Being a celebrity seems like a world-class dream when you're a kid, but as you get older, we begin to sympathize and recognize that the reality of being a celebrity is not an easy one and as much as there are perks and enormous payoffs, there are many sacrifices made to satisfy fans and not every part of that dream lives up to what you pictured. I wouldn't know since I'm not in that spotlight, but when you hear the interviews and the tell-alls about what life is really like and the struggles that are part of being a celebrity, it's hard not to feel bad sometimes.

But on the other hand, the wealth, the excitement, the privilege, and the platform are things that don't come easily to anyone, and ordinary citizens don't get to experience that. I like to see both sides, but one of my biggest disappointments with celebrities in 2017 is the lack of a willingness I've seen to stand up for causes, movements, doing what is right in politics, and championing the good fight.

I think what I find so troubling about Hollywood and the entertainment industry today is what they aren't doing. While so many of them have taken stances to stand up for victims of crime, those impacted by natural disaster, and to stand against hate in our government, so many also remain silent. I simply don't understand how hard it can be to be a voice for the voiceless.

On the one hand, I have to contemplate how it impacts a career in that industry. If you stand up for a controversial opinion, you might lose fans, endorsements, sponsors, or deals when it comes to music or production. On the other hand, it makes me wonder where the celebrities that remain silent actually stand. Because when it comes to politics and huge, global issues, doing what is right is more important than losing a fraction of the money you already have a plethora of.

I'm not calling on all celebrities to immediately stop what they're doing and find a cause or person or organization to donate to and represent, although I'd love that. But I'm asking that celebrities be more willing to speak up in simple ways instead of being bystanders.

When I see stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry really step up and support great causes and politicians that fight for people, it motivates me and gives me hope. But then I see stars like Taylor Swift and others who consciously choose to stay quiet. And while I have to be honest with myself in saying, yeah, I wish more celebrities were outwardly liberal like I consider myself, I think I just wish that more celebrities would just be involved. So many are doing that, but others choose to stay out of politics, including talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon, who shared recently he likes to stay out of politics.

I just don't quite understand that. There's a lot to say when it comes to that point. In one headline online, I saw that an opinion piece didn't think celebrities like Swift "owed" us their political views. While I think that we are privileged to be ordinary people who can and do keep who we mark on the ballot to ourselves when we see fit, celebrities don't have that option all the time because they are pressed by the public to reveal that information. While that isn't entirely fair, I think that when we support you and fund you by watching your movies or buying your music, it's enough to share that with us and take a stand alongside your fanbase. In a changing world where politics is still seen as somewhat of a no-go conversationally, I think it's time we branch out and move on because politics must be talked about, in all social spheres. Our political climate is so new and different now, and silence isn't an option. Celebrities can be leaders in that movement.

Now is not the time to be silent, and it really is counterproductive on a larger scale. You can't be quiet in 2017 because regardless of your political affiliation, you can agree we have someone lacking political experience in the highest office of government on the planet and that he holds beliefs that threaten the safety of many groups. If private citizens can stand up and fight for what is right, celebrities should be able to do the exact same. I think that while the limelight can be a hard place to be, it can be an easier place to stand if you use that platform as a place to do good and make a difference. Celebrities are the people in our lives who can do that most easily because of all the resources they have at their disposal. It isn't wrong to hope that they will.

Am I hoping celebrities all denounce Trump? Deep down, yeah. But I truly hope that celebrities simply denounce hate, fight for what is right, and refrain from being bystanders. Being a bystander is like not voting in an election — it's endorsing the winner, or endorsing whatever movement or energy or opinion or idea prevails in society. When you grace the covers of our magazines and star in the movies we watch with our families, it's comforting to know you're with us in standing up for the American people, and not shying away on the sidelines of these trying times.