Commitment to the cause: the changing nature of celebrity

by Ryan Deluchi

What does Kim Kardashian do?

Google offers a handful of vague suggestions – from ‘personality’ to ‘socialite’ – that, depending on your perspective, paint a picture of a talented, amorphous multi-hyphenate or a charlatan dining out on family privilege.

But soon the mega celeb will hope to add a far less vague occupation to that list after passing California’s ‘mini bar’ exam in the latest step of her quest to follow in her father’s footsteps as an attorney.

Kardashian’s formal legal training comes off the back of her 2020 documentary ‘The Justice Project’ which saw her become a high-profile advocate for criminal justice reform in the US, suggesting there’s far more substance behind this change in career direction than many are likely to give her credit for.

The story of a 41-year old mum retraining for a new profession is, depressingly, still a story in itself in 2021. But it’s also emblematic of a shift in celebrity culture towards values and purpose – and more pointedly, the level of commitment to the cause that’s now required to achieve credibility in the public eye and specifically, with the Next Gen.  

Of course, hands-on celebrity activism is nothing new. Angelina Jolie was liberating Cambodia of its orphans before Gen Z were even born. But in 2021, it feels very different.

Donations, fundraiser appearances and recorded messages of goodwill are all still welcomed by the causes that seek the support and awareness that celebrity platforms provide, but never has there been such a demand for action from the wider population.

When it comes to the accusation of woke washing, it seems that most celebrities are now assumed guilty until proven innocent.

Of particular note are the celebrities of the past decade; the Millennial poster boys and girls that have maintained their relevance to young audiences – consciously or not - by adopting a more values-driven approach to celebrity.  

Sir Lewis Hamilton – the most successful F1 driver of all time – shot to prominence in the late noughties due to his unprecedented driving talent, before wider fame came along with the arrival of the lucrative brand sponsorships and the celebrity girlfriend. His vocal support for Black rights has, relatively speaking, been a very recent pillar of what Hamilton stands for.

It’s a trajectory that other Millennial stars have followed. Taylor Swift was a Republican darling for most of her early career - simply by virtue of being from the South and having not publicly stated otherwise - before announcing her support for LGBTQ rights in 2018 and in doing so, likely lost and gained support in equal measure.   

The UK’s biggest girl band, Little Mix, won a legion of young fans during their successful run on the X-Factor – all of which have since got older. The band members have since been vocal about a spectrum of societal issues – from race and beauty standards to online bullying and LGBTQ rights – which is unlikely to have been lost on teen audiences today who are increasingly looking for their idols to stand for something beyond their vocation.

Those of a cynical disposition could see this trajectory as an attempt from celebrities to maintain their relevance with youth audiences. Popstars, musicians and reality TV stars age, but often, their fanbases don’t. Little Mix still need teen girls to love them if they’re going to have continued careers. Kim Kardashian needs young fans to buy her merchandise and watch her shows if she is to maintain her influence in pop culture.  

But it could also be argued that we simply live in a time where celebrities are allowed to care, and it’s the open mindedness of the Next Gen allowing them to do so.

It’s ridiculous to conclude that Lewis Hamilton - as the only Black driver in the F1 circuit - had no interest in the rights of Black people earlier on his career. It’s far more likely that he now feels more comfortable being vociferous in his opinions, knowing that doing so is far less likely to limit his career than it may well have done ten years ago. Any resultant engagement or appreciation from wider audiences is simply a welcome by-product and a chance to amplify his views on the causes he cares about, rather than being the objective itself. 

The same can be said of brands. When once upon a time it was good enough to direct consumers to the CSR page of a corporate website to read about the annual charity donations that had been made or how many trees had been planted, that doesn’t cut it anymore.

Brands, like their celebrity counterparts, need to pick a lane and stick to it, with full throttled commitment trumping passive good citizenship.

After all, remaining mute often means remaining complicit - at least in the eyes of young consumers.

Whether or not a drive for purpose beyond profit stems from a genuine latent desire being unleashed within an organisation, or simply the fear of obsolescence amongst the Next Generation, is almost a moot point in this context. Regardless of intention, action must be prioritised over rhetoric at every opportunity.

Just like Kim Kardashian’s journey to becoming an attorney, it won’t be an overnight endeavour. But to the Next Generation, that’s exactly the point.