This morning I read an article about Gal Gadot getting slammed for her comments around the Israel / Palestine conflict that has been escalating for years to a boiling point this week. The conflict itself is immensely complex and I don’t feel educated enough to speak on it, but it got me thinking about celebrities using their platform to speak out about social causes.
On the one hand, the platform that celebrities have means that they can shed awareness and educate their fans about issues that they may not have otherwise known about. With social media engagement, some stars can reach more people than educational institutions, news outlets, or even the government, which is a huge boon for advocacy groups. Many celebrities use these platform to promote issues they deeply care about: I think about how Reese Witherspoon is almost synonymous with Hello Sunshine and the promotion of women’s stories, and how amazing it is to use her power to promote more good in this world.
On the other hand, so many of these issues are complex, and as in Gal Gadot’s case, disagreed upon who is right. Speaking up on behalf of some may alienate others. What if they believe in an ideal that you yourself don’t support? In a haste to do “what’s right”, many people may not fully educate themselves of the implications of what they are saying and actually send a harmful message (see: Demi Lovato slamming an ice cream shop). Going down that line of thinking, how much learning and education is “enough” to speak up about a certain topic or issue, particularly with such a broad and far-reaching audience? How much amplification of advocate voices is “enough?” And with the strength of confirmation bias that exists in today’s world, does it even matter what they say?
So, do celebrities have a responsibility to speak up? Ultimately, I believe we all have to speak up for justice and equality, and we all bear the responsibility of educating ourselves on these complex issues before doing so. However, with the platforms and reach that pop-culture icons have, I believe they have even more responsibility than the rest of us – not only to do what’s right, but to learn about these issues before amplifying a message.
Do you agree? Why or why not?
