With the recent election and subsequent controversies, there’s been a rise in celebrities getting involved in political and social issues. From Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest to Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes, celebrities have not been shying away from controversy.
Their activism is drawing mixed reactions, with some suggesting that they should keep their opinions to themselves and focus solely on entertaining, or risk alienating wide swaths of the American public.
Why should they be quiet? Most of these celebrities are American citizens, and all Americans have the right to voice their opinions about our political processes, regardless of career choice.
What these entertainers are doing is nothing new. Hollywood and Washington, D.C. have intermingled for decades, and some celebrities have made important contributions to American politics. Some of the Civil Rights movement’s most ardent champions are actors like Sidney Poitier, who later became a U.S. diplomat, and Harry Belafonte, who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and fund numerous protests. Hollywood also produced many successful politicians such as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former President Ronald Reagan.
Some argue that celebrities should stay out of politics because the resulting backlash can hurt the entertainment industry — the recent NFL boycott is cited as an example. However, a large part of the visceral reaction was against the way Kaepernick chose to protest, not the protest itself. Multiple high-profile basketball players like Dwyane Wade, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony also publicly spoke out against police brutality, yet the NBA didn’t take a ratings hit. Regardless, ratings and money are not the most important things to consider when weighing the value of celebrity protests.
The core issue many critics are ignoring is that most of the recent protests, such as those opposing the travel ban or police brutality, have been in response to what the protesting celebs have felt are human rights abuses or discrimination.
Whether one agrees or feels the celebrity’s views are misguided is another argument, but asking people to be silent in the face of what they feel is injustice is unconscionable and a horrible precedent.
As a nation, we hold free speech in too high esteem to encourage silence in any of our members. Even if a public figure’s unpopular opinion poses a risk to their livelihood, sometimes standing for one’s core values requires sacrifice. Any celebrity who risks backlash to advance a cause that is close to them should be applauded for their bravery, whether I personally agree or disagree with their stance. A public that wants a segment of its population to “shut up” is not on the path to progress.
No fellow citizen’s opinion should be devalued based on their career, and it is irrational to suggest that they have nothing to offer to public discussions. The long history of celebrity involvement in causes like World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, as well as the numerous celebrities who have gone on to hold public office like our current president, disprove the stance that celebs have nothing to offer.
At the very least, celebrities using their platform to promote political and social causes brings about more civic awareness, which can only benefit our society. Fostering public discussion is how we learn, find common ground, improve and move forward as a society.
I am eternally grateful that men like Mr. Poitier and Mr. Belafonte did not listen to those who told them that they should be quiet for the sake of their careers, and I hope the celebrities of today continue to follow their example.
Osie Evans is a 20-year-old English junior from Natchitoches, Louisiana.
With the recent election and subsequent controversies, there’s been a rise in celebrities getting involved in political and social issues. From Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest to Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes, celebrities have not been shying away from controversy. Their activism is drawing mixed reactions, with some suggesting that they should keep their opinions to themselves and focus solely on entertaining, or risk alienating wide swaths of the American public. Why should they be quiet? Most of these celebrities are American citizens, and all Americans have the right to voice their opinions about our political processes, regardless of career choice.
What these entertainers are doing is nothing new. Hollywood and Washington D.C. have intermingled for decades, and some celebrities have made important contributions to American politics. Some of the Civil Rights movement’s most ardent champions are actors like Sidney Poitier, who later became a U.S. diplomat, and Harry Belafonte, who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and fund numerous protests. Hollywood also produced many successful politicians such as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former President Ronald Reagan.
Some argue that celebrities should stay out of politics because the resulting backlash can hurt the entertainment industry – the recent NFL boycott is cited as an example. However, a large part of the visceral reaction was against the way Kaepernick chose to protest, not the protest itself. Multiple high-profile basketball players like Dwyane Wade, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony also publicly spoke out against police brutality, yet the NBA didn’t take a ratings hit. Regardless, ratings and money are not the most important things to consider when weighing the value of celebrity protests.
The core issue many critics are ignoring is that most of the recent protests, such as those opposing the travel ban or police brutality, have been in response to what the protesting celebs have felt are human rights abuses or discrimination. Whether one agrees or feels the celebrity’s views are misguided is another argument, but asking people to be silent in the face of what they feel is injustice is unconscionable and a horrible precedent. As a nation, we hold free speech in too high esteem to encourage silence in any of our members. Even if a public figure’s unpopular opinion poses a risk to their livelihood, sometimes standing for one’s core values requires sacrifice. Any celebrity who risks backlash to advance a cause that is close to them should be applauded for their bravery, whether I personally agree or disagree with their stance. A public that wants a segment of its population to “shut up” is not on the path to progress.
No fellow citizen’s opinion should be devalued based on their career, and it is irrational to suggest that they have nothing to offer to public discussions. The long history of celebrity involvement in causes like World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, as well as the numerous celebrities who have gone on to hold public office like our current president, disprove the stance that celebs have nothing to offer. At the very least, celebrities using their platform to promote political and social causes brings about more civic awareness, which can only benefit our society. Fostering public discussion is how we learn, find common ground, improve and move forward as a society.
I am eternally grateful that men like Mr. Poitier and Mr. Belafonte did not listen to those who told them that they should be quiet for the sake of their careers, and I hope the celebrities of today continue to follow their example.
Osie Evans is a 20-year-old english junior from Natchitoches, Louisiana.