The debate over whether celebrities should voice their political opinions is a contested one. Social Media, such as Twitter and Facebook have allowed everybody the opportunity to raise their voice when it comes to politics, but why is it frustrating when celebrities get political? One argument would be that celebrities should not be silenced purely because they live a lavish, and often extraordinary, lifestyle. They have visions for society just like the rest of us and should be able to voice it. An example of this would be actress Emma Watson becoming a UN ambassador for equal gender rights. To retract someone’s right to Freedom of Speech on the basis that they might have some influence on public opinion seems a little dystopian. They also often shed light on subject matter that could pass the ‘average person’ by. David Attenborough has shed light on the environmental issues that challenge the world via his awe-inspiring documentaries (such as ‘Frozen Planet’ or ‘Life’), for example. Celebrities are intertwined with political discourse as well as political change. For example the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was a successful actor, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger who was a two-term governor of California. The term ‘celebrity’ and ‘politician’ are more intertwined now than ever before and thus silencing their political opinions may be un-democratic.

**TL;DR - Celebrity culture became more politically opinionated over the last few years, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, but this can lead to further polarization.** I agree that as citizens, celebrities should express their political opinions, though I understand the pressure that comes from being a public figure in this situation. [This goes back to the concept of empire celebrities and post-empire celebrities](https://www.thedailybeast.com/bret-easton-ellis-notes-on-charlie-sheen-and-the-end-of-empire). Back a few decades ago, the standard was to be an empire celebrity or to maintain the perfect celebrity image and not to say anything offensive or political. This worked perfectly back when the paparazzi business was primitive and political issues weren't as polarizing; celebrities like Ronald Reagan and (partially) Arnold Schwarzenegger became successful celebrities and later politicians because their success relied on presenting a perfect image, while political views were secondary. However, with the rise of popular entertainment channels and later social media, celebrities are now more watched and popular than ever. Having this perfect image now seems fake, and the new "real" became authentic and honest about what you think. This is how we got to the current "post-empire" trend; celebrities are now expected to show who they really are and not being afraid of sharing their beliefs, hobbies, and experiences. Each celebrity stands for something religious or political, and that reputation now follows them: Kaepernick (BLM), Ricky Gervais (atheist), Mark Ruffalo (Liberal), Clint Eastwood (Conservative), Emma Watson (Gender Equality), etc. This is not bad by any means. I believe this is a great opportunity for important causes that don't have much media presence. But the consequences also have to be considered because public figures standing for political causes can contribute to polarization. Conservative celebrities are very marginalized in Hollywood and can even be targeted for beliefs they may not even have, [like what happened to Chris Pratt a few months ago](https://variety.com/2019/film/news/ellen-page-chris-pratt-hillsong-church-1203132886/). Celebrities can also use their platform and political opinions to elevate themselves irresponsibly into political positions; the best case is Donald Trump, who, unlike Reagan and Schwarzenegger, never had political experience in any way, and his beliefs were borderline conspiracy theories. Celebrities have a lot of influence, which can be dangerous if they promote conspiracy theories and sway their base into misinformation. Case in point: [B.O.B and flat earth.](https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41399164)

Although I do agree that it is okay for celebrities to discuss politics and their political opinions, I also feel that there are risks of celebrities unintentionally spreading political misinformation to their fans when engaging in political discussion. Ultimately, celebrities are not as capable to discuss politics as reliable news outlets and we should not be taking all their political views as gospel, but rather acknowledge them as opinions. Celebrities should certainly continue to have the freedom to express their political agendas to their fans and the general public. However, people should not simply agree or disagree with a political opinion simply because their favourite celebrity does so. It should be remembered that the average celebrity is no more qualified to speak about political issues than the general public. The most informative discussions regarding politics comes from reliable news outlets, not from a celebrity's tweets.

It’s just when they all share the same opinions that it wreaks of insincerity.