The Controversy: The Issue Of Celebrity Activism

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The issue of celebrity activism has long been a topic of controversy, even before the use and creation of social media. The recurring question regarding celebrity activism is whether or not celebrities should utilize their platform and fame to advocate for social change. Although many people see celebrity activism as a negative thing because of reasons such as lack of expertise and the negative outcomes outweighing the positive, I believe it is a beneficial thing. Celebrities possess a large and significant platform through which they can draw attention to overlooked issues and help elevate their importance and relevance. By acquiring these platforms and status, they have a chance at making an actual change and drawing attention to important …show more content…

Swaying the public's opinion is the only way for a change to actually be made in which celebrities hold the power to do so (Ostroff). With all the power and influence that celebrities hold, also comes the power to bring light to problems that go unnoticed due to the lack of attention given to them. Some people typically may not think twice about who is struggling to find a job or housing, but as soon as a celebrity points it out there is attention brought to it which will allow for improvement even if it is small. We see a situation like this in the “West Memphis Three” trial. This trial was going on for 18 years and was spoken about but as soon as social media became more used the popularity of this case skyrocketed due to celebrities sharing information about this case on their social media platforms. The use of celebrities and their platforms allowed for this trial to get the attention it deserved and the verdict would not have gone the way it did without the help of celebrities and their social media platforms (“West Memphis

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