A recent discussion in class focused on celebrity intervention in global crises, and much of the discussion was about "why" they feel the need to get involved and about their effectiveness.
I had several thoughts on this topic. First of all, I feel like celebrities overstep their boundaries in many cases. They approach many crises and issues with a very superficial understanding of the matter. If I learned anything at all earning my B.S. in political science, it was that I previously had an extremely elementary understanding of international issues and was better served learning more about the issues before voicing my opinions. Celebrities would do right learning this important lesson. International affairs are seldom black and white and most of the time the truth of the situation --and a solution-- is found in the gray area. Celebrities who get involved often bring a matter to public attention, but the issue is only presented in a very superficial and overly-simplified version. This draws attention to the issue, and the public usually grows angry because they "don't understand why we don't just do something since the solution is so clear." Unfortunately, the solutions are rarely so simple.
I think that celebrities get involved because they have an inflated view about the reach of their voice, or maybe just a large ego. "I'm a celebrity. People care about what I say." Unfortunately, in the United States, many people do care about what they say. I raised the point in class that it's ironic that when we want learn about an issue we turn to the celebrity "voice." Why don't Americans look to the experts on issues? If we want to learn about refugee crises, why turn to Angelina Jolie when we could turn to any one of the scholars who spend a lifetime studying refugee crises and have a much clearer understanding of this issue. A quick browse on the website www.looktothestars.org is evidence enough of this point. The mere existance of the above mentioned website it ample evidence of my point. We in the United States look to celebrities for guidance, rather than the experts.
I think celebrities may care and certainly have influence and access that serves a purpose, but you're right, why are people not listening to the experts on international matters? It's like Bono suggesting comedians as a means to fight ISIS. Seriously? And apparently he wasn't joking. He then followed up with saying we need to provide more aid to the area to assist. He's got a one track mind and it's amazing that celebrities can bring awareness to issues, but international issues are complex and multifaceted. Aid is a tool to alleviate poverty, but it's not the only tool and there's debate over whether or not it works. Maybe celebrity diplomacy would be better served if they promoted awareness of all factors of an issue - not just the sexy stuff. I'm not sure people can escape listening to them, but perhaps they can utilize their voices for better purposes.
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