Celebrities and Causes
Rahul Bose - May 02, 2006
The last couple of weeks has seen the Indian media explode with stories that centre around one concern : Celebrities and Social Causes. Questions crowd around the incredibly narrow bandwidth of – does the presence of celebrities help or harm a social cause? I fear if this question is not addressed calmly, rationally and quickly it is going to swallow the appreciably more important business of social justice.
First, clearly everyone agrees there is no offence taken when celebrities support causes that are universally accepted as ‘good’, such as, communal harmony or fighting female foeticide.
Second, celebrities do a great service when they refocus attention on flagging causes. In the U.S. in the early nineties, after the first few years of inspired activism against HIV, the issue began to slip out of the media. Celebrity activism helped put the spotlight on a topic that was as, if not more, troublesome than it had ever been.
Third, it makes the most sense for celebrities to, once the microphones and cameras are trained on them, direct the media attention towards the persons involved with the real business of working on the ground. No message could be more authentic than theirs.
The place where the marriage between celebrities and social causes starts sliding on slippery ground is when the cause in question is not a simple, unambiguous one, but either has two sides to it, or is about injustice towards a group of peoples or is heavily political, or, like in the case of the building of the Sardar Sarovar dam, is a potent combination of all three. In this case it is the celebrity’s absolute, undisputed responsibility to examine the issue exhaustively, understand both sides of the argument, form an independent opinion and take a stand accordingly.
But, beyond this, I believe the more pressing need is to focus on the ramifications of celebrity social activism - the emergence of a culture of lazy opinion-forming. ‘X celebrity has said this is what I should think about the Supreme Court decision on Y issue. I’ve always liked her, so that’s the opinion I’m going to adopt.’ While role-modelling is a mostly innocuous pursuit, issues of critical social significance demand a different mindset from the imitation of a celebrity’s latest fashion in clothes or dance. While it would be unrealistic to expect the reader/listener to seek and receive an exhaustive view of a problem, a broad, all –sided knowledge of the issue can be obtained with a careful look at the newspapers and the internet. However, accessibilty of these media are out of the reach of some and they assume a level of literacy. This is where a celebrity can truly exercise her or his power with great benefits. This is where when the time comes for a media bite an opinion need not be expressed but a summary of the facts for and against can be put out. This is where the business of real democracy can start.
I am fully aware television, and to a certain extent print journalists have never shown an inclination for this kind of response, that TRPs love the question – ‘ Madam, sankshape mein, what do you think of…?’, but if these very same professionals feel the issue of celebrity-hijacking of social causes is one of primetime-worthy gravity then it should not be unreasonable to expect them to understand and encourage a more responsible role from celebrities.
The third link in what will be a tremendously powerful chain is the general public. The business of real democracy starts and ends with civil society. And democracy does not come easy. We have to be constantly vigilant because the business of power is the direct enemy and the business of power is invariably more fruitful, more seductive in the short-run.
Today, the Right to Information Act has strengthened our hands in ways the nation has yet to understand even minimally. Let’s find out how to use it, let’s find out which NGO has already used it to collect information on an issue we need to make an informed opinion on and ask them for it. At the very least, ask, ask, ask the questions. Because if all we do is rely on the next celebrity’s opinion on an issue where lives are in the balance, then follow that opinion and move on with our lives then we will have more burnings, and this time it will not just be film posters and petrol-doused effigies. It will be the sweet-acrid smell of bodies dead from starvation, displacement and broken hearts. Mass pyres lit with paper tapers made from the pages of our Constitution.
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Posted by Rahul Bose at May 2, 2006 09:07 PM
Comments
Hey, Rahul,
I concur with your blog. And in support of celebrity prowess there is no better example than Angelina Jolie. The woman is eight months pregnant and taking major American networks with her to Africa. Be it education, poverty, or famine- she uses her celebrity to bring attention to the causes that are worthwhile. So I say yeah to such celebrity usage.
And then there are the likes of Paul McCartney. He uses his celberity to save Seals.
It doesn't take a genius mind to weigh which issue is more relevant and more deserving of public attention(not to say cruelty to animals should be permissive).
If celebrities are taken as role models and trend setters of the world today, then why shouldn't they focus that attention towards the positive instead of the negative. There have always been cases and accusations of celebrities inspiring the public to extremities of drugs, alcohol, promiscuous behaviour etc.
