Abstaining From Politics Falls Out of Favor in Hollywood

Partisans, no longer limiting their ire to opponents, are starting to pressure silent entertainers to join the cause, too. Political neutrality is being taken to mean agreement with President Trump, although the inquisition is a trend predating him and one that will obtain beyond his term.Wednesday on Senator Hillary Clinton’s “High Stakes” podcast, the former state secretary rebuked an actor, Matthew McConaughey. “This November,” the Oscar-winner said in a video on October 21, “in more places than ever, you do have more than two choices.” He asked voters to consider all candidates on the ballot. “America’s brand,” he said, “was never R or D. It’s independent.”Ms. Clinton called it “really unfortunate” that Mr. McConaughey, “with such a reach, would suggest — two weeks before a midterm that is aimed at stopping Trump’s corruption … that any independent candidate is really a better choice.” Her reaction recalled a scene in 1989’s “Dead Poets Society.”Playing an English teacher, John Keating, Robin Williams encourages his students to “stroll.” They all end up marching in lockstep save one, who leans alone against a wall instead. “You’ll be joining us?” Keating asks. “Exercising the right not to walk,” the student replies. Keating thanks him, saying he “illustrated the point: Swim against the stream.”Keating’s lesson was about “conformity” and “the difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others.” Today, partisans demand obedience — to know, as the title of the 1931 labor song does, “Which Side Are You On?” Earlier this month, Glen Powell avoided that question, telling Esquire that “politics divide people” and, as an actor, his “calling is elsewhere.”Buzzfeed catalogued the blowback under the headline: “Glen Powell Is Under Fire for This ‘Mind-Numbingly Stupid’ Political Comment.” In September, the star of Disney+’s “She-Hulk,” Tatiana Maslany, judged the actor, Thomas Selleck, and the NBA legend, Michael Jordan, as “cowardly” for avoiding politics.During North Carolina’s 1990 Senate race, Mr. Jordan resisted pressure to endorse the Democratic candidate. “Republicans,” he said, “buy sneakers too,” referring to Air Jordan footwear — a remark pilloried in the “Last Dance,” a 2020 documentary on his career.Another actor, Neil Patrick Harris, when pressed to take a side at February’s Berlin International Film Festival, faced criticism for saying that he prefers to keep his art “apolitical.” The “Captain Marvel” star, Brie Larson, faced criticism in 2017 for her hot takes. She now practices neutrality, with her publicist cutting off topical questions during one interview.In 2024, Christopher Pratt’s op-ed in the “Sunday Paper” asked his “fellow countrymen” to accept the presidential election’s results. The actor has drawn ire for his refusal to engage in politics, and, because of his Christian faith, he’s been declared part of the MAGA camp.The British performer, Henry Cavill, has had his silence interpreted as concealing conservative leanings, too. In 2021, he posted on Instagram that the “social animosity” in his feed by those “speculating” on his politics was “misplaced.” He urged fans to “move forward with positivity” and kept his beliefs private.At the 2026 Grammy Awards in February, Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord, self-described independent, said that “people shouldn’t care” about his opinions. After enduring a wave of snark, the singer complied and ridiculed Mr. Trump when he hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in August.The country music legend, Dolly Parton, resisted, throughout her career, playing pundit throughout her career. “I have my opinion about everybody and everything,” she said in a 2018 “Nightline” interview. “But I learned a long time ago: Keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. I’m not in politics. I’m an entertainer.”In 1979 on “60 Minutes,” the host of the “Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson, was asked about complaints that he’d “never take a serious controversy” on his show. “That’s not what I’m there for,” he said. “Can’t they see that?” This was the default throughout Hollywood’s Golden Age. Today, it’s heresy.Citizens don’t surrender their right to express opinions when they become entertainers, but their speech ought not be compelled. Those who prefer quiet independence are marching with President Washington who — declaring political factions a danger — was on the side of only America itself.

Abstaining From Politics Falls Out of Favor in Hollywood

Abstaining From Politics Falls Out of Favor in Hollywood

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