After having to listen to celebrities like Lena Dunham, Emma Watson, and Patricia Arquette speak on how persecuted they feel for being a woman in the age of Donald Trump (despite making millions of dollars from entertainment), it turns out that most people can see through their faux activism.
On issues like the gender pay gap, double standards, and rape culture, it has become quite trendy to be a feminist, especially after the rise of Trump. Celebrities who haven’t always identified as feminists are suddenly coming out of the woodwork, including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lawrence, and Miley Cyrus.
According to a new study by celebrity branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev done over the last two years, “celebrity feminists” (also known as “fauxmanists”) are actually hurting the feminist cause, rather than helping it.
While celebrities reach a wide audience, only 20 percent of those surveyed have said celebrities like Lena Dunham have changed their mind to care more about feminist issues. Oddly enough, Dunham is seen as the most credibly celebrity feminist; Malala Yousafzai is considered the most credible feminist overall. Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, survived a gunshot wound to the head from a member of the Taliban for going to school in Pakistan.
On the other hand, celebrities like Taylor Swift, who only recently came out as a feminist, are giving the cause a bad name. 30 percent of people surveyed admitted that they cared less about feminism because of Swift’s involvement.
Sehdev’s study points out that the main issue is that feminism is widely viewed as a publicity tool by celebrities to increase their relevancy and popularity.
Like how the old adage goes “actions speak louder than words.” If a celebrity hasn’t demonstrated their commitment to the feminist cause, 80 percent of people will not buy what they have to say.
Instead of celebrities, 78 percent say they want to see more high-profile multi-cultural spokespeople who can champion the feminist cause by doing as they say and vice versa.
While Mark Wahlberg correctly pointed out that celebrities should shut up about politics, perhaps female celebrities should shut up about feminism.