I say it's about time we thought of celebrities other than fashion trensetters. The only cautionary advice would be to choose your celebrity to follow wisely.
If Regan could bank on his fame as an actor and become President, then we (the non-celebs) should seriously and carefully weigh and then endorse a celebrity and a platform we agree with.
That's my two cents.
Sobia........
"does the presence of celebrities help or harm a social cause?"
Dear Rahul,
In my opinion, it does neither. Simply, because I don't think there is any difference between the celebrities and other common (if you wish to call them that) people who take up for a social issue.
I personally don't get affected by whether an issue is being taken up by a Medha Patkar (example of a common person) or an Aamir Khan (example of a big star). What remains important to me is the issue itself. And whoever is standing up for an issue must first study all the aspects of the issue and be well-informed about it, before taking it up in the media.
Cheers!
Navin
Navin:
I appreciate ur stand on this. Nice to know that u have ur fundamentals clear since u too are in the process of making a shift from a "common" to "a big star of a celebrity" :)
Rahul: Your essay is a loaded one. It deals with a lot of things in connection to "celebrity and causes".
One of the points you mentioned and I have thought of often before is, "the emergence of culture lazy opinion forming". In context to India as a nation and their preoccupation with celebrities, especially movie stars and cricket players is unsurpassable (almost). Where else would we find people building temples for their favorite celebrities? In this sense, yes, they can truly guide a significant percentage of masses incapable of making sensible decisions for themselves. The majority is still unaware of their civic responsibilities. Many don’t consider the repercussions of their uneducated and short sightedness when they react under the influence of political lobbying. --- The celebrity in question here is obviously disconnected with the political set up.
The catch: the corrupt system does not allow the celebrity to bring forth the issue in question to light without implicating him/her in whatever way possible to preserve self interest.
Specifically I am thinking about the Aamir Khan and the Narmada Dam association. While several are second guessing his intentions, the action is the correct one. The majority who is deliberating his involvement is the one who has an opportunity to do so. I can’t help but think that there are others, the fans who are hearing him out and taking the correct stand.
-jasleen
I think it all depends upon who the Celebrity is and what is his "intent" in the cause involved. If he iw well informed and is genuinely concerned, no harm but he should be continously involved with the issue consistently and there should not be sporadic participation.
A week back I saw Superstar Amitabh Bachchan appealing to people to pay their power bills on time of all things after his polio campaign was extremely successful.
Moral of the story- Ability has to be supported by Visibility.
i truely agree with the comments Navin made. but i also believe that if a celeb takes up a certain course than it definately gets done...as thier name is on the line and therefore they try their best to get things done as promised...wherelse if a common person does the same than it does not hold any weight. and unfortunately the organisation could surfer as (if u like the truth or not) people only listen to the famous people and what they have to say.....which really sucks. people tend to concentrate on WHO is saying rather than WHAT is said. i support a child in RATLAM by WORLD VISION and i would love to do loads for the organisation...but really my words wont mean a thing unless i already had a name for myself only than i would get an audience!!
ponder on this!!
Rahul:
The problem with NGOs and celebrities in the business of activism is that they look for a formula... like you say "taking a stand". Is the truth in EITHER of the camps or in NEITHER or in BOTH?
I firmly believe that the truth of Narmada Dams is in between both the warring parties' stands.. so to just raise the spectre of dying bodies and hearts from displacement forgets the possibility of dying bodies from thirst...
... in any case.. its important that when one does make an "informed" decision.. one does NOT preclude the possibility that one will have to argue on both the sides partially... to simplify the questions into Us vs Them... and I "stand" by "Us" is hypocrisy and debasing of human existence... for no person is completely honest or completely crooked!
Learning to live with and ability to articulate the greys and hues and not just living in the world of "black and white" - without the need for a celebrity to take support of the crutch of a "camp" is fundamental to honest intervention!
Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com
the whole point of utilising celebrity status is to access a wider audience and essentially raise awareness aross a broader spectrum. E.g if Rahul Dravid advertises safe sex and the use of condoms, his status is one that he is more likely to be listened to by younger people-due to his youth icon image.
I think fame being used in raising awarenedd of social causes is actually a very noble one. Some celebrities use it as a PR tactic, others are extremely committed and serious about taking social causes on board.
Does it really matter at the end of the day-as long as certain issues are placed on the table and can be discussed.
What tends to happen when celebrities take up social issues, is that they sometimes do not sustain their committment. They may appear once in a while but not consistently when issues are being addressed.
