In the most tone-deaf example of what is sadly becoming more
of a fad than actual activism, the social media campaign to raise awareness of
the schoolgirl hostages of Nigeria’s terrorist group Boko Haram made its way to
the red carpet last weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, where some of the cast
of the upcoming action flick The
Expendables 3 posed for photos
with signs bearing the now-familiar plea, “Bring Back Our Girls.”
“Hashtag activists” Harrison Ford, Kelsey Grammar, Wesley
Snipes, Sylvester Stallone, Ronda Rousey and Mel Gibson lined up and presented
the signs (strangely minus the hashtag) to the masses of photographers that
descend on the glittering French Riviera hot spot this time of year. In a
separate incident, actress Salma Hayek brandished
a similar sign on the Cannes red carpet.
(“Bring Back Our Girls” wasn’t the only such red carpet activism
there. The cast of the Turkish film Winter's
Sleep held
up signs reading “#Soma,” referring to the Turkish city where over 300
people were killed in a ghastly coal mining accident a week ago.)
Apparently the Expendables
actors didn’t confer beforehand about just what sort of facial expressions
might be suitable for such a serious, weighty issue, because all were smiling to
one degree or another. At least Ford looked a little sheepish and Grammar
stiffly uncomfortable, as if they alone were aware of the vast disparity
between their message and the glamorous setting. Perhaps Snipes was just happy
to be out of prison after his tax evasion sentence, and maybe Gibson, looking
like a tuxedoed Biblical prophet, was just happy to be in the spotlight for a
reason other than personal meltdowns. Stallone and Rousey wore the most
inappropriate grins imaginable, as if they were holding up signs with
punchlines on them.
The efficacy of hashtag activism, discussed
by Acculturated’s own Gracy Olmstead last week, is hotly debated. Some argue
that it raises awareness and puts political pressure on the target, while
others believe it accomplishes nothing except to make the sign-bearers feel
momentarily good about themselves before returning to their sheltered lives. Indeed,
the only impact it may have on the Boko Haram savages is to raise their profile
and give them the notoriety they enjoy.
But whatever the answer, hashtag activism may have jumped
the shark at Cannes. The reaction on Twitter to the Expendables photo was largely negative – and rightly so. “This is
actually embarrassing at this point,” read one
of the milder tweets. Two
of the harsher ones were: “These girls deserve respect and help, not idiots
holding cardboard. What an insult to them and us” and “F**k them. What are they
doing about it while they're sipping champagne in viewing parties on French Riviera?”
In all fairness, the actors mean well, and it’s unclear whether
it was even their idea or how much notice the actors had to prepare – perhaps a
publicist thrust the signs into their hands just seconds before the pic was
snapped, and awkwardness ensued. And what harm can it do, you may well ask?
After all, who can raise awareness better than Hollywood celebrities?
The harm comes not from actors getting involved in the
issues, but from ill-considered displays like the one involving the Expendables cast in Cannes, which may do
more damage than good in the sense that they reek of “conspicuous compassion”
and apparent insincerity, which just invite public contempt rather than inspire
fans to take action.
By contrast, a serious celebrity activist like Angelina
Jolie isn’t content to flash a hashtag from the red carpet or put in a brief
appearance in a celeb-packed PSA. She does more than simply raise awareness. Check
out the videos, for example, of United Nations ambassador Jolie visiting and
talking with young Syrian refugees in Lebanon and in Turkey, as well as refugee children in
Ecuador. There is no question of her active commitment.
(This article originally appeared here on Acculturated, 5/21/14)
