I’m Not Expressing A Political Opinion Until My Favorite Celebrity Decides

By Elizabeth Bauer, gossip junkie

The elections might be over, but that doesn’t mean this great country has resolved its many political challenges, the road ahead remains fraught with uncertainty and different values on a collision course. Who can say with certainty what is best for America? I certainly do not presume to dictate what the rest of the country should think and feel, which is why I wait until my favorite celebrity expresses a political opinion before I echo it.

Politics and social issues are far too complex to be reduced to sound bites and simple slogans. It takes years, often decades, to understand the processes at work and the emerging trends – and even then, the so-called experts often get things wrong. I know better than to venture into such dangerous territory in my ignorance. But once Meryl Streep, Ryan Gosling, or Lena Dunham weighs in, I know exactly what to think and say.

It can get complicated, especially when the identity of my favorite celebrity shifts, sometimes from one week to the next. I used to adore Miley Cyrus until she twerked so provocatively. For a while afterwards, my heart belonged to Kanye and Kim. Then I began to gravitate toward Lin Manuel-Miranda – creativity is so sexy! – and it’s really only a select few celebrities whose wisdom I feel I can trust on political matters that affect everyone. I know I’m not qualified, so I rely on them.

It pains me, though, when the people I admire cannot agree on an issue. I can’t imagine what it must be like for admirers of Ted Nugent to discover he does not see eye-to-eye with Chuck Norris on certain things. How can they decide? Nugent and Norris carry roughly the same political gravitas; it must be torture to have to choose between them. I can imagine it actually tearing apart friendships, even families. Fortunately for me, at least, the stars I idolize tend to fall within a narrow band of the political spectrum, so that problem seldom affects my political decisions.

I won’t say my approach does not have its critics. But at least now I have an approach. I used to ignore politics altogether until the weeks before an election, and only then try to figure out what the athletes, entertainers, and models have to say. Some of my friends still do that. But to my critics, I say: has listening to the so-called experts produced any better results?

I didn’t think so.

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