Celebrities can reshape the political climate, yet they often forget how their influence can overshadow or dilute the purpose of the content they produce.
For the Nov. 1 episode of “The Interview” podcast, Jennifer Lawrence said that celebrities’ support in politics does not make a difference.
“I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart,” she said.
This poses the question of how important celebrities are and if they should have any role in politics.
An example that represents this point is when the “Avengers” cast did a fundraiser to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris during the 2020 campaign. Stars like Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson were part of this project, but Chris Pratt decided to stay away from this and show his support for President Donald Trump.
After knowing about this, the thought never crossed my mind that “Oh, it makes sense that this actor supports this politician.” This is because they keep their politics aside from their job and stayed professional.
It is true, however, that celebrities can choose to create a certain type of media that aligns more with their beliefs, and sometimes, that content can be purely political.
As an audience and consumers of content, we have to divide what is purposeful political messaging and what can turn into propaganda.
Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” is a song that has a deep political meaning, and although it’s normal to enjoy it without giving it too much thought, the song was made to express the racial issues happening in the United States. The purpose of this content is outright to send a political message, but in other cases, it doesn’t feel right to let politics into the media we watch.
In this case, not all of Gambino’s discography is filled with a political agenda, but he makes songs to send a message when he feels it’s needed. He’s aware of his influence, and he also knows that he is not a full-on political activist.
When the song and music video came out, it resonated all over social media. It was a very impactful message that is still relevant seven years after its release because of this pressing issue that has been going on for generations, not only in the United States, but the whole world.
However, there’s also a wrong way to be active about one’s politics.
Actress and former MMA fighter, Gina Carano, was part of the cast for the “Star Wars” show “The Mandalorian.” She got fired for saying on Instagram that “hating someone for their political views” in the United States is comparable to the treatment of Jewish people leading up to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. This cast the show in a bad light and made people not want to support it because of the ideals behind the people who are part of it.
Celebrities should speak up about their politics when they are given the platform, but they should also consider their situation in their industry. In Carano’s case, when you are involved in a TV show and have a major role to play, you should be conscious of how your politics affect audiences that watch it, especially if you say something very controversial, like she did.
If she had expressed her thoughts more professionally, there wouldn’t have been as much trouble. After the controversy, she saw her firing as unjust, and she filed a lawsuit against Disney. The lawsuit hasn’t made much progress for now, but it makes her case worse as she, and many others, should know when to separate their politics from work while being accountable for their mistakes.
The real problem also comes when a celebrity involves their political views when it isn’t appropriate to do so.
There are examples like “Top Gun” that have heavy political messaging while disguising themselves as a regular, commercial film. Celebrities should let audiences know or make it obvious when their content is strictly political because the mindset we have toward different types of content is different. Our beliefs can shift if we are repeatedly exposed to propagandistic media without knowing, as we are more easily manipulated in this state of unawareness.
Celebrities are a very relevant part of our society and should speak up about their political beliefs if they feel like it, although it shouldn’t always bleed into the content they produce.
It is fine if they show support or express their ideals in a setting separate from what they dedicate their lives to, because we, as an audience, know what we’re getting into if we decide to hear them. But if they involve that in our everyday lives and in the media we see, that becomes concerning since we consume so much content in one day.
Celebrities do have an impact on politics and also a right to express their personal beliefs as much as we do, but they have to be conscious when they speak their mind about it. We also need to stand strong on our own beliefs because celebrities can be a voice, but not one we have to follow.
We should choose what we see best for ourselves and the ones around us, not follow what the trendiest celebrity said about a political topic. We can be open to hearing it, but we should also be critical in a respectful manner and know when it’s right or wrong to bring those topics up.
