker, writing this week in Slate, suggests that using front men and women like Sheen and Janine Garofalo in ads may actually work against the anti-war movement.

Rob, welcome to the show.

Hi, thanks for having me.

Let's talk first about the Martin Sheen ad.

Do you think it was effective?

No, I don't think it was particularly effective.

I think it's getting a lot of

this sort of attention in terms of people talking about the issue of whether or not celebrities

are worthwhile figures on whether or not the United States should get involved in a war with Iraq.

...