Pro: Elyssa Merrill | Opinion Editor
Actions may speak louder than words, but words elicit action.
Influencers and celebrities who do not use their platforms to aid in social and political issues ignore the possibilities their voices and audiences can make. The amount of times a talking fish head on TikTok has reported local news rather than local news outlets is deplorable. With information so easily accessible, forming concrete and educated opinions has simultaneously become easier and more complex.
I am aware of people who use their platforms to spread misinformation, throwing red herrings to distract from the pain and devastation of many issues whether in the Middle East or our fellow Americans affected by the natural disasters in the South. However, the advocacy I call for and believe should be expected is educated and backed by facts, rather than a story someone may have heard about Springfield, Ohio. I call for an advocacy that helps those in need and who deserve a voice, not an AI generated picture for everyone to share.
We have seen influencers have consistently successful fundraisers through examples like Thankmas, led by YouTuber Jacksepticeye (Seán McLoughlin), where streamers big and small join for a single cause and raised over $26 million, according to Tiltify. Additionally, a classic example — Mister Rogers invited a Black man to join him in a kiddie pool in 1969 amid segregated pools and civil unrest. Quite recently, pop singer Lizzo (Melissa Jefferson) publicly endorsed presidential candidate Kamala Harris in an Instagram post on Oct. 14, garnering over 300,000 likes. Whether it is through charity or a call to action for social change, celebrities who make their voices heard not only remind people they are human but further solidify they care about their audience.
As a long-time fan of people like YouTubers Markiplier (Mark Fishbach) and MatPat (Matthew Patrick), I understand why I consume their content and watch their videos. I do not see them as political advocates nor as news sources, but I do see the potential for what their platforms can do and have done, as Fishbach is a well-known silent donor from the money he makes as a content creator. Additionally, it is not wise to base a decision off the voice of one person, not even 100. It is incredibly important to find truth among all the information.
It is a disservice to those affected by strife and injustice to not speak their names and hear their grief in any way. Big or small, win or lose, it should be a desire to use what they have to promote and speak for those without a voice. Even pop singer Chappel Roan, although not endorsing Harris explicitly, has made her voice known for disservices she believes both parties have done. Advocacy does not need to be in the form of endorsement or seeing an issue in black and white; advocacy should just be care. Care for people’s lives and livelihoods by listening when they speak and spreading their story for others to hear, and I think it is only fair that influencers and celebrities care about their audiences.
Con: Olivia Pastrick | Managing Editor
A lot of people, especially Generation Z, get more news from TikTok than they do from credible news outlets, and many expect influencers to tell them who to vote for rather than thinking for themselves.
With every big political event, some celebrities and influencers take to their Instagram stories, others stay silent and, rarely, some try to make a difference using their platform. Regardless, their fans are constantly looking to them to form their own opinions on these big topics. Because becoming “informed” on social media has become so common, fans become outraged when celebrities keep silent on important issues such as the 2024 presidential election and the Israel-Hamas War.
Recently, fans of pop singer Chappell Roan were disappointed in her for not endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president. According to the Washington Post, Roan said in a TikTok video that she would be voting for Harris, but would not “settle” and endorse a democratic candidate because she does not support the party as a whole. Many of Roan’s fans are women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and, as those are important and growing voting blocs that typically lean left, members of the queer community and other fans were unhappy that Roan would not endorse Harris. According to The Guardian, Roan said there are problems with both parties, and that she encourages people to use their own critical thinking skills to cast their vote. This is a fundamental issue — expecting celebrities to always endorse a candidate — people use celebrity opinions in place of their own research and critical thinking, which is leaving them as less-informed voters. If a celebrity feels strongly enough to endorse a candidate, of course it is good for the candidate and their campaign, but when celebrities like Roan do not fully support a candidate, they should not be expected to endorse them just because their fans expect it.
Another celebrity that was “canceled” for not using her platform as her fans thought she should have was Brittany Tomlinson, better known as Brittany Broski. In a TikTok, Tomlinson said it was “dystopian” for people to expect influencers that “look like her” and have a platform based on comedy like her to be their source of news and opinion. This sparked an outrage among her fans that were demanding that Tomlinson publicly support the Palestinian people. In the TikTok, Tomlinson provided reasons for not speaking up such as avoiding the spread of misinformation and not repeating information people had been hearing. While she acknowledged the damage she could have done by not speaking up, it should not be an expectation for influencers who may not be well-informed to inform their audience. Additionally, Tomlinson said there should never be any doubt that she is against genocide and the loss of life in Gaza, and she should not have to defend herself when she stays quiet.
Celebrities and influencers like Tomlinson and Roan should not be expected to tell fan bases what to think; there is, however, a higher expectation for people with large platforms to do good and support causes they believe in. Privately supporting candidates, organizations and causes they believe in can be much more powerful than just posting a video giving their opinion about a situation — after all, actions speak louder than words. An example of this is Mark Fischbach, better known as Markiplier, who silently donated $192,000 to the Creators-for-Palestine fund, according to the donation leaderboard on Tiltify. Before fans found evidence of Fischbach’s donation, many people threatened to stop watching his videos because he had not publicly supported the Palestinian people. Again, this is an instance where Fischbach, whose claim to fame is gaming, should not be expected to make a public statement just because his fans want to hear that he agrees with their opinions. It is much more impactful to donate to relief funds and charities that directly support the causes rather than making a post on Instagram about it.
Because politics and current events in America have become so pervasive in our popular culture, it is easy to expect influencers and celebrities to take advantage of their platforms and speak up. However, unless the person has gained fame because they present news and opinion on politics or current events, these influencers should not be obligated to do so.
