I think we should cut our artistes a slack. Unlike in the States when a celebrity performs for a politician it mustn’t be seen as a shared belief in ideology. It is just a paid commercial. Avoid blaming them for the woes of such political party or politician. I may be wrong. 🤔
Morals you say...listen we are wired differently. Snoop Dog didn’t raised his kids based on the social construct you see in his music videos. Steve Jobs kids don’t use the iPad or have socialmedia accounts. Many TV stars don’t raise their kids in reality TV shows. It’s for others
You must never get high on your own supply. Only outliers who are not commercial represent their beliefs publicly in a world that demands that you lie to them. We bury the realists and praise the fraudulent. Not every artiste put themselves out there. They feed your fantasy.
See...our issue is with control. Because we like people we want them to conform to our sentiments and sell what we would love to buy. But brand managers and artiste publicist will focus on what it is they are selling...influence period.
Look, every time celebs and twelebs respond to personal attacks, it’s because some of these negative jabs seeped through & their ego got pinched. It doesn’t stop the rating of their music, art or acceptance of their lifework. Their true essence is not under attack here.
None of them sold themselves as priests or perfectionists but artistes, entertainers & tweeps (influencers or advocates of causes). The same way you won’t marry a guy because of his designer spectacles is the same way you shouldn’t expect an artiste to tell you who to vote.
The fact that people have influence mostly as a distraction shouldn’t cede responsibility to them for critical decisions that will affect your lives. We as a people must take responsibility for ourselves & stop making gods of men. Stop ascribing imaginary powers to mere mortals.
If you saw @Omojuwa on a closeUp advert and because you like his engagement so much you decide to stock the product. Should you have tooth decay down the line warranting root canal, would this be blamed on Omojuwa who simply carried out a commercial contract? 🤔
We should manage our expectations. Even if the human and morality in anyone in position of influence out there decided to explain themselves or even rationalize their motive. They are doing that for themselves and personal peace. We all should take responsibility.
We’re quick to hammer celebrities yet we complain of them being a snub. We want everyone to follow back but the moment they do we find fault once they fail to align with our sentiments. Forgetting that public figures have a choice to either do important work or respond to trolls
Occasionally, some celebrities would overestimate the conversion of their social collateral by dwelling on premises that require deeper understanding & exposure. So it may be in order to put them in their place but to hold them responsible for our decision is a No No.
My advice to influencers (not because I know better), is that they should avoid overcompensating. Make a brand decision if you want to be commercial or sell only what you believe in. This way, people can appropriate their expectations.
We can’t expect political ideology from politicians when we can’t even tell what our influencers and beloved celebrities stand for or represent. So beyond entertainment lies disappointments each time they open their mouth on social-political issues. This should change.
