Here’s one of the more cogent (and brief) arguments I’ve read recently in support of celebrities and social movements. But it does gloss over the problems caused by “ornamental mouthpieces.”
Organised charity has long had its champions. In the 50s Marilyn Monroe visited US orphanages, in the 60s the Beatles donated to Oxfam, in the 70s Julie Christie campaigned on Cambodia, the 80s gave us Live Aid, and in the 90s, Princess Diana helped bring about new international laws on landmines and dispelled many myths around HIV/Aids.
It’s not new, this idea of celebrities supporting charities. What is new is the level of media attention they can bring. They can secure mass media, which can put pressure on politicians to take notice and even to change policy.
