Perhaps you saw this.
First, it was actress Jennifer Lawrence, sitting down with The New York Times a week ago for an episode of The Interview podcast. The host questioned Lawrence, noting how in the past, she has been politically outspoken, but yet, she hasn’t been making many public comments as of late. Lawrence said:
“I don’t really know if I should… as we’ve learned election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart. We are so divided.”
Next during the week came actress Sydney Sweeney. She sat down with GQ Magazine, who brought up last summer’s attention-grabbing American Eagle jeans ad and how Sweeney was the focus of what became a bit of an incessant political flashpoint. “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” said the ad. Utilizing a play on the word “jeans” vs. “genes,” critics scoffed at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed caucasian woman being the focus. GQ asked about her political involvement. The interviewer actually began discussing such by saying “you have become very swept up in politics.” Responded Sweeney:
“I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.
And when pressed once more by GQ about the ad’s criticism and if there was something more she wanted to say, “specifically in this political climate,” Sweeney said:
“I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
I respect Lawrence and Sweeney, and I respect their recognition that celebrity status doesn’t mean their perspective is any more or less valuable than another. I respect their current resistance to join in the rhetorical fray. Sometimes, unfortunately, it has felt that a celebrity’s insertion of political opinion or endorsement has appeared most as an attempted moral scolding; that’s not effective nor attractive.
It reminds me of the simple wisdom from basketball great, Michael Jordan, some 35 years ago, at the height of his fame. When asked why he wouldn’t publicly endorse a North Carolina Democrat who shared his views years ago, Jordan shrewdly quipped, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”
We see that in Lawrence and Sweeney, two widely popular actresses who have significant, diverse followings.
Lawrence added last week that she doesn’t want her political opinions to deter people from watching her films.
“I want to protect my craft so that you can still get lost in what I’m doing, what I’m showing. If I can’t say something that’s going to speak to some kind of peace or lowering the temperature or some sort of solution, I just don’t want to be a part of the problem. I don’t want to make the problem worse.”
Sweeney, too, added, “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think.”
It seems each has recognized the potential scolding. It also seems that…
Not everything has to be about politics.
Not everyone needs to speak about politics.
And how refreshing that can actually be.
Respectfully…
AR