Showbiz should stay off politics, mind its business

Published: Mon 29 Jan 2018, 7:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 29 Jan 2018, 9:58 PM

Celebrities often blow it when they talk politics and take the seriousness out of genuine movements that are calling for a change in social attitudes. The entertainment industry is free to have strong views and air them but it has clearly failed to grasp the fault lines between truth and fiction. Hillary Clinton, who can't get over her shock defeat to Donald Trump in 2016, joined the chorus at the Grammys on Sunday night. She has found it hard to move on, and has resorted to gimmicks to stay in the limelight.
At the Grammys, she was shown auditioning for an audio book dripping with allegations against Donald Trump. Other musicians also 'raised their voices' and turned cheerleaders against the current administration by reading lines from the book. It didn't matter that the book was written by a man who finds his creativity from spurious sources. Large parts of Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff are a figment of the writer's imagination.
The Grammy awards are meant to honour the best talent in the music industry. Bruno Mars swept the awards, but the musicians sounded comical with their speeches. This was their show and they got busy mouthing nonsense about the usual suspect Donald Trump, and read from a dangerous script written for the global stage and stoked more divisions instead of striking notes of calm and harmony in what is perceived to be a polarised landscape. This is still a young presidency and the hurry in which musicians and actors are keen to write it off is shocking.
The entertainment industry should turn the mirror on itself and introspect before pointing fingers and mocking those in government. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley tweeted: "I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don't ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it." Showbiz's current take on politics is nothing short of revolting. On a night when the music industry should have been celebrating music, it's a pity the stars did not shine like they should.