I think that celebrity activists can do a lot of good
things, and this week’s class has not changed my view on celebrity activists
and their effectiveness in raising issues and having their voices heard. I do,
however, understand Erica’s concern with celebrity activists. Celebrity
activists like Matt Dillon or Sean Penn, for example, should not be in the way
of humanitarian aid workers doing their jobs, and celebrity activists are not
qualified to make recommendations to state officials.
The story about Sean Penn in Haiti is a good example of a
celebrity that wants to do the right thing and is able to have his voice heard.
However, because he is not a professional he made the wrong decisions. Had he
not intervened, and not taken the boy to a different hospital, the boy would
have been taken care of in the General Hospital. On top of that, he attacked
the aid workers while being interviewed on TV and announced that Haiti is
facing an even worse disaster than the earthquake.
Sean Penn’s story is a good example that, while celebrity
activists want to help and do the right thing, they should rather let the
professionals do their work and not intervene. Celebrity activists are most
effective after they consult with experts about issues, and then try to reach
as many people as possible to make them aware of the issues.
On a side note (since it is Christmas soon) every year
during this time I have to think about Band Aid and the 1984 song “Do they know
it’s Christmas” which was recorded to raise awareness of the famine in
Ethiopia. This song’s success showed how successful celebrity diplomacy could
be: Not only was the song very successful in raising awareness of the famine
and raising money, but it also caused an increase in celebrity diplomacy.
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