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Co-hosts of “The View” debated on Tuesday over whether celebrities have a greater obligation to speak out on political issues or to entertain people and give them a reprieve from such concerns.
Country music superstar Kenny Chesney spoke to Bill Maher on Monday’s episode of the “Club Random” podcast about why he personally rejects the idea that celebrities should tell people who to vote for.
“I’ve just never felt like it was my place,” Chesney said of celebrities talking about politics publicly. “I’ve never saw it to be my place to use my stage or platform, no matter where I’m playing, to tell people how to think or how to vote. Like, they get that everywhere else, everywhere, on every device, every network. They’re there as an escape from all that stuff.”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg showed this conversation to her co-hosts and asked them for their thoughts.
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Co-host Joy Behar praised Bruce Springsteen, who has led an anti-Trump No Kings tour, as an example of a celebrity who does speak out.
“Springsteen walks the walk. He talks about politics. He is a great talent. He can afford it,” she said. “If you can afford it, you certainly should speak up. It’s an American obligation in a certain way.”
“It’s not everybody’s ability,” Goldberg replied.
Co-host Sara Haines recalled actress Kerry Washington saying that she feels a civic calling to speak out, but nonetheless said, “I like places where you can go — Reba McEntire said something similar to Kenny Chesney — ‘I provide the music that brings us all together.’ I like to be able check out of something and not have it be politics. It is a 24/7 news cycle. It’s all I consume. I need comedy, I need music.”
“But you will do your investigation to see where that is. Not everybody talks about politics. Not everybody wants to and not everybody should,” Goldberg replied.
Behar, however, retorted, “He says he doesn’t think he can make a difference. I disagree with that. I think everyone can make a difference.”
While co-host Sunny Hostin said that she believes that celebrities’ political calls to action can sway people on a massive scale, she considers Kenny Chesney a close friend.
“Kenny Chesney and I are good friends. I know that sounds strange to people, but I adore Kenny. We hang out a lot, we text each other, and we have never spoken about politics. Ever. It is just not his jam. It is not his thing,” she said. “And I think what he said is absolutely accurate. He doesn’t feel the need to talk about it. He doesn’t feel that it’s his place.”
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“Look, it’s a free country. Do what you want,” Behar replied.
“We’ve talked about that at this table a lot of times,” Hostin replied. I do think if you have a platform and you’re comfortable using that platform to give voice to people who don’t have voices, you must do it. If you are comfortable doing it.”
In May, the co-hosts of “The View” had actually criticized musician Billy Bob Thornton for a similar statement on a podcast.
During an appearance on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast, the “Landman” actor, 70, explained why he’s never been one to use his Hollywood platform to force political or personal beliefs on others, paraphrasing a famous Ricky Gervais quote warning against political speeches during an award show, “Get your little award and f— off.”
“I don’t know anything about politics,” Thornton said. “I have no idea. And the stuff that I do believe, I don’t want to force it down somebody else’s throat because I’m not an expert on that.”
While Goldberg did not seem offended by the statement, Behar responded with contempt, saying, “Imagine bragging about how uninformed you are.”
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Hostin agreed, saying, “We are at a crisis point in this country. I think democracy is participatory. I think when you have a platform, that means I have an outsized voice and when you have a platform, I think that you have a responsibility to speak up about what’s going on in this country and, my view, silence is complicity. We need every single ally to speak out.”
Goldberg concluded on Tuesday’s episode, however, “You shouldn’t expect it from anyone unless they offer it to you. If they offer it to you, then it’s groovy. But if you’re going in looking for it, waiting for it, getting mad they’re not doing it, it’s pointless because every individual has the right to make their own mind up, and sometimes it’s just not your thing.”
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