We Need to Stop Demanding Celebrities and Influencers “Use Their Platform”
It’s a double edged sword and becomes no more than another one of their performances
DJ David Guetta performing in “honor” of George Floyd in May 2020
Today, celebrities and influencers may find themselves overwhelmed by a uniquely contemporary expectation. After posting an idyllic selfie on a typical day, they will likely find their comment sections overrun by accusations of apathy and ignorance. “Really, you're posting this while (insert crisis here) happens?!” “You have such a large platform, and this is how you’re using it?” What’s curious about this expectation is that it’s consistent across the spectrum of reach and power. From Prince Harry to your random beauty influencer, those with large social media platforms are now expected to utilize their platforms to spread awareness on the issues of our day. But rarely is the question raised: should they? And rarely do we ask: why demand political statements from people who have never shown any interest in politics or justice?
To pick a relatively innocuous example, let us look at the tribulations of @TraderJoesList, a popular instagram account run by Natasha Fischer. The account’s purpose is to share unique products you can buy at Trader Joes. In June, Fishcer was criticized for not addressing the murder of George Floyd under a post that maintained her regular tone during the initial days of the BLM uprisings. Responding to this feedback, she then posted links to donate to Black-led organizations, but tagged the post with the conseratively-minded, erasist #AllLivesMatter, inciting even more outrage. In her follow up post to this new round of backlash she shared: “In the past I’ve chosen to use this platform removing all political conversations because that’s not what this account is for. I share my favorite items and reshare your favorite items from Trader Joes.” She then wrote, "I can't take back my ignorant hashtag but I can learn from it and do better. I hope this is heard and that it's understood that I made a mistake." What was gained from this strange and winding road for @TraderJoesList? Increased awareness? Galvanizing action? Reading that line again, “I share my favorite items and reshare your favorite items from Trader Joes,” I am forced to grimace. What an absurd dilemma we’ve come to. We’re disappointed at the lack of political will by a Trader Joes stan account?
The demand to use one’s platform makes a certain amount of sense; a million, or even thousands of followers, is unique, and having a reach of that size has power. Especially in moments of sociopolitical whirlwind, the choice to not address issues of justice can seem as hostile as actively countering burgeoning movements. But when such demands are constant and compliance feels mandatory in order for one to maintain a healthy image, how earnest and useful are the public statements they ultimately release? No doubt the results of pressuring celebrities and influencers to utilize their reach can be positive. Kim Kardashian shared the phone numbers of Kentucky state officials with her 200 million followers, urging them to demand accountability for Breonna Taylor’s murder. I’m sure that led some to take tangible action. Conversely, the demand can lead to genuinely harmful mistakes. Like that fateful day when everyone, from celebrities to possibly you, posted a black box with the caption #BlackLivesMatter in an effort to signal solidarity, but actually made the hashtag unusable for those looking to access important resources and updates through it. And then there’s the fact that political posts by celebrities and influencers can serve as cover; many don’t actually care, but they do care about their brand. They post a throwaway call to action to assuage the masses and then on with their blessed day. Ironically, the demands that are made become directions for their compliance. All they have to do to shush the comments up is look, listen, do.
Lana Del Rey’s instagram post in “support” of BLM after a series of public missteps
In our age of social media, we have a heightened awareness of the full spectrum of our world’s destruction. The spectre of evil is always lurking, and its source is varied enough to keep us guessing (Ariel Pink, NO!). To make matters worse, our algorithms incentivize our engagement with shocking, awful content because the tech lords know it keeps us clicking. We want to know that our most cherished public faces are not part of the unthinkable throng that perpetuates the injustices we witness in our daily feeds. And it seems that advocating that celebrities and influencers constantly speak on our many political crises is the best way of surveying who is and who is not necessarily engaged.
But I’m here to tell you that worrying about the stances of those who have never shown interest in social justice will always end in disappointment. It will only obfuscate their actual beliefs and buy you into a profitable lie. Profitable for celebrities and influencers who need your support for revenue. And profitable for the platforms in which you are making such demands; at the end of the day, time spent complaining on a celebrity’s instagram is time spent on instagram. +1 Zuckerberg. If you want to primarily consume the work of those you align with, that is a valid choice to make. But surely, the constant demands for those with platforms to post on today’s pressing issues leads to far more moments of saving face than authentic expression. So, from this day on, I will resign myself to requesting no more than Trader Joes content from @TraderJoesList. And I invite you to join me.
well said