Reflecting on why celebrities’ opinions matter post Kanye at the White House
Do celebrities influence people’s decisions more than experts? According to a few studies, the answer is yes. From health and wellness to politics and current events, celebrities seem to be the ones people turn to for advice and direction, and they’re easy to believe, packaging their opinions in a tear-jerking personal story or enthusiastic advertisement.
Celebrities can help raise awareness about an important cause; for example, celebrities who raise awareness for breast cancer can encourage women to identify it early and get treated. It can also mean misinformation is spread very quickly, like in the case of Jenny McCarthy, whose claims about vaccinations causing autism are still in circulation among the general public. While celebrities taking sides politically seems fairly harmless in comparison to health-related misinformation. Celebrity influence is bought and sold on both sides of the political spectrum. Just as celebrities are paid to sell products on their social media feeds, they can also be paid to support a candidate or political party.
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Arguably, the two most watched celebrities in this political sphere are Kanye West and Taylor Swift. West has faced immense backlash for his support of President Donald Trump and his recent visit to the White House. Many, including Snoop Dogg, have insulted or denounced the rapper, calling him an “Uncle Tom,” a reference to the character from the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The phrase has become a catch-all term for a perceived race betrayer who sides with the oppressor, as many people feel that by supporting Trump, West has betrayed black Americans. However, West’s recent support of a progressive candidate for mayor in his home city of Chicago, Amara Enyia, has been raising some eyebrows; she’s a far cry from Trump and denounces many of the president’s policies.
Swift is the other side of this very divided coin. Until recently, she has famously refused to comment on politics or who she supports, to much criticism. When she came out as a democrat, the public praised her, while a smaller group of her fan base criticized her choice.
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These two celebrities represent the deep polarization of the public. While many support and denounce both parties, it would be unfair to both sides to pretend they don’t represent very complex issues and hold many three-dimensional beliefs. The problem is with the very black and white representation of these two sides, one as an ultimate evil and one as the unquestionable good.
We should not be listening to Swift or West. Whether or not they are being paid or coerced into their roles, both them and many, many others like them are just selling their position, publicized by the media and directly connecting to millions of fans through social media. By listening to them and not experts, who likely know more of the nuances behind many of the things celebrities advocate for, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and to others around us by propagating false information presented to us by celebrities. Instead of believing everything celebrities say, conduct independent research or read reports by experts to get to the bottom of what really is and isn’t true, especially if it involves your health, wellbeing, or country.
Photo obtained via Wikimedia Commons