Did you post a black square on your Instagram in June? Did you post a hashtag on your social media accounts with no links to any resources? How about tweeting your thoughts and prayers? If so, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Some of your favorite celebrities posted the same (or even less) during this year’s crises. This year has brought forth some of the most prominent celebrity activism in a while. From celebrities singing John Lennon’s Imagine, to influencers posting black squares, it’s like we’ve seen the worst celebrity activism has to offer this year. With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the Black Lives Matter movement, we have seen many celebrities take their voices to social media. All of them are speaking out on controversial topics such as wearing a mask or defunding the police. However, some of their hot takes haven’t been all that hot.
Maybe it’s time to stop asking for celebrity opinions on controversial topics. I know this sounds out of the ordinary, but think about it. Celebrities are here for entertainment purposes. They are entertainers, whether it be through music, acting, writing, or content creation. They are not always the best people to look to when it comes to social issues. That’s what local organizers and grassroots organizations are for.
Many celebrities don’t tend to be well informed on social issues and they run the risk of spreading misinformation (I’m side-eyeing Woody Harrelson and Summer Walker heavily, for this one). Even more celebrities seem to be terrible at reading the room. When millions of people lost their jobs and were struggling to pay rent, celebs like Ellen Degeneres reminded us of how they felt like they were in prison, (coming to you live from their large mansions, mind you) Let’s not even mention that Imagine video. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that celebs are humans too. They have every right to express themselves, however, sometimes a public social media page seen by millions may not be the best place to do so.
When we do beg celebs to speak out on topics to raise awareness, we run the risk of the messages getting lost in translation. Have you ever played a large game of telephone? If so, you’d know that the message being received is not always what the sender intends. The most recent example of this is the End SARS movement happening in Nigeria. People are protesting the Special Anti Robbery Squad unit in Nigeria and of course, like any social movement, people want to get the word out. However, Nigerian artist Tiwa Savage called on American artist Beyoncé to speak on the issue. The reasoning behind this was to bring more awareness to the movement, however soon after, social media boomed with thoughts from fans. Soon, the results of searching ‘End SARS’ on Twitter went from helpful links and resources to being filled with celebrity gossip. It got even worse when Beyoncé spoke out.
I’m sure it wasn’t Tiwa or Beyoncé’s intentions to block valuable information, but people can’t help but to tweet about celebrity gossip. However, many people underestimate how important hashtags can be for social movements. They are often filled with resources that can be of value to the organizers & activists that are on the frontlines. I’m not referring to the colorful posts that have cute slogans, but more so to the posts that help people who are on the ground. Think of posts that brief protestors on how to treat tear gas wounds or posts that alert others to where they can donate supplies. Remember, hashtags are a way to consolidate all information in one place. As someone who’s been to many protests before, it’s increasingly important to have those open for people who need them.
I encourage everyone, myself included, to stop looking to your favorite celebrities to speak up on things. Yes, it’s nice to know where they stand, but it’s even better to know that they are not spreading misinformation or being insensitive. It’s also nice to be able to support local organizers and small grassroot organizations. They are often filled with people who are well educated on social movements and issues and who are dedicated to their missions. After all, that is what they’re there for. Let’s leave the entertaining to the celebrities and the activism to the people who are trained and passionate enough to do it for a living.