Celebrity Culture
Celebrity Altruism: When is it Ever Enough?
Re-examining our responses to celebrity altruism
Just a year ago in May 2019, reality star Kim Kardashian West announced her aspirations to pass the bar exam and to fight for the justice of convicts who have been awarded sentences vastly disproportionate to their crimes. The internet went into a frenzy with West’s detractors chiming in and chiding West to “stay in her lane”. Critics also allege that it is West’s celebrity status that gives her the privilege of taking on this project. Is such criticism necessary? Or are they simply disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing?
Fast forward to May 2020 and the world is in the grip of a pandemic. More than ever, celebrities are stepping forward and pitching in with their wealth and influence to support local communities, or even the world in some instances, to tide through this crisis. Cosmetics mogul Kylie Jenner has converted her cosmetic factories to the production of hand sanitisers. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is directing his organisational and financial resources towards the race for a vaccine. Closer to home, Singaporean influencer Naomi Neo assembled brand sponsors and contributed her savings to purchase groceries for the less fortunate. It is heartening and reassuring to be observing these exemplary acts of generosity from the rich and famous amid this pandemic.
Celebrity altruism during this pandemic may also have trickle-down effects on their fans and followers. Through social media postings of what celebrities are doing to help communities overcome these difficult times, celebrities are normalising and inspiring acts of charity by private citizens.
Individuals often bemoan that celebrities are not using their vast platforms to enact social changes or to better lives. Yet, when celebrities leverage their platforms for positive causes, these actions are dismissed as mere publicity stunts and thus ‘fake’ or insincere. When put into perspective, such remarks appear hypocritical and contradictory.
Instead of reading too deeply into whether or not these celebrities view altruism as another opportunity to expand their influence, some merit and recognition ought to be given to these celebrities for expending resources into bettering lives. Even if these celebrities’ primary motivation (which we will never know unless we can pry open their minds) is to grow their fame, at the very least they are using their platform for the ‘greater good’. A little publicity does not hurt anyone in most cases.
Celebrity altruism together with the publicity that accompanies it is perhaps an instance of the economy working desirably. Celebrities are incentivised to cultivate social responsibility in their branding while vulnerable communities benefit. Instead of criticising celebrities as fame-hungry, perhaps it is time to give celebrities the benefit of doubt and to view celebrity altruism as a win-win situation. Everyone benefits so why are we overly critical of celebrity altruism?
Of course, some celebrities have elected to keep their altruistic acts under the radar of the press. For instance, rapper Nicki Minaj revealed her donations to an Indian village only after having done so for several years running. There is likely to be other celebrity donors who have opted to keep a low profile on their altruism.
However, publicity goes both ways. In the latest instalment of West’s crusade for criminal justice reform, West produced The Justice Project that documents the people who have been helped by West’s star power. In the trailer, West poignantly states “use me”. Yes, West benefits from a White House photo opportunity with President Trump that has landed her headlines in the mainstream news media (instead of the usual gossip sites).
The converse is also true. West’s beneficiaries have likewise benefited from West’s fame as their case profiles have been elevated to the national discourse. West’s efforts placed the faces and stories of people such as Alice Marie Johnson on the issue of criminal justice reform. They are no longer mere numbers and statistics. West’s in-person, long-term involvement in criminal justice reform goes beyond social media advocacy that usually entails a few Instagram posts or Tweets. West gives the impression that she is in the fight for the foreseeable future.
In response to West’s critics, before dismissing her commitment to criminal justice reform, I challenge you to reflect on what you have done to uplift your respective societies. Are you lending your voices to criminal justice reform or any other causes that resonate with you?
