Unnecessary and deeply concerning bow to the new "king"
this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
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Don't agree completely. Celebrities are people too, they can use their voice to do good and activate people with regards to politics. Kinda cruel to just say "focus on what you're known for, which is a pretty face. I don't care about anything else that makes you human"
I feel like the rules are different here. This dude is not a celebrity, he is a CEO of a company which mission is to provide a secure and private email service. I don't care about him as a person, he represents his company here. His job is to make sure that the data of his customers does not get in the wrong hands, and being as apolitical as possible is part of it. (Unless it's speaking up against laws that will undermine his business such as banning encryption, but that's not what's happening here).
Their reach means they should shut up when it comes to things they have no credibility in. I don't want a physics professor giving their opinion on RNA vaccines in their class just like I don't want the singer for a major band giving their opinion on politics.
You know what the physics professor and singer have in common? They can both cast a vote and partake in politics.
Their position makes them able to influence masses of people so they should still refrain from sharing their opinions on subject they have no qualifications to talk about.
We have billionaires starting 1 million dollar lotteries to make people vote certain way and you are worried that a singer's opinion will affect the outcome?
Do you really think I have nothing against that billionaire?
I understand concern about scientific concepts, but who in your mind has the authority to talk about politics? IMO everyone should have freedom to talk about it, because when it comes to politics no one really is an "expert".
I'm talking about Musicians playing music, actors acting, sports people playing sports, etc. stick to what they're good at and known for, not a pretty face.
Same deal. Just because they make music you like, doesn't mean that's all there is to them. Musicians, actors, athletes are also individuals with experiences and perspectives that can inspire or activate positive change. Sure, their main talent might be what they’re famous for, but that doesn’t mean their opinions on important matters are invalid. Dismissing their voices entirely just because they have a certain job is a dumb idea.
We differ in opinions, that's all. I appreciate these people for their talents in what they are known for and that's why most people are aware of them. I don't want to start disliking them because they start getting political all of a sudden.
For instance, many many actors use firearms in their scenes but then come out as an anti-gun person. For one I believe in the right to bear arms, not that it's a huge deal that the actor believes the other way but what really bothers me would be the hypocrisy. They should simply not pick roles or films based around firearms. I just want to enjoy the movie, not be immersed in their politics.
I'm sure you can find counter examples to this and some would hold up in history and exceptions to the rule but the vast majority of people that fit my statement just want more attention
Maybe it'd be better if people on Lemmy stuck to what they're good at by posting memes and cat pictures and staying out of politics.
I don't really have a well-written reply for this, but I can see your firearms angle. I invite you to read this: https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/blitz/read/under-their-influence-should-celebrities-stay-out-of-politicsquestion
I'm reminded of someone making a comment just like this to Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine....
I'd also note that quite a bit of the music out there, throughout history, has been political.
I'd also point out that by your own position on this, you too should stfu about politics.
There are entire genres of music that are inherently political
I am suddenly reminded of the words "shut up and sing".