Celebrity Activism and Distant Suffering Literature & Language Essay (Essay Sample)

Celebrity Activism and Distant Suffering
Student Name
Course
Professor
Institution
Date
Introduction
Effective celebrity activism involves the celebrities using their fortune and fame to cover important issues that are of concern to the functioning of the contemporary society. Celebrity activism uses its inherent credibility to represent themselves as agents of social movements. Internationally-recognized celebrities play a significant role in unraveling societal problems that would have otherwise faded unnoticed as a result of no news coverage. Celebrities have increased their activities in Africa. Notably, most of their actions are focused on the suffering of the African populations rather than the development progress in the continent. In the recent past, there is an increasing depiction of white celebrities as saviors in the vulnerable communities in Africa. These activities have unraveled interest in the moral implications of such representations. Also, most stars appear as well-meaning, but ultimately they are irresponsible and potentially destructive to the cause. Celebrity activism perpetuates stereotypes concerning the target communities as a result of selective humanitarian approaches. This paper discusses the concept of celebrity activism concerning the idea of distant suffering while acknowledging the role of news items in the subject matter.
Celebrity Activism and the concept of Distant Suffering
Actor, as well as human rights activist George Clooney, helped protect human rights violations in the Darfur region in present-day Sudan. His interactions with the Nuba mountain people in Sudan helped bring the Sudan conflicts into the public limelight. The Hollywood star managed to spark global interest in the Sudanese war through his activities of helping people living in extreme poverty and suffering. The actor warned the world about the human rights atrocities in the Darfur region in the border of Sudan and South Sudan as a result of aerial bombing by the Sudanese authorities. Clooney described how came face to face with rocket attack and witnessed destruction and death in the African countries. Clooney described the Darfur region situation as a real disaster while briefing the Foreign Relations Committee Senate. Clooney’s activities in South Sudan unraveled the questions of distant suffering among his followers. How Clooney over-simplified the human slaughtering in the Nuba Mountains raised questions about the concept of distant pain. The international community was aware of the human rights violation in the region and are tasked with providing a permanent solution to the problem. The actor’s coverage of the human slaughtering in South Sudan sparked interest in the political and moral implications of his concerns (Joye, 2015, p.682).