Through the election cycle, a lot of were people upset that celebrities were using their fame to endorse various political candidates, with shouts to “shut up and sing” or “shut up and dribble” — stick to their profession and stay out of politics.
I agree in theory, as political endorsements from my friends and people that I trust are worth far more than who a celebrity or athlete chooses to endorse. However, I don’t think it’s fair to ask them to “shut up and sing”.
The issue I see is one of inconsistency. The people that most often post things like “shut up and sing” usually have that wedged between various political opinions of their own that they’re sharing. They have a small audience of a few friends, and they choose to spend that engagement on political commentary. What do you think would happen if they became far more popular? I highly doubt they’d “shut up and sing”. Instead, they’d undoubtedly use their leverage to reach even more people with their opinions.
I don’t get much of anything out of celebrity endorsements, and I’d certainly find it a bit more peaceful if they stayed out of politics, but almost all of us would use our wider audience to continue to share our beliefs. To expect different out of singers and athletes seems like a short-sighted view of the world.
The only time this really bugs me is if I have paid money to come see an artist in concert. If they share political views (if I agree or not) or really, any lengthy rambling that has nothing to do with the music, they lose me. I have spent my $$ to come and witness your talent as a singer / guitarist / drummer / whatever, I want to see that. I am only interested in witnessing someone with exceptional talent.
Yep, that’s fair. They have a job to do, that you’ve paid to see, and they’re not doing it.