The universe celebrates
the stars within us all
for we are connected one to all
looking forward to seeing
" Water " by Deepa Mehta
Love to all
Folks from ALL walks of life are drawn to the social glitter - consider Bono and the people he's rubbed shoulders with over his years of activism - from the Pope and the President to Jesse Helms.
While being a celebrity gets you thru the door and to the first handshake and those 10 seconds of primetime, if the celebrity is not educated about and dedicated to his/her cause - ultimately it is not going to produce the press coverage that the celebrity is seeking.
I can think of no greater thing than to use one's fame for a just cause. That seems like plain moral decency and maybe even a social obligation. Sir Mick Jagger?? Why??? But Sir Bono? - now that would make sense to me.
Dear Rahul, so very nice to see you posting at Intent! I hope, life finds you well; as you embark to bring freedom of information to all-may this road lead to great, and good changes!
God Bless you, your voice; for those whom cannot speak out!
North
http://spiritsinmotion.blogspot.com/
Rahul, you seems to be another one of the celebrity with real brains in the head, we need more celebrities like you to bring the credibility back to the common sense world. There are lots of brainless celebs out there but when they take up the cause--regardless of their intent and purposes--the coomon folks DO listen. But there aren't many Arundhati Roys in Bollywood, you need people like her, but regardless, I think celebs can leverage more power then anyone else, as long as their ego (which is inherently needed for their field of work) doesn't interfere in the original cause.
Keep blogging, I haven't seen much of your work, but I thought you had powerful impact in your role in Chameli.
Whoaa...I just read your accomplishments on above link, dude you are something! Well, here is one example of why you may be missing out from the psyche of common folks like me: as I said, I have only seen you in one bollywood "mainstream" movie, so I had no idea what else you had up in your sleeves. I think this exactly what other art film actors suffered with, lack of recognition among the mainstream.
Hey, now I will do my best to follow your work closely. :)
I read somewhere u find writing very exhaustive exercise , but this time around, the time interval between your last piece and current is lesser than previous one,well it seems u have started finding it less exhaustive ;)
Well anyways they always give an insight into ur views and beliefs.
Celebreties role in social causes cannot be undermined but one has to agree that celebreties pick and choose issues which give them more chance of exposure and acclaim rather than the gravity of the situation or issue, I am making a general statement , all may not fall in that category.
Anyways do keep writing , even if u find it exhaustive.
Ispita
Re: Rahul, you have made a valid point on causes supported by celebrities.
The involvement of a celebrity in an issue does help in getting the issue the attention. However, whether the attention is deserved or not is debatable. e.g. Amitabh's campaign against polio is very effective and i am sure can be measured in terms of reduction in the number of childern being sticken by polio.
But I still do not see Aamir's effect on the Narmada Bachao Andolan . My level of awareness as a commoner has not changed after his involvement. The reason being that the issue itself is something that one knows is so complex that all one can do is take sides... i do not see the Narmada Dam issue being resolved in a near future and all the arguments against and support for the issue till then would not mean much unless it moves towards resolving the issue. Unfortunately , one has not seen any concrete steps taken in this regards. Can anyone update me on the latest on the issue.. what is the impact of Aamir's support or any change in the scene after the hunger fast by Ms. Patkar.
I would like to see a positive step forward either through a dialogue etc .. Here i feel the issue of the dam is diverted by Mr. Modi's campaign against Aamir's films in Gujarat.
Celebrities lending support to a cause can be called effective if it makes some difference to the ground reality and not just creating awareness.
Rahul,
I think celebrity involvement makes an issue dive into the centrestage of the all-pervading media as we have it now. Plain and simple attention grabbing. Anything more than that, and I'll meet you with my huge bag of doubts.
I consider myself in the sufficiently socio-conscious, adequately informed class. I, for one, is not going to see an issue differently just because you, or Aamir Khan, or Shabana Azmi is taking it up. I have the required intelligence to keep a neon-lit marquee star image and its threads separate from the dry, hard concrete of reason. I will judge the issue on naked merit.
People who are smitten by star pull and aura, who go crazy when a hero stops singing and enters this side of the white talking about justice, are just that. I don't think they care about issues anyways. So both ways, celebrities don't add deep, substantial value to any issue as a rule.
But yes, celebrities can give issues their own limelight - making it big, making it come first. And sometimes, that's where it starts.
