When a musician or actor speaks out on a contentious political issue, the response often follows a predictable pattern: outrage, accusations of hypocrisy, and calls for celebrities to stick to their craft. But according to columnist Nesrine Malik, this reaction misses the point. The problem is not famous people engaging in politics, but the failure of political leaders to address the issues that matter, leaving a vacuum that celebrities feel compelled to fill.
Writing in The Guardian, Malik notes that every time an entertainment figure wades into politics, critics act as if it is unprecedented. They rediscover the notion that art should be separate from politics and dispense a form of disciplining. «Please, Mr or Miss Moneybags, with your preening notions that you have anything intelligent or informed to say about immigration policy or Palestine. Stick to football. Stick to pop music. Stick to acting,» she writes, summarising the typical rebuke.
Yet this response ignores history and the reality of the current political moment. The horror of Gaza has broken the art world, roiled Hollywood, and fractured literary institutions. Malik points to the recent example of Ed Sheeran, who found himself standing alone on stage after all his support acts withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore, who had been removed from the tour due to a pro-Palestinian speech. Sheeran told his audience he wanted his music to be «about unity, not division».
The speed at which his tour unravelled, Malik argues, is not evidence that music and politics are incompatible. Instead, it is a study in how increasingly unnatural it is to separate them. The political moment has engulfed everything, and the demand that artists remain silent is itself a political act.
Malik's argument taps into a broader frustration with the state of democratic politics. When leaders fail to deliver on pressing issues — from immigration to foreign policy — the public turns to other voices. Celebrities, with their platforms and reach, become de facto political commentators. The backlash they face is often less about their lack of expertise and more about the discomfort their interventions cause.
The columnist suggests that the real solution is not to silence celebrities but to build politics that works. If mainstream political institutions addressed the concerns that drive public anger and anxiety, there would be less need for entertainers to step into the breach. The rise of celebrity activism is a symptom of a deeper malaise: a political class that has lost the trust and attention of the public.
This dynamic is not new. From Bob Dylan to Bono, from Jane Fonda to Colin Kaepernick, artists have long used their fame to spotlight political causes. What is different today is the intensity of the backlash and the polarisation it reflects. In an era of social media and fragmented media landscapes, political discourse is often reduced to shouting matches, and celebrities become convenient targets.
Malik's critique also challenges the notion that art and politics can be neatly separated. Throughout history, art has been political — whether explicitly or implicitly. The demand that artists stay in their lane is often a way to silence dissent and maintain the status quo. It is also a demand that ignores the ways in which art itself is shaped by political and social forces.
The article comes amid a wider debate about the role of public figures in political life. In the UK and beyond, actors, musicians, and athletes have increasingly used their platforms to advocate for causes ranging from climate change to racial justice. While some applaud their engagement, others accuse them of elitism and of lecturing ordinary people.
Malik's conclusion is clear: if you hate it when music and film stars do politics, the answer is not to tell them to shut up. It is to give people politics that works — politics that addresses their concerns, that offers hope and solutions, and that does not leave a vacuum for celebrities to fill. Until then, the intertwining of art and politics is likely to continue, whether critics like it or not.