Graphic by Sonia Zahid
An artist claiming they are apolitical is the biggest contradiction they could ever make.
After calling for a Free Palestine, Macklemore was banned from opening for Ed Sheeran’s tour at the request of Gillette Stadium owner and pro-Israel billionaire Robert Kraft.
Sheeran claimed he was “not complicit” in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in a response following backlash. Despite this, he refused to share any of his personal beliefs on the matter — noting those who come to his show “do not expect a political forum.”
Bullshit.
Art is inherently political. It is created within and influenced by social, historical and economic contexts.
Refusing to discuss politics is not necessarily an indication of personal morals. However, celebrities have intertwined activism into their art for generations. The 2010s are the peak of this.
Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, two of the world’s most prominent stars, were among many who proudly displayed their politics.
Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, performed at a Get Out the Vote concert in support of Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 election. Similarly, in Swift’s documentary Miss Americana, released in 2020, she opposes 2018 Tennessee Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn for her anti-women and anti-LGBTQ+ voting record.
How is it possible that a little more than a decade later, celebrities are openly denouncing politics or choosing to stay silent altogether?
Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7. 2023, which set off Israel’s genocide on Palestine, politics have taken a backseat. In the following month, the theatrical releases of Beyoncé and Swift’s respective tour documentaries came out. Both left Israel on the list of distribution countries. The official Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement — which attempts to put pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestine — posted a statement on Instagram calling out the two over their Tel Aviv screenings. Neither artists pulled their films.
These are a small set of examples in a sea of celebrities who have refused to denounce the state of Israel. They’ve used it to bolster themselves up both financially and socially amongst industry professionals. Their refusal of political speech or willingness to ignore the nation’s atrocities shows cowardice, not indifference.
But the lack of bravery isn’t unfounded. Celebrities often draw criticism from the media industry for speaking out in support of Palestine.
Actor Mark Ruffalo faced accusations of antisemitism after he critiqued the looming Paramount-Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery due to the former’s connections to Oracle, a company with direct connections to Israel.
In an Instagram story, Ruffalo resurfaced a clip of Paramount board member and former Oracle CEO Safra Catz talking about how Oracle assisted the Israeli military following the Oct. 7 attacks.
After the company accused him of antisemitism, Ruffalo took to X to deny the claims.
“To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect,” he said in a statement.
Just weeks ago, Macklemore faced similar backlash.
After being removed from Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore responded on Instagram. He maintained he and Sheeran have been friends for over a decade, but made his stance on Palestine and Sheeran’s neutrality on the issue clear.
“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, relationships and access. I’ve lost all those things,” he said. “But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.”
Sheeran did not take accountability for his opener’s removal in his response; worse, he stayed firm in his belief that remaining neutral was his only option.
Whether it’s celebrities showing direct support or refusing to lose out on income, siding with Israel — or maintaining neutrality — is now the best way to succeed in Hollywood. At the risk of their integrity, they’ll do whatever it takes to remain in the good graces of the titans of the industry.
This is not to say all hope is lost. Following Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour, the rest of his openers took to social media to announce they too would be leaving in solidarity. Likewise, well over 100 Jewish actors signed an open letter in support of Ruffalo claiming the accusations made by Paramount-Skylark were a “dangerous weaponization” of antisemitism.
However, if celebrities only come forward when there’s uproar, the apolitical problem will continue. Many celebrities have already shown their true colors and will do so again when their paychecks dry up. If they continue to remain apolitical, their silence will always be in support of the oppressors, and the opinions of industry elites will always be more important than what’s right.
These celebrities’ inherent corruption and silence will forever be a stain on their legacies. Apolitical “art” will never make a positive impact because it doesn’t exist.
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