Being famous gives power to one’s voice, not legitimacy. Celebrities should know their appropriate place when deciding whether they should speak about world issues; thousands of followers don’t make a person knowledgeable about an issue, only their ability to learn and activism do.
With great power comes great responsibility and celebrities should not forget the effect of their words or their decision to be silent.
American actress AnnaLynne McCord recited a poem addressed to the Russian President Vladimir Putin in a tweet on Feb. 24, saying Putin “wouldn’t have become the man he is” if she was his mother. One question came to my mind: What does this have to do with her?
Her statement may have been made with good intentions but she made a tragic humanitarian crisis about herself. By saying Putin would have never attacked Ukraine if she had been his mother, McCord is giving an egocentric message disguised as a “powerful” poem proclaiming herself to be a human rights activist.
Fame makes some celebrities think their speeches have meaning just because they have a large platform for their words.
In a Jan. 4 interview for the digital fashion magazine InStyle, Israeli actress Gal Gadot regretted her rendition of the popular John Lennon song “Imagine” which was posted on Instagram at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic on March 18, 2020.
The “Wonder Woman” actress came back down to earth after realizing that singing a world about “no possessions” with other celebrities doesn’t really sound nice as the majority of the world is struggling through economic and health crises.
“It wasn't the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing,” Gadot said. “It was in poor taste. All pure intention but sometimes, but sometimes you don’t hit the bulls-eye right?”
Some artists' words are worth hearing when they are paired with action.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, the founder of the pop-punk activist group Pussy Riot, was sentenced to two years in jail in 2012 after singing “Punk Prayer: Mother of God, Drive Putin Away” inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, according to a March 8 The Guardian article.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Tolokonnikova collaborated with cryptocurrency artists around the world to create a non-fungible token of the Ukrainian flag and invited people to bid to obtain collective ownership of the image. She raised $7.1m in five days, according to the same The Guardian article.
“Use your voice while you can still use it,” Tolokonnikova said to MSNBC News on March 7.
She used her fame for the benefit of efficient activism, and not performative activism with the sole purpose of which is to just make themselves look good.
Another way celebrities can use their fame wisely is by turning the spotlight to people directly involved or affected by issues and make sure their voices are heard.
The 61-year-old actor Sean Penn went to Ukraine in November 2021 to make a documentary about the conflict and had to evacuate to Poland after the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine according to a March 1 USA Today article.
“The director came to Kyiv specifically to record all the events taking place in Ukraine and as a documentary filmmaker to tell the world the truth about Russia’s invasion of our country,” the Ukrainian presidential office said in a Feb. 24 Facebook post.
Penn decided to use his skills and knowledge to turn the camera on what was happening at the Russia-Ukraine border and his concrete actions speak volumes.
Celebrities should learn about when it is appropriate to take the mic, to leave it on the floor, or give it to people who are more knowledgeable about the ongoing issue.
