It’s been some time now that I have answered the question of what kind of journalism I wanted to go into by saying either politics or entertainment. For as long as I’ve said that, people have given me funny looks or laughed because of how different those two topics are. That’s the great irony in today’s news, however; there’s not so much of a distinction between the two.
Let’s lay out the facts: the current President of the United States became famous because of television. The biggest headlines from the last two major awards shows in Hollywood- the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards- were about the political climate in regards to gender inequality. The Globes offered Oprah Winfrey up as the next president, and Frances McDormand encouraged legal action in support of diversity during her Oscars acceptance speech. Not to mention the number of films that have served as political commentary this year and in the past- from Argo in 2013 to Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.
Politics and entertainment don’t seem so black and white anymore, although, not they ever have been. Hollywood performances from the start have been about what it is to live a life, and politics are, or should be, a major part of the lives we live.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have celebrities speak out on political movements or events. They are the role models to the general public, and are seen as more relatably human than the politicians in DC.
Of course, neither celebrities or politicians are middle class “normal” Americans, and the best way to gather political information is from personal research. However, I’d still rather learn about a political event from someone who has nothing to gain from swaying people to their side.
Celebrities have no reason to fudge the truth on their political opinions, so I would trust what they say more than a President with a potential for reelection.
Ultimately, as the lines between the west coast characters and the east coast lawmakers continue to blur, anyone who plans to be a consumer of either should learn to tell the difference between those who pretend to be someone else for a living, and those who do it for votes.