met her once sort of

I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa Redgrave when she was doing Vita and Virginia with the divine Eileen Atkins in NYC. She was gracious and warm, aside from stunning. Everyone has a right to his/her own political views. Who are you or anyone else to decree them "impossible to take seriously"? I loathe Kelsey Grammer's politics, but I adore his work and defend his right to espouse whatever political views he wishes. When I was a professor, I certainly didn't want people telling me how I had to vote. VR made plenty of good, as well as some bad, films. Given her prodigious output on film and stage, I really don't see how we were deprived of her work, and I certainly don't think she's hurting for money. In fact, I doubt she puts money above her political beliefs. Not every performer is some shallow twit who sees nothing beyond the next fashion show or party.

Put puppy mills out of business: never buy dogs from pet shops!

I am as entitled as anybody else to comment on someone's politics.
I am British and have a deep interest in British politics,I am guessing you are American?

Do you actually know anything about VR's politics? she was the leading light in a weird Trot sect (THE WORKERS REVOLUTIONARY PARTY)which was led by a man called HEALY who was guilty of sexually abusing female members of his party.
Her party took money from foreign dictators and holocaust deniers.

One thing I can never understand is the way people on the internet or writing to newspapers mention the fact that they are medical doctors or churchmen or teachers or professors when it does not have anything to do with their comments.

Chomsky is a professor of linguistics,so what,he makes a career talking about history and politics,subjects which he has no formal training in.