What is the role of celebrity involvement in activism? How effective is the celebrity endorsement in political campaigns?
Celebrities have a significant role in activism. Since UN has established “goodwill ambassadors” many celebrities have taken the role. Celebrities are being involved in different campaigns in order to raise the awareness of certain issue or raise the funds for the organizations. In 1954, Danny Kaye became the first UN goodwill ambassador. American actor and entertainer made a film, Assignment Children in collaboration with UN. The film is about Danny’s first experiences as goodwill ambassador. It helped people to understand what UNICEF is about and how the organization helps to keep children healthy by providing food and vaccinations (Dannykaye.net).
What factors drive celebrities to do humanitarian work? According to UN agency: “Fame has some clear benefits in certain roles… Celebrities attract attention… They can make direct representations to those with the power to effect change.” (Huliaras and Tzifakis, 2011, p26)
Clearly, UN understands what benefits can celebrity bring into action. Celebrities as activists attract media attention. They can raise the public awareness about certain issue.
Furthermore, Huliaras and Tzifakis argue that activism help celebrities to remain celebrities. The continuous publicity is inevitable for famous people. For example, the image of a celebrity somewhere in Africa surrounded by malnourished children, creates a perfect picture in media. It is an opportunity for positive branding, which distracts attention from past scandals. (Huliaras and Tzifakis, 2011) Thus, it can be argued that celebrities have some personal interests while being involved in global causes.
The UNHCR Special Envoy, Angelina Jolie, speaks with newly arrived Syrian refugees in a Jordanian military camp at the border between Syria and Jordan.
UNHCR / O. Laban-Mattei / June 2013
It is indisputable that celebrities attract media attention. Therefore, people, who follow celebrity news, are able to get the information about the celebrity activism. However, Baum (2003) argue that people, who follow celebrity news through ‘soft news’ such as TV talk shows or tabloids might not have in-depth knowledge about global or political issues.
Additionally, Couldry, and Markham, in their research on celebrity culture, found that celebrity followers do not like to discuss politics. “Only 49 per cent say their friends would expect them to know what’s going on in the world (compared with 78 per cent of traditional news followers).” (Couldry, and Markham, 2007,). Therefore, it is questionable whether or not celebrities raise the public awareness effectively.
However, according to Huliaras and Tzifakis, celebrities do not have a huge impact on political lobbying. They have helped to put certain issues, such as poverty on political agenda. But they cannot claim that they persuaded rich countries to help poor countries. (Huliaras and Tzifakis, 2011, p30) For instance, the campaign ‘Save Darfur’ supported by George Clooney and Mia Farrow got media attention, but it did not change the situation in Sudan. Mass killings and tribal conflict have not gone away. It needs another global campaign “but not just a media or celebrity campaign. It should be led by the major powers in the UN Security Council to pressure conflicting parties to reach a comprehensive and just peace.” (The Guardian, 11/12/2014)
Nevertheless, “some celebs may be genuinely concerned with humanitarian causes, while the interest of others might be part of an image – making strategy.” (Huliaras and Tzifakis, 2011, p31) It can be argued that activism helps celebrities to remain celebrities. However, more should be done in order to “make poverty history”. I do not mean by that donating more money, but what I mean is a proper political change in these countries so that someday they will be all independent and able to look after their own people.
As David Lammy writes it in his article: “We must have voices debating debt and dictatorship, trade agreements and climate change, education and entrepreneurship – not just appeals for people to phone in and pledge a few pounds.” (The Guardian, 24/03/2017)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baum, M.A. (2003). Soft news goes to war: public opinion and American foreign policy in the new media age. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Couldry, N. and Markham, T. (2007). Celebrity culture and public connection: bridge or chasm? International Journal of Cultural Studies, 10(4), 403-421. Available from http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/4813/1/4813.pdf [Accessed 3 June 2017].
Frangonikolopoulos, C.A., Huliaras, A. and Tzifakis, N. (2011). Making sense of transnational celebrity activism: causes, methods and consequences. In: Frangonikolopoulos, C.A., Huliaras, A. and Tsaliki, L.Transnational celebrity activism in global politics changing the world? Bristol: Intellect, 217-229.
Huliaras, A. and Tzifakis, N. (2011). Transnational celebrity activism, diplomacy and global politics. In: Frangonikolopoulos, C.A., Huliaras, A. and Tsaliki, L.Transnational celebrity activism in global politics changing the world? Bristol: Intellect, 21-34.
Lammy, D. (2017). Africa deserves better from Comic Relief. The Guardian, 24 March. Available from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/24/africa-comic-relief [Accessed 3 June 2017].
Nolan , J. L. (2011-2015). Assignment Children (1955). Danny Kaye. Available from http://www.dannykaye.net/assignmentchildren.html [Accessed 3 June 2017].
Shearlaw, M. (2014). What happened to Darfur after George Clooney came to town? The Guardian, 11 December. Available from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-george-cloony-darfur-what-next [Accessed 3 June 2017].
Nikola Do Anh 