With the way that media and social networking are so closely tied together with reporting these days, it's no surprise that dirty laundry on actors and actresses is constantly being brought to the surface. Things lay hidden beneath the shiny exterior that celebrities put on, and not all of it is necessarily good. When it comes to actors, however, there is a certain moral ambiguity to finding out your favorite star might not be as wonderful as you thought they were. Say you grew up with "The X-Files" as your favorite show, only to find out that Gillian Anderson (Scully) is a transmisogynist. Can you in good conscience continue to love the show and the character? Or is it just the actress that is problematic?
It's something I see every day. As someone who spends most of their time browsing Tumblr (what I would easily call the most opinionated place on the internet), it's not hard to run across evidence of the many mistakes nearly every celebrity out there has made. For example, everyone involved in the recent Taylor Swift vs. Kimye scandal was torn apart within minutes, evidence for both sides' cases brought to the surface from deep, deep down. No one is innocent in the eyes of the internet, because everyone leaves a trail of their past mistakes, no matter how small.
The biggest struggle when it comes to actors and their wrongdoings is that it can be difficult to separate a person from a character. On one hand, you have a character you love, but on the other you have a real life person who has done something that shouldn't be supported. So what do you do? It's a question you'll get quite a few different answers to, but for now we can present one argument and let you form your own opinion.
One of the most talked about and widely anticipated films of late is the solo Wonder Woman film, whose trailer was released at San Diego Comic Con. While Wonder Woman herself seems like someone to be praised and looked up to, we may not be able to say the same about the actress who portrays her. Israeli actress Gal Gadot has spoken out many times about her time serving in the Israeli Defense Force, and would be considered a zionist (someone who is part of the Jewish political movement attempting to rebuild the Land of Israel by invading Palestine) by most.
Is it morally sound to support an actress who is part of an oppressive political movement? And, by association, is it right to support films that she is a part of? Nearly every main actor starring alongside Gal in "Justice League" has been accused of some major fault, making people wary of DC's upcoming films. Personally, I think that while it is very important to recognize the faults of these actors and not support someone who participates in harmful behavior, it is equally important to realize that they are not the characters that they portray. Wonder Woman stands for peace and equality, and it would be a shame for her character to not see success on the big screen just because of the mistakes Gal Gadot has made.
I do, however, understand the view of people who don't want to support the work of largely problematic actors and actresses. Many situations have come to light recently that make me more disappointed in Hollywood than I have been in a long time. I hope that we can bring these issues to public attention and make the industry a better, less corrupt place than it has been. Don't be afraid to recognize when something or someone is wrong, because the first step to learning from your mistakes is learning that you're making a mistake. There will always be bad, but together, we can help to enjoy the good.
