Sean Penn has been sounding off again. "Last year I went to Iraq," he told an interviewer. "It was a happy place. They had flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children danced and laughed and played with gumdrop smiles."
Oh no, silly me, that wasn't the real Sean Penn, that was his puppet from Team America: World Police. In truth, the Hollywood star met Argentina's president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in Buenos Aires and said: "It's necessary that these diplomatic talks happen between the United Kingdom and Argentina. I think that the world today is not going to tolerate any kind of ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology."
Cue the inevitable outburst of anger, outrage and mockery from patriotic Brits, and (according to Google News) 479 newspaper articles around the world. The consensus on social media, the inescapable modern barometer of public feeling, was that Penn should stop meddling and keep his views to himself. How dare he hold an opinion on issues of international geopolitics? Tens of thousands of Twitter and Facebook users spluttered their belief that Penn is unqualified, ill-informed and wrong.
Perhaps he is wrong. Certainly his statement didn't acknowledge the crucial principles of self-determination enshrined in international law. On the other hand, perhaps he has taken on board issues around South Atlantic oil exploration zones, mineral reserves and fishing rights and concluded that there are rather larger stakes at play here than the nationality status of a few thousand British sheep farmers and fishing workers. I don't know, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Sean Penn, whether we agree with him or not, may be considerably better informed than the vast majority of those pointing and laughing or yelling.
At the heart of this transient kerfuffle is the question of whether celebrities, be they actors, pop stars, footballers or whoever, should use their position and profile to opine on matters of politics. What is often forgotten is that there is a profound difference between expressing a view and exercising influence. Celebrities have a platform, but that is not the same as power. No government policy has ever been dictated by an actor's opinion. Well, apart from Ronald Reagan from 1980-88, but nobody minded that because the Americans, in their infinite wisdom, gave him the role. Or there is big Arnie in California, of course, which doesn't count for the same reason. Oh, and Joanna Lumley, but, well, you know, she's really Purdey and everyone loves the Gurkhas and despises Phil Woolas, so that's OK then.
That's how these things work. Most of us are happy when celebrities, particularly popular ones, express opinions we agree with. As soon as they say something we don't like, suddenly they're getting ideas above their station and meddling. It seems to me we can't have it both ways. Either we give space to those in the public eye to express their views or we face a pop culture landscape of bland, stultifying, issue avoidance. If they say things that are wrong, tell them so. If they say things that are silly – Sheryl Crow's advice on saving the planet one sheet of toilet tissue at a time springs to mind – then laugh at them. But laugh at them for what they say, not because they said it at all.
Of course it is not always easy for a celebrity to pull off the opinion-forming trick. They will come to grief if their views are accompanied by an attitude of entitlement. This is what I call the Bono effect: "I'm a millionaire rock star, I demand the crusts be cut off my sandwiches, my favourite hat be flown in from Amsterdam, and Africa's exogenic debt crisis be resolved before I will consider playing in your shitty stadium." It is really this type of arrogance and self-aggrandisement that Parker and Stone were mocking in Team America, and it is a line that Penn in particular might sometimes cross. But, whether from left or right or wherever in between, I'd rather have celebrities expressing real opinions than the alternative – like this from Britney Spears: "Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens."
Should Penn have an opinion about the Falklands? Should Joey Barton have views on the Occupy movement? Should Justin Bieber have an opinion on abortion? Hell, yes. Everyone should have an opinion on those things, whether actor, pop star, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, and share them without fear or favour. Ultimately whether you or I choose to agree, disagree or ignore it is down to you and me.
This article was commissioned after a suggestion by cbarr
