What did you think of Bad Bunny’s halftime show at the Super Bowl? Did you, like President Trump, believe it to be a hostile affront to the culture of the United States? Or, did you think it was a magnanimous celebration of the culture of the entire Americas? Everyone has a side. I didn’t watch the halftime show, yet I’ve picked mine. It’s easy to do so when details and commentary regarding it saturate every corner of online discourse – you can hardly exist online without reading about stories as big as this one. And it’s no secret that narratives surrounding stories such as this are led by celebrities.
People listen to famous politicians and entrepreneurs with scepticism, but are smitten when their favourite celebrity speaks up
Celebrities are cultural architects – athletes, musicians, filmmakers – and very few of us are totally immune to their appeal. This puts them in a uniquely powerful position when it comes to swaying public opinion. People listen to famous politicians and entrepreneurs with scepticism, but are smitten when their favourite celebrity speaks up.
From this powerful position, they wield considerable influence. For example, Joe Rogan’s endorsement of President Trump in 2024’s election was deemed to have won over many young and politically disaffected men, who would’ve otherwise abstained.
As a result, many people take issue with celebrities’ influence on politics. Take Kevin O’Leary, who recently said to celebrities: “shut your mouth and just entertain.” Ignoring the obvious irony in this statement, that being that O’Leary is himself an entertainer who is, in fact, opening his mouth, his perspective does raise the question: should celebrities’ contact with the public stipulate that they stick to what made them famous? And if it is true that there is something slightly unnerving about the ultra-rich with millions of followers vying to sway elections, does it mean we should just discard what they say?
They own their platform and brand, and it’s up to them how they use it
Well, I think these questions are rather reductive. Celebrities are individuals, like you and me. It’s easy to place them on pedestals, but they really do have their own thoughts, emotions, and opinions on current affairs. If they want to voice them, who’s to rule that they can’t? They own their platform and brand, and it’s up to them how they use it. It’s a rule that neglects the diversity of celebrities and the topics they comment on, and which has a totally arbitrary foundation.
However, there is a legitimate issue contained within this. The underlying worry is not that celebrities have opinions, but rather that their opinions carry disproportionate weight relative to their expertise. Joe Rogan is a podcaster and sports commentator, so why should his endorsement decide the young male vote? It’s an issue well worth grappling with, even if the proposed solution of silence is wrong.
The problem really lies with us, the people
The problem really lies with us, the people. We have a habit of taking what people we like say as gospel, and of ventriloquising their opinions as our own. Through this, we end up becoming unwitting mouthpieces endlessly parroting smart-sounding things we’ve heard elsewhere. This results in misinformation and the further propagation of unfounded opinions.
It wouldn’t matter if celebrities lacked expertise: an enlightened public would be capable of properly analysing their views
If we instead treated each assertion we read with proper scrutiny and inspected the speaker’s motivations as we would a politician’s, we’d find ourselves promoting well-founded opinions and stemming the tide of unfounded conviction. We’d realise that celebrities have no more authority than regular people on complex issues, and whilst still recognising their right to participate, we’d begin to treat what they say with enough scepticism that we needn’t concern ourselves with their influence. It wouldn’t matter if celebrities lacked expertise: an enlightened public would be capable of properly analysing their views and judging them hence.
So, the next time that a celebrity, or anyone for that matter, comments on the issues of the day, stop and think before deciding whether or not you agree. Treat their opinions and their right to speak with respect, as you would to anyone else, whilst also properly assessing whether what they are saying is founded in truth. If we all did this, online commentary would feel less like two sides flinging mud at one another, and more like real people engaging in earnest, substantive discourse. We’d create an environment that places information ahead of opinions and which values truthful, proper reasoning over conformity. You wouldn’t feel forced to pick a side, but rather encouraged to digest the facts and come to your own conclusion. In a world full of misinformation, this is how we stay afloat.
