Eric Duma, XII A
With the ongoing tumultuous and convoluted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, politicians, celebrities, and normal people alike have set social media on fire. Diehard fans are demanding that their idols speak out against the conflict, and rebuke one side or the other. However, are they truly the best people to talk about this intricate subject?
Most celebrities are adept at something, whether that is singing, performing, cooking, or making Instagram posts and calling themselves ‘models’. The aspect that puts them in the same category, however, is that they are not political analysts or Secretaries of State, having an education in Political Science, and constantly assessing events. They usually are average people whose love for the craft has catapulted them into ‘drowning’ stardom. Thus, it is unreasonable of us to want celebrities, some of them barely being considered adults, to talk about every prevalent subject.
For instance, Selena Gomez posted on Instagram that she is harrowed by the conflict in Gaza and that she stands for respect for human lives and dignity, but a post that is demanded by her fans will not change the world. A scandal ensued, as fans considered Selena an ignorant woman with a victimisation complex. Concurrently, JoJo Siwa, a 20-year-old girl who does content for small children, was recently bombarded by journalists asking her whether or not each New Yorker should house migrants in their homes. We could see the shocked expression on her face, an expression that delineates this whole subject.
By no means do I believe that celebrities should not address problems in our society. Some of their efforts can be agents of change. In 1979, Jane Fonda won an Oscar, and she used American Sign Language in her speech. She emphasised the fact that over 14 million people are deaf and they go unacknowledged, causing people to pay attention to that minority and their struggles. Astute initiatives are also happening in modern times. This September, Taylor Swift has urged her fans to register to vote, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, contributing with 35,000 registrations.
However, this is not what the masses want. They want their beliefs to be validated, to look at a celebrity and feel as if they were looking in the mirror. Each social unrest becomes a race against the clock for illustrious people. Will they post the black picture on social media in time so that Black Lives Matter activists will not call them racist? Another problem starts when their idol holds different views. People are making lists of celebrities who, after being pushed by their fans, said that they supported Israel, to cancel them and ruin their careers, exhibiting their hypocrisy.
Therefore, celebrities should not talk about each and every individual subject, but use their stardom when they are capable enough of doing so. Meanwhile, I have been blissfully waiting for their posts about the exacerbation of the conflict in Darfur, but nobody has spoken about it yet. Talk about being an ally…