When celebrities complain about things, I seldom have any sympathy. They live a life of privilege and opulence, so hearing them moan about something that is bothering them rarely lands well with me.
I will admit, however, that they do receive a genuinely hard time when it comes to expressing their opinions and views. They’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t, and there never seems to be a right answer for them. Fans will take to social media to crucify their idols for not speaking up about something, claiming that they’re being ignorant and complacent. Equally, fans tell celebs to ‘shut up and sing’ when they do share their views, and they don’t precisely reflect the accepted narrative of their fan base.
Then it gets even more complicated when you take into account haters, and people with opposing views. Maybe the most radical example was Taylor Swift provoking a social media tantrum from the president of the United States, after she declared her endorsement of his political rival. Twitter was a really fun place at that time, watching Republican Swifties burning merch, and claiming they ‘never liked her’ (after spending hundreds of dollars on branded t-shirts and hoodies).
Controversially, I think exactly the opposite would have happened if Swift had stayed silent, or even endorsed Trump and Vance. Fans look up to their idols, and as with anyone we revere and respect, we want them to share our views. Some fans even develop parasocial relationships with celebrities, so them not reciprocating their political and social opinions may feel like a stab in the heart by one of the people they love the most.
Recently, global geopolitics have been nothing short of chaotic, with so many people weighing in on what’s happening, including celebrities. Gary Lineker’s exit from the BBC has shown us that despite voicing the opinions of millions of people who are critical of Israel’s military actions, his personal perspective on the conflict is not welcome in a role which is paid by the public. Those who support him and oppose him are simply divided based on which side of that very conflict they back. Among those who called for his expulsion were undeniably people who simply disagreed with him, and were disappointed because their favourite commentator did not share the same views.
Celebrity opinions aren’t necessarily insightful or educated, but we still care. Perhaps this just reflects our need for validation from people we view as successful, and leaves us ignoring the fact that they have literally no qualifications to talk about these serious topics. If we only support free speech when it flatters us, what does that say about the rest of us?
