Do you think celebrities shouldn't voice their opinions? Read this column.
Matthew Keyser is a freshman journalism major who writes "Downshift" for the Daily News His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Matthew at mdkeyser@bsu.edu.
Everyone has their own opinions and beliefs which shape the way they live. I, for example, think onions smell like a middle school locker room and don’t belong in food.
While there are people in the world who disagree with me, the First Amendment ensures that I am free to share my opinion, just as you are free to share yours. Regardless of income, skin color, gender or amount of Twitter followers, everyone’s opinions are valid.
Celebrities interfering with politics dates back far before the president ever blocked anyone on Twitter, but it has become more prevalent in light of the current state of things.
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When Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar last year, he had the eyes of the world on him. Rather than reflecting on his own magnificence, he used his position and power to draw attention to climate change, an issue close to his heart.
Meryl Streep used her speech at the Golden Globes to call out Trump for mocking a disabled reporter. The most powerful man in the world then took to Twitter to deny these claims and call Streep "overrated." Even Stephen Hawking has spoken out,` calling Trump “a demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator.”
The fact of the matter is, a lot of people from all walks of life are unhappy, and when people are unhappy they make their position known. The past year has turned the politically reserved into protesters rallying on Washington, or in Indianapolis, or outside Bracken Library.
Look, we currently have a president with no political experience, ties to the enemy and the communication skills of a 5-year-old. The leader of the free world refuses to answer valid questions from legitimate publications and instead bitches about them on Twitter.
If now’s not the time to get political, I don’t know when is.
While I can get behind the argument that politics don’t belong in entertainment, entertainment certainly doesn’t belong in politics and yet our government is a goddamn episode of "South Park." Without the American people standing up for what is right, we are in the position to be crushed by wrongdoing within the government.
So if I can write my opinions in the newspaper, and you can tweet that you threw your vote away on Gary Johnson, at what point does someone become too successful for their opinion to be valid?
The answer is never, as my first paragraph explains. Celebrities have every right to share their opinions, and if you disagree with them it doesn’t make their works, past present or future, of any less value. It just shows that celebrities are people outside of the roles they play, and that we all share the common goal to make America great … again…
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