In an age in which social media is one of our biggest modes of communication, the relationship between the public and celebrities is also one that is newly scrutinized. Just recently, Taylor Swift has faced backlash for refusing to comment on the situation in Palestine. Ariana Grande has spent her entire career battling accusations of Blackfishing, Asian-fishing, and just about every other kind of cultural appropriation you can think of. Lana Del Rey is currently facing hatred for marrying a Republican.
But.. doesn't this raise a larger concern?
Why would you need on a 35 year old with a degree in arts to tell you that [censored] is wrong? Why would completely unqualified opinions affect who you vote for, especially when thoseJ opinions aren't confirmed? The fact of the matter is, as much as celebrities influence pop culture: what you wear, the new slang, social media trends, artists do not have the expertise nor the credibility to influence politics the way we let them.
Average A-Listers are multimillionares, with Beyonce making 55.7 million dollars on just a couple of Cowboy Carter tours. The average American, on the other hand, makes around 60-70 thousand per year. This isn't an attack on celebrities: but for better or for worse, their reality is not adjacent with reality for the rest of us.
Most don't have to worry about groceries, or rent, or even taking care of their kids. They do, however, have to worry about PR, and staying relevant. So why would their interests be aligned with yours? Remember when Mariah Carey didn't know what an electricity bill was? Or when Selma Hayek talked about the difficulties of getting food to her kids.. for her personal chef?
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And what's more, you have no way of knowing what a celebrity thinks given cancel culture and publicity- a celebrity's literal LIVING comes from people liking them and their brand, so cancel culture deeply affects them. Celebrities claim to have lost millions of dollars per year, some even claiming to have lost up to 10 million. Cancel culture can significantly reduce income and even prevent future job opportunities, whether or not their opinions are correct.
Rachel Ziegler knows this well. Her dislike of the fairy tale Snow White and belief that it is anti-feminist has allegedly gotten her blacklisted from Hollywood, even ending her career. Many celebrities have attempted to promote their movies or their image by profitting off of "trendy issues," in an effort to seem more relatable or "working class." However, many of these people refrain from mentioning these issues once it is no longer making headlines or improving their public image- aka, when it is no longer trendy. (Think of the Kardashians, embracing their faux curves when in style, selling appetite suppressants when they aren't.) To most celebrities, activism is a carefully calculated method to garner views, headlines, and publicity.
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Of course, holding celebrities accountable is necessary to an extent! Saying outwardly racist or violent things should not be excused no matter what your status is. But this shouldn't affect your beliefs.
Especially because when it comes to celebrities, you never know the full story. And when taken to an extreme, cancel culture can be inherently harmful.
Lastly, absolutely no understanding of politics is necessary to become a celebrity. None. Celebrities mainly consist of actors, models, and singers, many of whom are nepo babies, or babies born into wealth and luxury.
In fact, many celebrities may be less educated than you about political topics. It would be like asking a cook for help fixing your car, or a pilot to teach you how to dance.