Hey!Rahul, I know you are actor and also a good athlete. You always maintain a good state of mind. Your writing is so attractive as well as so mind-blowing. You suggestion about attitude of human being is quite correct.
Hey Rahul I am a big fan of yours. You always maintain a good state of mind by having a poisitive atitude regarding everything!
I liked what u wrote and I think it is mind blowing.
cheers,
Samriddhi.
Hi Rahul,
I simply like ur movies. I never miss any of them. I dont know why I feel that you are a very lonely person. Or may be you love to live like that. I am very much interested to be your friend. Not because you are a good actor, but because you are a very good human being. I am in search of a friend like you. I live in kolkata. Working in 'Bengal Chamber of Commerec & Industry'. 29 years old. Can we be friends?
Aloke
do all that many people care what a 'star' thinks or does? yet aamir khan's support for the nba cause made it to the frontpage of nearly every newspaper.
Hi Rahul,
this is Rahul here.I wanna say that not all stars supporting causes can win credibility in the eyes of the public.We the public form an idea about the stars by their movies,interviews & their views about different subjects through news papers or Elctronic media.In the process we form an image of that person in our minds and attach different connotations to them in terms of their personality.
For example in your case when u support a cause ,we know u r serious,becoz we have formed an idea about u and we know that here is guy who speaks his mind,is totally unpretentious,is aware of society and is serious about whatevr he is doing at any given time.Sothereby its easier for us to believe that 'u really believe in that cause'.
On the other hand say for example Shakti kapoor (nothing personal against him)comes up one fine evening onto one of the News channels and supports the same cause as u r doing,it will be almost impossible for me to believe his seriousness about the cause.
Hope u get my point.....Regrds and wishing u the very Best in life......Bye..Rahul Sen Gupta
hi rahul..
it was wonderfully refreshing to see and know of one Indian celebrity who still retains the powers to think straight. Yes, celebrities do command a lot of attention,and it would be to the general good if they did excercise these powres to sow the seeds of "goodness" and harmony. But tell me Rahul, how many of your brethen do actually think in that way? As far as my understanding goes, the media flashes all the attention to a cause, any cause, where you find even the whiff of celebrity involvement. And sadly, the "celebrities" too, more often than not, work only with the ultimate aim of hogging all the limelight.After all, any publicity is good publicity, right? Doesn't work that way, does it?
Take care,
Nivedita
You are very true and focused regarding this subject.
I know u don't respond to readers' queries ,wanted to know from where do I get to download
Ctrl+Alt+Delete
I.S.
Hi Rahul,
A casual search in google resulted in this Blog. I wont use the word FAN for our rapport. Its Admiration to the work you do/support/act. I believe that being a celebrity does help a particular cause... you are doing it right to support it. Buddy, keep up the good work.
Want to support your NGO. I am management student in IIT Madras, i support an NGO "Ananya" in Bangalore. Please let me know, if i am of any help to you.
Thanks,
Keep the Faith,
Prashant
Rahul
Sometimes the endorser becomes the issue itself. And it is also true that general public tend to focus on WHO is saying than WHAT is being said.
You mention Right to Information (RTI). We use celebrities to spread awareness on RTI. People come to see them and the message is conveyed. It works.
Differences of opinion on an issue? Well it does not really matter whether one agrees with a particular person or a celebrity but it definitely high lights the issue when a celebrity is involved. A friend of mine, who otherwise would not bother to understand the Narmada controversy, has a strong stand today, just because she was curious about Aamir Khan and his involvement. It really really works.
"It will be the sweet-acrid smell of bodies dead from starvation, displacement and broken hearts. Mass pyres lit with paper tapers made from the pages of our Constitution." ....Poetry in prose?! Rahul, if only i had the gift of communication that you have been gifted with i would have been able to explain how these words of yours cast their charm on me. Fatafati guruji!
Your observations on the marriage of celebs and causes could not have been more correct. I guess, the happy (or is it unhappy?) marriage is not much because of the love of the celebs and causes for each other, but more because of the media, that not only does the work of a marriage bureau by getting the two together, but also that of a priest in solemnising the tie-up.
