Celebrities and Politics
This is an issue that I read about in my social studies class. There is a lot of controversy on whether or not celebrities should be allowed to express their political views.
I think that celebrities have every right to express their political opinions. They’re people too, and they have their own opinions. First Amendment: Right to freedom of expression.
“But stars influence people too much!” Celebrities might have a lot of influence on other people’s opinions, but so do, for example, Presidential candidates. This year, an actor from “Law and Order” is running for President. He’s a celebrity, but no one’s stopping him for competing for Presidency. Celebrities’ influences can help causes. Many actresses and famous sports players support HIV/AIDS prevention, and their influences can help to raise money for that particular campaign.
“Celebrities don’t know their facts. They’re just pretending to support something to get publicity.” This could be true, but you can’t judge celebrities. All celebrities being stupid is a stereotype. When you think “celebrity” you think “Paris Hilton,” right? Or maybe “Britney Spears.” But celebrities can be people like Madam Curie (discovered radium, dead), Al Gore (2000 U.S. Presidential candidate), and Michael Zolensky (a contributor to NASA). Celebrities don’t have to be people who have had 45 plastic surgery operations and go clubbing every night. Celebrities, like the ones listed above, can be contributors to science, members of Congress, and famous world leaders.
Even if the celebrity isn’t a contributor to science, doesn’t mean that they don’t know anything. You can’t judge a book by its cover, so you can’t judge a person before you meet them. Have you met a famous celebrity? Even if you have, you can’t exactly tell if they’re smart. Paris Hilton could have some brains under there, we aren’t sure. Paris Hilton type celebrities involved in campaigns and politics can know about their topics. You never know.