Celebrities are always in the news, but in the recent months they have been frequently publicized for political commentary. Meryl Streep caused a huge uproar with her speech condemning Donald Trump at the Golden Globes, the Grammys were ablaze with political performances by Katy Perry and A Tribe Called Quest and football fans were enraged when several Patriots players declined going to the White House after their Super Bowl Win.
To those who say that celebrities should stay out of politics: a man known primarily for being the host of a reality show called Celebrity Apprentice now holds the highest office in the country because people of this nation elected him to it. If that’s not irony, I don’t know what is.
American celebrities are citizens just as much as anyone else; they have a constitutional right to speak their mind. Many of them used to live their day to day lives like the majority of the American population, in the working middle class. People claim that they should just sing or act or dance; but the same could be said about anyone. You’re a teacher? Just teach, don’t have an opinion. While celebrities work on a much larger scale, the basic principal is still valid.
Perhaps it’s okay for American celebrities to voice their opinion, but what about the backlash from celebrities that aren’t American? Countries globally are affected by the actions of the United States, so there is a vested interest for everyone. Moreover, celebrities have a variety of layers of privilege that they should use. Though money to donate to causes is helpful, using their fame to bring attention to issues not covered by the media is invaluable. Discussing areas of oppression, racism, and sexism in everyday life, not just in the media, sets a precedent of people being held accountable for their actions and statements.
Celebrities like Beyoncé can use their art to display the wrongdoings of our world, and should. Our country was not built by standing by and keeping quiet. Freedom of speech and of expression is more