The shortlived marriages do good more often than not in that they help getting those opaque eyeballs to pop in certain places. But when our heroes and heroines, as you have observed, enter into partnerships with causes without actually knowing what they are, it is a disaster! a wastage of resources...time.. space.. and some useless exercise of eyeballs.
anuradha
Hi Rahul, how are you? I've seen Mr & Mrs Iyer & 15 Park Avenue. Both are wonderful! Mr & Mrs Iyer is my favourite film. You & Konkona acted very well. & that small baby Santaram is so sweet! She is Aparna's grand daughter, right! What's her name? The story is very good. & the last scene… & in the train when Konkona drinks your water & you smiles, she asks "what is this?'' & you ask "what is what?"…Oh! I've no word to express my feelings! I've watched it several times. 15 Park Avenue is also a very good film. Shabana Azmi looked so nice! Her acting is marvellous! You & Konkona look so nice together! Hope to see you together in more films.
Now you are working in a Bengali film 'Anuranan'. Waiting for the release of the film.
How was your experience in working with Aparna, Konkona & Shabana?
Mail me here bhutnaina@yahoo.com
Hey saw you on TV speaking abt the Narmada issue...loved to see that a celebrity is a part of a movement not just for clicks...wud love to know your opinion on the recent reservation issue too..it drives me wild at times how blindly the path of votes is followed...Do read this interview with Arjun Singh to see how full of knowledge this ppl who ammended the constitution are
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/decision-on-quota-is-final-arjun/11063-4-0.html
Hey saw you on TV speaking abt the Narmada issue...loved to see that a celebrity is a part of a movement not just for clicks...wud love to know your opinion on the recent reservation issue too..it drives me wild at times how blindly the path of votes is followed...Do read this interview with Arjun Singh to see how full of knowledge this ppl who ammended the constitution are
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/decision-on-quota-is-final-arjun/11063-4-0.html
Hey saw you on TV speaking abt the Narmada issue...loved to see that a celebrity is a part of a movement not just for clicks...wud love to know your opinion on the recent reservation issue too..it drives me wild at times how blindly the path of votes is followed...Do read this interview with Arjun Singh to see how full of knowledge this ppl who ammended the constitution are
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/decision-on-quota-is-final-arjun/11063-4-0.html
Sorry for the above comment got posted thrice..had some prob with the page and cudn't see it..as i write though the decision on reservations is out...it hurts to see the way they introduced it abs without much study...wonder if they're gonna bring in something more spectacular like Petrol for Rs 2 next and try n win 100% votes..i hate to see them doing this to our country
it was tough not to get overawed by ur celeb status and to read this post from an objective perspective.here's what i think:
Agreed that celebs can use the media to present both sides of an issue instead of taking a stand.however media, as you pointed out, is more keen on TRPs.In the first place,if the media had done the job of highlighting relevant news rather than covering glitzy events, celebs wouldn't have had to speak up for such causes.
the next question is, how can we get media to play it's actual role of watch dog?there seem to be no straight answers to that.controlling the media is curtailing the right to speech...
all the same,great post! even if this hadn't been a celeb's blog , the opinions expressed here are definitely of a thinker.u too have spoken up for causes, though less controversial.i can see the cause which spurred this post:)
didn't know rahul bose was a thought leader who could give such balanced/subtle views.wish we the public were as socially aware as some of the celebs.
Hi Rahul, I ran into you at Leicester Square at the beginning of May when you were shooting with Rajat Kapoor and Rituparna Sengputa. Just thought I'd drop you a line and say hi - I've put up the picture we took on my blog! Have a good one!
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Manas Datta commented on Celebrities and Causes
Hi Rahul, I ran into you at Leicester Square at
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H.S commented on Celebrities and Causes
it was tough not to get overawed by ur celeb st
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Mayuresh K commented on Celebrities and Causes
Sorry for the above comment got posted thrice..
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Mayuresh commented on Celebrities and Causes
Hey saw you on TV speaking abt the Narmada issu
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Mayuresh commented on Celebrities and Causes
Hey saw you on TV speaking abt the Narmada issu
Hey Rahul!
Let me take you away for a while from the issues that matter you... I wish to share this with you...
I am a fan of yours and I have liked your work on screen a lot and then I have a friend who is a BIG MAD CRAZY BEYOND-REPAIR (!) fan of yours and she made me watch Mr. & Mrs. Iyer, Chameli, et al at least 9-10 times (!!!!). I knew almost all the dialogues in the movies by heart! :) She was my roomie and there wasnt a single wall/ door that did not sport your picture.
Unfortunately I have lost touch with her for the last 1-11/2 yrs but aam sure her passion for you is still on! :)
Love & God bless!