Angles: Should celebrities be obligated to speak about social issues?

A number of celebrities have recently been criticized because of a reluctance to speak on the conflict in Israel and Palestine. Many argue that public figures like Taylor Swift have an obligation to use their massive platforms to advocate against oppression.

Celebrities enjoy significantly more social influence than the average person. Several recent examples demonstrate just how persuasive celebrity power can be.

Swift herself encouraged her followers to register to vote leading to a spike in voter registration. Additionally, fans of Swift rallied to advocate for better protections against AI generated images after explicit synthetic images of the singer leaked.

In both of these instances, Swift’s status as a celebrity created positive social change.

Knowing her impact, many believe that she, and other celebrities, should speak in support of Palestine. 

However, this raises the question of whether or not celebrities owe it to their fanbases to speak out on certain issues. Freedom of speech, after all, extends to what someone doesn’t want to say as well as what they do.

In such a polarized political climate, taking a stance on one side or another can have significant career implications for people in the public eye. Still, perhaps that in itself is reason enough why celebrities ought to use their position — to help heal the divide.

Yes, power must be used for good

Avneet Tiwana

Celebrities do have an obligation as they are in the best place to speak up about social issues. 

Celebrities often hold major platforms and influence due to their public visibility and attention. 

Sometimes we don’t realize just how much influence celebrities have. According to Exploding Topics, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person on social media with a total following of 897 million. Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber are next on the list, with a following of 689.9 and 593.7 million, respectively. 

While holding hands, 897 million people could wrap around the equator over 15 times, the equator being 24,901 miles long. 

Celebrities have an amplified voice amongst the masses. They hold the power to significantly influence public opinion. 

The #MeToo movement was started by American activist Taran Burke in 2006, but it was a tweet by actress and film producer Alyssa Milano in 2017 that turned it into a worldwide movement. Hundreds of thousands of women would break an overwhelming silence that engulfed them, and they’d come forward with their stories of sexual abuse. That tweet, posted by a celebrity, sparked a conversation that resonated across industries and cultures. 

We also cannot ignore the impact celebrities have on the lives of the younger generation. Youth listen to celebrities — maybe more than they need to — but regardless, they listen. 

UGGs, which had been out of fashion for more than a decade, made a striking comeback in the new century. We can all argue about how wonderful UGGs are, but, let’s be honest. It was the celebrities Elsa Hosk and Bella Hadid wearing UGGs that led to the footwear brand’s comeback. I have lost count of the number of people wearing UGGs, and that is just on campus. 

Celebrities set trends. They decide what is going to be considered cool and what is cringe, but with great fame comes great responsibility. The massive influence and huge platform obligates celebrities to speak up about social issues. If they won’t, then who will? 

Neglecting the opportunity to use their platform and influence to speak about social issues is a wasted chance to do something for the good of society. The kismet of the world might not depend on celebrities speaking up, but they have the power to make a noteworthy difference. If they have the influence and platform to do good, to spread awareness, then why not?

No, celebrities can choose to speak

Zach Richardson

Like every other American, celebrities have the right to state their opinion. However, celebrities have absolutely no obligation to state their political or social beliefs.

Celebrities, regardless of how they achieved their fame, probably don’t have a better understanding about important issues than the average person. The only difference between them and the average person is that they have the platform to sway people’s opinions. 

Celebrities certainly have the power to influence people and put pressure on politicians to enact change. Sometimes this can be good, but the argument is not about whether they have the right to express their opinion. It’s about whether they have an obligation to their fans. 

Celebrities’ livelihoods are based on their public image, and politics and social issues are very polarizing in our country. Therefore, there is a real risk that their beliefs on sensitive topics could lead to backlash and bad publicity. 

If all celebrities were expected to give their opinions on these topics, it’s doubtful they would even continue to form and provide real opinions. They likely would try to take a stance that would be as pleasing to everybody as possible. 

The other problem that comes with celebrities and their opinions is that sometimes they are just actually unsound. 

Take a third of what Kanye West says on the daily. Does he actually believe the things he says? If he does believe some of the rather awful and offensive things he says, and he can convince just a handful of people that he is right, he creates more hate in the world. 

I believe most of the outlandish things he says are just for the publicity it will bring him. 

At a certain point we can not listen to what celebrities believe, especially because most of them live much different lives than the average person. Can a celebrity like Taylor Swift really understand the world the way her fans do? I assume very few of her fans have private jets and sell out stadiums across the world.

Swift also has fans across the entire country who all live very different lives. Her opinion would not make sense for most Americans because of how different each individual’s life is. For example, a woman living in New York City and a woman living in Sioux Falls likely have very different views on the world because of their experiences and geographical locations.

Ultimately, it is important to form our own individual opinions. While celebrities have the right to state their beliefs, they do not have an obligation to do so.