Why comedians should stick to politics
Gabriel Roberts argues that we all have the right to voice our opinion on political issues, including comedians and celebrities.
In the days after Boris Johnson updated the country on the Government’s policy towards the current coronavirus pandemic, you may well have come across Matt Lucas’ bumbling and muddled impression of the Prime Minister. Since being posted an hour after Johnson’s speech on Sunday, we can safely say that the comedian’s video has gone viral, having now been viewed more than six million times on his Instagram and Twitter accounts alone. While many people seemed to enjoy Lucas’ parody of the PM’s circuitous message, as always, there was a vocal minority who resented his entry into political satire. With these complaints came the usual phrases and buzzwords used to shut down these kinds of messages: “Stick to comedy”; “Keep politics out of comedy” and “Virtue signalling” to name a few.
These accusations are usually used any time people see celebrities using their platform to discuss important issues or promote a message. And while it can certainly be disheartening to find out that a public figure you support may disagree with you on a controversial subject, these accusations are a symptom of something much more worrying. These celebrities are criticised because they are deemed to have overstepped their boundaries; according to their critics, Colin Kaepernick can only ever be an American football player, Emma Watson can only ever be an actress, and Matt Lucas can only ever be a comedian. If we only have the right to talk about the one subject we are known for, is it then only politicians that have the right to talk about politics? Following this logic, how can we determine what is political, and consequently what subjects are out of bounds for politicians?
Plainly speaking, politics affects every aspect of our lives and it should therefore be open to everyone. From deciding how we interact with other nations on a global scale, to issues that affect us personally, like the amount of funding that our communities receive to provide local services, politics influences our lives on every level. Choosing which party or policy to vote for can even dictate the basic rights that we enjoy each and every day. The phrase “Stick to what you know” is born out of the idea that politics is not for normal people to participate in, but instead for politicians and “knowledgeable” people to talk about. This is a dangerous mentality, as it leads to a sense of apathy towards the opportunities that the public is given to discuss and decide how their country is run.
While some may argue that inequalities in voter turnout put certain groups in society at a disadvantage, the issue can be viewed in much simpler terms; the more people feel they have a part to play in politics, the more people will cast their vote and therefore the more the democratic result will resemble the overall political position of the country. Denying individuals the right to offer their opinion due to what made them famous will only discourage this. According to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, voter turnout for the 2019 UK General Election was 67.55%, above Ireland (62.8% in February 2020) but below Spain (71.76% in April 2019) and Germany (76.15% in September 2017). Although this figure comes in the middle of the pack for European countries, there is still much work to be done; for almost 80 years (1922 to 2001), UK voter turnout never fell below 70%, and the highest turnout still stands at 83.9% during the 1950 General Election, which shows that we can do better.
While there is certainly an argument that we need some forms of escapism from the stresses of the modern world, we should be striving for more public involvement in politics, not less. And for those who feel they aren’t qualified to trawl through jargon-filled articles on government policy, integrating political discussion into comedy and other creative forms is an important way of encouraging them to engage with important issues. In times like these, when policy can save or cost lives, it is vital that we protect and promote every individual’s right to participate in political discourse, regardless of profession or position, to ensure that everyone has a say in the important issues that will shape the future of our country.
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