Whether or not people like Kendall Jenner or Justin Bieber are your cup of tea, today’s stars have an unbelievable amount of influence, particularly in our youth. Actors, singers, models, and reality stars are some of the most closely followed individuals in life and, obviously, on social media platforms. All but one of 2016's ten most followed people on Instagram are such figures, and all but three of Twitter's top ten are celebrities as well (one of the notable exceptions being Barack Obama). And while there are some deviations from the trend – Beyonce and Jay-Z for Hillary, Shailene Woodley for Standing Rock, the multitude of award winners at last week's Screen Actors Guild Awards – why do so many famous people refrain from using their platforms and power to have important political discussions?
The most likely reason is that celebrities do not want to alienate their fans. Celebrities bring us entertainment; we pay attention to them because they provide us with shows that distract us from everyday troubles, songs that make us want to fall in love, sitcoms that make us laugh until we cry. Famous people not only inevitably disagree with many fans about politics but also anger fans who want stars to just be stars and keep us away from reality. There has been plenty of backlash from celebrities' political alignments, and even people within Hollywood like Mark Wahlberg, who believes celebrities are truly detached from the real world, have expressed disapproval of stars making political statements:
A lot of Hollywood is living in a bubble. They're pretty out of touch with the common person, the everyday guy out there providing for their family... Me, I'm very aware of the real world. I come from the real world and I exist in the real world. And although I can navigate Hollywood and I love the business and the opportunities it's afforded me, I also understand what it's like not to have all that.Reservations like that of Wahlberg are understandable; anyone whose career and lifestyle depends entirely on other people liking them will have a somewhat skewed perspective, and especially for those in the upper echelons of Hollywood, privilege and subsequent ignorance can be in abundance. However, celebrities are still not above politics (at least, they should not be). As with my last post, I would like to touch on the core of politics. Politics is not just today or in the election cycle, it is not just for politicians and their prominent friends. Politics is about the structure of power. It is why we abide by the laws we do and why our society runs the way it does. No matter what occupation you hold, politics affect you. Therefore, celebrities, who are fellow people with rights, privileges, opinions, who are taxpayers and voters, are entitled to their political opinions.
That is not to say I believe every famous person should make huge declarations about every political view they hold. Another reason why stars may choose to keep their opinions to themselves is that bias spreads easily, and some of today's biggest celebrities have many impressionable and young fans. It would certainly be an issue for celebrities to actively try to indoctrinate their followings, but methods exist to have healthy conversations about politics. There is nothing inherently wrong with someone standing up for what they are passionate about, defending their views, or raising awareness about issues others may not know about. Is the default solution for any issue not awareness? True, movie actors are not exactly the most reputable source when it comes to politics, but if every celebrity was vocal about just one topic they were passionate about, how different would our world be? How many more people would at least be exposed to the issues of today?
My own entrance into politics was largely from outside sources, and if people never had public debates about politics, I would not be as aware as I am today. Allowing public figures to share on issues that they hold dear would not only raise awareness but also encourage political discussions amongst average citizens in everyday life. People love to criticize the influence of famous people and the spread of celebrity gossip; maybe we can start to see star power as a force for good.
To quote your own words - "Is the default solution for any issue not awareness?" - do you think it's possible that the reason a lot of celebrities don't speak up about various issues is simply because they are unaware or uninformed on them? Or perhaps more reasonably, lack an opinion on them. I'm ok with celebrities staying silent on important issues if it's an alternative to hearing them talk out of their asses on sensitive topics. For the record, I am with you in wishing more celebrities (so long as they are informed) seized the opportunity their spotlight provides.
ReplyDeleteI feel this was extremely well written. It's definitely good to see why some individuals can'y be expressive about their political stances. You say "The most likely reason is that celebrities do not want to alienate their fans." This is one of the truest statements in the blog post. Some die-hard fans of certain celebrities will revolve their entire lives around a certain celebrity and their views. Being a celebrity, by default, gives you a lack of privacy. So, being able to keep some views private would be ideal.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Grace's point: I admire when celebrities speak out about issues that they are passionate about, but you get into trouble when stars speak about political issues that they don't really have any experience with. Knowledge is the most important thing in a political discussion, and I don't think that I would prefer them speaking about issues that they don't know enough about. That being said, it would be amazing if well-informed celebrities talked to their fans about politics, because you're right, they have incredible outreach and young fans who are really affected by celebrity opinions. I thought it was kind of interesting that you opened saying that you wish celebrities would comment more because I feel like the opposite is the case as sort of a running joke: celebrities making politically-charged speeches at awards shows and such. I agree that it would be great if celebrities used their voices to inform young fans, though, in appropriate and innovative ways, using social media to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteI agree that celebrities should use their platform to encourage educational and constructive political discussion. However, the stance that celebrities choose to take on issues will either be met with support or criticism, all of which is extremely subjective to our own ideological beliefs. For example, Ashton Kutcher testified at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill pressing the importance of using technology as a tool that can be used to disable slavery. Kutcher’s anti-sex trafficking efforts are, in my opinion, exemplary of a well-informed celebrity that is using a platform to promote constructive academic discussion. He is so invested in his campaign that he is willing to testify in Senate Committees and raise awareness of modern slavery. The actor, alongside his organization Thorn, is calling for specific actions, including working with the foster care system and the mental health system, differentiating solution sets for sex trafficking and labor trafficking with enforcement, and legislation initiatives. However, most celebrities are not as impassioned as Kutcher is politically. And that is OK. Some of the most meaningful, politically-fueled statements celebrities (particularly music artists) make today can be found in their expression of art or musical lyrics.
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