An inquiry into why celebrities keep getting away with doing stupid things.
It’s no secret that being a celebrity means being more subjected to the spotlight. What you do great will go noticed, but what you do wrong, will be even more publicized. Maybe it’s because we as a culture love to see how imperfect other human beings can be, especially those usually marketed to us as perfect. But when celebrities do things that are so obviously and inherently wrong, why do we forgive and forget so easily?
When Gina Rodriguez posted a video of her saying the n-word while singing a Fugees song on her Instagram story, there was a well deserved outrage on the internet. Having been accused of anti-black attitudes in the past, her blatant use of the slur was but a cherry on top of her career (suicide). After apologizing in the same video format, many were quick to notice that she didn’t even directly apologize to black people but rather the “community of color”.
Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to bad publicity. It seems as though every week she says a new controversial thing, with full conviction and just a touch of ignorance. Her involvement with the #MeToo movement yet vocal support of Woody Allen, someone repeatedly accused of sexual assault, have been criticized by activists as the positions are quite contradictory. She has also voiced her personal sense of entitlement to play “any race” as an actress, grossly ignoring the misrepresentation of such minority races, gender expressions, and sexualities in Hollywood.
This recent emergence of calling celebrities out on their errors has stemmed the new term of “cancel culture”—blacklisting celebrities after they caught doing something wrong, mostly in a social issue context. But this cancel culture would not have a place in society before the age of social media. Now that we as a culture have widely accessible platforms to express our opinions, “expose” celebrities, and ultimately keep the conversation going, it is much easier for said celebrities to be put under fire for the things they do wrong.
So why do these celebrities stay booked and busy despite doing such obviously wrong things? And why are we so quick to condemn (but not really) and move on if we are really big fans? It’s easy to say “separate the artist from their work” when you aren’t the one being affected by their discrepancies. How can you possibly support an artist knowing they stand for everything that is against whet you as an individual might be. Not everyone has that luxury.
Should we be holding all celebrities to such high standards? Celebrities are given the privilege of a platform. They have followers, listeners, and the opportunity to bring attention to certain issues. To not use to platform in such a way would be a gross misuse of such luxury. Social issues are important.
Just look at Jane Fonda. For the past few weeks she has been protesting climate change and getting arrested in the process, bringing along a new celebrity with her each week. She uses her celebrity status to bring awareness to such a cause, and knows she has the wealth to handle one night in jail—showing how she takes advantage of her fame in a productive way.
In the end, it has been proven that cancel culture doesn’t mean much. These controversial celebrities continue to monetize off of their projects and remain relatively unscathed because of those who choose to stay ignorant to their misgivings. A willful ignorance stems from not bothering enough to care about social issues, which in itself is a result of the supporter’s privilege. As this is the case, we must ask ourselves, do these celebrities really need support from those of us who can’t afford it?
