MDL Beast Fest: Why are celebrities spreading Saudi propaganda?
What’s the one thing celebrities love more than a chance to posture as an advocate for social change? The chance to attend another glamorous blowout party. Nowhere has this been on clearer display than at MDL Beast Fest in Saudi Arabia held last month. Actors, musicians and influencers came from far and wide to take part in the event organized by the government, posting on Instagram gushing captions about what a wonderful experience they had.
Surprise, surprise, there was no mention by those who participated of Saudi Arabia’s obvious problems with human rights.
It’s unclear whether all of the celebrities in attendance were paid to attend and post on their social media accounts, but some were.
According to Diet Prada, a prominent Instagram fashion account, “six-figure sums were offered for attendance and geo-tagged posts.”
The Associated Press spoke to the entertainment authority that licensed the event, and while it admitted to paying some to promote the event, it said the compensation wasn’t that high. But it wasn’t just Diet Prada reporting this. Journalist Yashar Ali states he was contacted by a prominent film actress who reports that she and her husband were offered eight figures to attend but ultimately declined.
Regardless of who was paid and who wasn’t, these celebrities partied hard and had nothing but wonderful things to say about an event intended to rehabilitate the image of one of the world’s most oppressive nations.
A few celebs who were in attendance:
►Armie Hammer. Best known for his portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s husband, Martin Ginsburg, in the film “On the Basis of Sex,” Hammer has expressed grave concern for the issue of gender inequality. He spoke to The Independent on the dangers of “straight white maleness,” saying, “I recognize that there is toxic masculinity all around us.”
Perhaps such toxic masculinity is nowhere more apparent than in Saudi Arabia, where women can be brought up on criminal charges for wearing makeup or interacting with men.
►Ryan Phillippe. You may remember him from the film “Cruel Intentions.” In an interview with Bustle, he said, “I'm so pro, pro female. ... But in the state of California, women make 83 cents on the dollar compared to the man's full dollar. I mean over time, and over bodies, that adds up! It's not equal!”
It seems as though, similarly to Hammer, Phillippe needs to learn a bit more about what feminism really means.
►Halima Aden. The model made history as the first woman to wear a hijab while posing for Sports Illustrated. When she became an ambassador for UNICEF in 2018, she positioned herself as an advocate for human rights, but her glamorous Instagram post from the music festival, which she has confirmed she was paid to post, seems to tell a different story.
Hearing crickets: Where were Hollywood and D.C. truth tellers with Harvey Weinstein and Mark Halperin?
►Winnie Harlow. A model known for her ability to break barriers in the fashion community, Harlow has become a role model for little girls across the country. Last April, the makeup company MAC announced the 25th anniversary of the Viva Glam Campaign. The campaign was meant to support those suffering from HIV and Aids, with drag queen RuPaul the face of the original promotion. Twenty-five years later, Harlow took center stage to recreate RuPaul’s iconic look. Maybe she should have remembered that campaign before she went to Saudi Arabia, where homosexual intercourse is punishable by death.
The lie of celebrity advocates
It’s easy to be Hollywood’s brand of “social justice warrior.” All you have to do is say the right things when a magazine asks you whether you’re a feminist, stand and cheer when a film about gay people wins an academy award, and offer a few nice words when the Human Rights Campaign asks you to give a speech.
That’s not bravery. It’s preening. It’s positioning yourself as just enough of an advocate to keep getting job offers and invites to the best cocktail parties. It’s cool to be an ally. That is, until it’s inconvenient for you or — in some cases, as we’ve seen — your wallet.
Social justice is big business. Companies, actors, athletes and musicians launch ad campaigns designed to virtue signal to consumers, when all they’re really doing is covering their behinds, making sure they aren’t the next target of the cancel culture. They’re no better than televangelist "prosperity gospel" preachers who tell you God will bless you if you just send a check for a hundred bucks. They make money off of your desire to do good. But when it really counts, don’t expect them to show up for battle.
Dear Taylor Swift: You are not a victim, so stop acting like one.
I sincerely hope that the insensitivity of these men and women came from a place of ignorance. If it did, I challenge them to make it right. If they and/or others were paid by the Saudi government, they should give every last penny of that money to a charity dedicated to fighting human rights abuses and designate that money in particular for efforts in Saudi Arabia. Until then, I won’t allow myself to be lectured by hypocrites for whom “social justice” is just a pose.
Haley Victory Smith is an editorial fellow with USA TODAY’s opinion section and a contributor for Young Voices. Follow her on Twitter: @Haley_Victory
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MDL Beast Fest: Why are American celebrities pushing Saudi propaganda?
