Celebrities should not share their political views
In today’s day and age, a celebrity has more influence than ever. With the number of platforms available for anyone’s use, there are countless ways a person of higher status can communicate a message to their followers. Even so, I think celebrities should not share certain beliefs, especially when it comes to politics. While no law prohibits a person from sharing those opinions with the general public, it doesn’t have to be a law for something to be considered indecent.
This can be seen as a conflicting statement because certain celebrities, such as musicians, may be more inclined to share their political views through the music they create. This feels more justified, as songs are oftentimes filled with meaningful lyrics, which will enhance a listen for many fans. Celebrities such as athletes, however, whose sole purpose is to win a game, have less impactful opinions, as people do not watch them for what they have to say.
Celebrities should not share their political opinions on social media or at press conferences largely because people are not fans of them for their beliefs, but for their talents. It can be argued that it takes people with greater influence to make change, though according to a 2019 Hill-HarrisX study, celebrities sharing views on political topics make no difference to how people vote or feel towards certain issues.
Some celebrities have strong opinions on topics they likely have little overall knowledge on. This can include any number of issues, though to speak as an expert seems foolish, as many have no formal schooling to be fully informed. While an educated person can clearly have an opinion on a topic, presenting their issue on a national level can seem dangerous, as even the slightest incorrect fact can spread quickly to those who follow them.
Although a celebrity can publicly make a political statement through the clothes they wear, this falls under different circumstances, as they are not directly responsible for it being shared with the world, assuming they did not directly post it on social media. Even if the choice is intentionally attention-seeking, the bottom line is that they did not directly spread it, and as a result, do not have to go into further detail as to why they chose it. Once an explanation is put forth, it becomes a standard that may be continuously referred to.
United States is divided enough, and it seems that every institution is becoming political—a celebrity sharing their opinion will ultimately only reinforce those who share similar beliefs to like them and those who do not to resent them. While it seems inevitable that celebrities in the 21st century are going to be criticized, regardless of whether or not they share their political views, at least without doing so, there will be no backlash to a certain political comment, because there will be no comment to begin with.