Celebrities On Politics

If a celebrity figure well known to the average American interjects on politics, there is often a quick pushback from conservatives, who insist that celebrities need to "stay out of politics" and remain quiet on issues outside of their careers.  The truth is, however, that the person making a claim is at best a red herring to the veracity of the idea.  In a country generally ruled by emotionalistic political beliefs, it would not be unusual for many people to disregard this fact when they encounter an idea associated with an opposing political party.  America is such a country and has been one for some time.

As interviews and videos evidence, yes, celebrities are often inconsistent, philosophically blind imbeciles, but this is true of everyone other than a small minority of genuine rationalists: people from every profession and class tend to have thoroughly irrational worldviews.  Nothing about being a celebrity or changing the topic to politics makes any difference whatsoever.  Celebrities have no epistemological advantage over "ordinary" people, but they are also not wrong simply because of their profession.  Actors/actresses, models, and athletes have the same access to reason as everyone else and the same tendency to ignore it as the majority of people.

More likely than not, those who criticize celebrities for merely commenting on political matters do so out of a dislike of what ideas they claim are true.  In my experience, I have seen conservatives say that celebrities should keep silent about politics moreso than liberals, not that liberals do not do such a thing.  The inconsistency arises in either case when someone selectively calls out celebrities, only insisting on some irrelevant emphasis on their background when they make claims favored by whichever party they oppose.  There is no rationality behind this hypocrisy.  Moreover, there is no rationality in assuming that a celebrity is correct or incorrect because of their line of work to begin with!

To appeal to a celebrity's words as "evidence" or "proof" that a philosophical idea about anything from morality to metaphysics is asinine, as reason needs to be consulted rather than appeals to authority, but to dismiss an idea endorsed by a celebrity just because of the person associated with it is likewise asinine.  No matter who embraces what position, true ideas are still true, false ideas are still false, and unverifiable ideas are still unverifiable.  It does not matter if celebrities, scientists, journalists, politicians, or theologians stand with a concept.  Every rational person comes to recognize the disconnect and its epistemological ramifications