When Politics Has a Price Tag

The rise of the word “woke” is perhaps one of the best indications of an increasing politically aware pop culture consciousness. Firmly rooted in a younger generation, “woke” is an adjective signifying an above-average and liberal understanding of current affairs, particularly relating to social injustices such as racism. Though originating from the dialect of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), “woke” made its way into the more general public lexicon following the widely publicized 2014 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests (a response to alleged instances of police brutality involving black men such as Michael Brown and Eric Garner). The birth of activist movements such as BLM taken in conjunction with the recent backlash toward President Trump’s treatment of minorities and women have pushed millennials and members of Generation X into an increasingly politically aware mindset.

While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the notion of an enhanced political awareness, being “woke” becomes an issue when the act is commodified. Artists and celebrities have capitalized on the increasing awareness surrounding legitimate social unrest simply as a means of enhancing their popularity. In other words, being “woke” has often been reduced to a trend. Celebrities lean on a platform of political awareness, without largely caring about the issues beyond what can be visible online to a mass audience.

Pop singer Katy Perry’s recent single “Chained To The Rhythm” embodies this shallow awareness. Its vague and hardly politically suggestive lyrics lead it to fall heavily short of the anthem meant to “start conversations” that Perry believes to be (as she expressed in a pre-Grammys interview) some sort of musical remedy to the tumultuous political climate. Such a frail attempt at awareness is further undermined when looking back at the singer’s oftentimes problematic behavior; she has repeatedly appropriated other cultures by donning a kimono or cornrows, and encouraged stereotypes through her song “Ur So Gay.”

Lena Dunham is another celebrity who holds herself as a political role model for feminism. However, she has instead succeeded in becoming the poster child of “white feminism,” a term that has also gained traction in recent years, likely as a response to the increasingly ingenuine environment of political awareness. This refers to feminism that fails to recognize the greater oppression experienced by underprivileged, especially non-white, women. While Dunham has used her status as a feminist as a foundation for many aspects of her career, (including starting “Lenny Letter,” a feminist newsletter), her shaky stance has also been revealed at times. In a few instances, she allegedly made racist remarks about black American football player Odell Beckham Jr. and actor Michael B. Jordan, revealing that her apparent passion for equality does not extend to people of color.

Alternately, preeminent fashion model Kendall Jenner’s recent advertisement for Pepsi represents a rare moment when this sort of shallow awareness was widely recognized and disparaged. Jenner’s participation in such an ad (which, in attempting to sell the beverage, utilized scenes from protests akin to Black Lives Matter) represents one of the purest examples of political awareness becoming merely a commodity.

Though the immense criticism received by both Jenner and the brand Pepsi led to the ad being pulled, similar, more subtle instances from other artists, such as Katy Perry, often go unnoticed. The perpetrators continue to profit without giving in to, in short, exploitation.

That’s not to say that it is impossible to be a genuinely “woke” artist or celebrity. One need only look at the work of Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar to see that one does not have to sacrifice strong political authority for success. Both artists deliver messages in their music that are unashamedly clear, presented not to gain anything but to spread a message regardless of any possible controversy. This is clear when Lamar spits out the words, “We hate po-po / Want to kill us dead in the street fo sho” on his acclaimed album “To Pimp a Butterfly” or when Beyoncé wore a Black Panther-inspired outfit during the Halftime show of Super Bowl 50, thus aligning herself with the controversial Black nationalist party. White artists would do well to learn from artists such as these, reminding themselves that being “woke” is not a carefully curated persona, but ultimately a tool by which to effect change.