There was a time when celebrities were mysterious in the best way. You didn’t know who they voted for. You didn’t know what they thought of a tax bill or a Supreme Court ruling. You only knew them for what they did best — act, sing, play ball, deliver the news. And that was enough.
The line was clear. News anchors gave you facts, not opinions. Athletes gave you highlights, not hashtags. Actors gave you performances, not political speeches. Musicians gave you songs, not sanctimony.
Somewhere along the way, they all decided that wasn’t enough. They decided their politics mattered more than their craft. They decided lecturing the audience was part of the act. And in doing so, they destroyed what made entertainment universal.
Today, I look at actors I once admired, athletes I once cheered for, musicians I once loved — and many of them are ruined for me. Not because of their talent, but because they can’t keep their politics off the stage.
The Old Wisdom – “Both Buy Tickets”
Michael Jordan said it best: “Republicans buy sneakers too.” It wasn’t cynical, it was smart. It was professional. It was respect for the audience.
Jordan understood what today’s celebrities don’t: people don’t come to you for politics. They come to you for escape. They come to be entertained. They come to see you do what you’re great at — not to be lectured about what you think of the president.
That mindset kept celebrities universal. Jordan’s fans spanned political divides. Carson’s viewers included both Democrats and Republicans. Musicians played to arenas filled with people who never once asked who they voted for.
That world is gone. And we are worse off for it.
Hollywood’s Preachy Decline
Hollywood once had mystique. The stars were larger-than-life precisely because they didn’t act like ordinary citizens bickering about politics. You could watch a movie and lose yourself in the story, not think about who the actor despised in Washington.
Now? Award shows have turned into political rallies.
- Meryl Streep’s 2017 Golden Globes speech was less about movies and more about bashing Donald Trump.
- Robert De Niro can’t finish an interview or an awards appearance without screaming obscenities at Trump. His acting legacy is overshadowed by his obsession.
- The Oscars and Grammys regularly feature performers turning their acceptance speeches into campaign ads.
The result? Ratings collapse. The Oscars, once the biggest night in Hollywood, now pull in half (or less) the audience they once did. Viewers are tired of being scolded by millionaires who can’t resist turning their spotlight into a soapbox.
Musicians as Politicians
It didn’t stop with actors. Musicians turned stages into pulpits.
Award shows once celebrated artistry. Now they’re littered with lectures about climate change, immigration policy, or the latest progressive cause. Some concerts feel less like entertainment and more like political rallies with background music.
Instead of being the universal language that united people, music has been politicized. And just like in Hollywood, the result is predictable: shrinking audiences, alienated fans, and lost magic.
Athletes Who Forgot the Game
Sports were once the great American escape. No matter your politics, you could cheer for the home team. The playing field was neutral ground.
That ended when athletes decided that kneeling, boycotts, and slogans mattered more than the game.
- Colin Kaepernick’s NFL protests sparked endless debate, dividing fans who just wanted football.
- The
NBA’s flirtation with political activism — from Black Lives Matter slogans on jerseys to players giving post-game press conferences about policy — turned off millions of viewers.
- Even the Olympics, once the most unifying sporting event on earth, became a stage for protest instead of patriotism.
The numbers don’t lie. Sports ratings have suffered every time politics dominate the field. Fans tune in for touchdowns and three-pointers, not lectures.
News Anchors Who Chose Sides
Journalism might be the biggest tragedy of all. Once, anchors like
Walter Cronkite,
Peter Jennings, and
Tom Brokaw understood the power of neutrality. Viewers didn’t know their politics. They didn’t need to. They tuned in for the facts and trusted the anchor to deliver them straight.
Today? Neutrality is dead.
- MSNBC and CNN are openly partisan, framing every story through a progressive lens.
- Fox News caters to conservatives in response.
- Print journalists tweet opinions like activists instead of reporting like professionals.
The result is a media landscape where news is no longer news. It’s entertainment dressed as journalism, activism disguised as reporting. And trust in media has cratered accordingly.
How They Ruined Themselves for Me
This isn’t abstract. It’s personal. I can’t watch certain actors without hearing their speeches. I can’t listen to certain musicians without remembering their rants. I can’t watch certain sports without being reminded that the scoreboard isn’t the only agenda on the field.
I didn’t ask for their politics. I didn’t pay for their politics. I don’t care about their politics. I cared about their craft. And they ruined it by forcing me to see them as partisans first and artists second.
What they don’t realize is this: when you alienate half your audience, you shrink yourself. You don’t look bold. You look smaller.
The Cost of Celebrity Activism
The cost isn’t just ratings. It’s culture.
Entertainment was one of the few places where Americans could come together. A movie, a song, a game — these were common ground. Now, even those spaces are poisoned by politics.
The left defends this as “speaking truth to power.” But in reality, it’s often just preaching to the choir and alienating everyone else. The “bravery” of speaking out in Hollywood or professional sports isn’t bravery at all — it’s conformity. Everyone in those industries already agrees. The only people they’re defying are their audiences.
And audiences are walking away.
Why This Matters
The erosion of apolitical culture is not a minor annoyance. It’s a cultural disaster.
- It deepens polarization.
- It kills the last shared spaces Americans once had.
- It turns entertainment into propaganda and journalism into activism.
- It robs people of escape, of unity, of the ability to enjoy art without politics attached.
Michael Jordan was right. Both buy tickets. Both watch movies. Both listen to music. Both cheer for teams. When celebrities forget that, they don’t just lose money. They lose the cultural glue that once held audiences together.
Conclusion
I don’t want entertainers to be my politicians. I don’t want athletes to be my pundits. I don’t want journalists to be activists. I want them to do what they do best — perform, play, report.
The more they force their politics on us, the less we can enjoy their work. And for me, many of my favorites are ruined.
It didn’t have to be this way. They chose it. And until a new generation rediscovers the value of silence, the decline of entertainment will continue.
References
- Jordan, M. (1990s). “Republicans buy sneakers too” — widely reported remark on keeping politics out of sports marketing.
- Streep, M. (2017). Golden Globes acceptance speech, critical of Trump.
- De Niro, R. (2018–2020). Public anti-Trump tirades, reported across major outlets.
- Kaepernick, C. (2016). NFL kneeling protests — coverage by ESPN, Sports Illustrated.
- Nielsen ratings reports on Oscars, Grammys, NFL, and NBA declines.
- Pew Research Center: Trust in media reports (2016–2024).
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this post are opinions of the author for educational and commentary purposes only. They are not statements of fact about any individual or organization, and should not be construed as legal, medical, or financial advice. References to public figures and institutions are based on publicly available sources cited in the article. Any resemblance beyond these references is coincidental.
