If you haven't been watching Chelsea Handler's new series on Netflix, Chelsea, then you have some serious Chelsea & Chilling to catch up on. Chelsea tackles her new talk show by bringing real world issues to an audience that otherwise is too afraid to ask important questions (ahem- millennials). When her first episode aired and I saw the U.S. secretary of education sitting on the same couch as Pitbull, I was astounded that she could get away with the blending of our political and entertainment worlds. This is a woman who can have Senator Barbara Boxer and DJ Khaled on the same 30 minute segment, and be honest, hilarious, and hot whilst doing so.
Chelsea has graced 190 countries with 9 streaming episodes of her unapologetic presence, and here's what we've learned so far: Drew Barrymore's voice is still annoying, porn addiction leads to erectile dysfunction, and everyone needs to vote.
It's an election year, and the millennials I am surrounded with either utilize their right to vote or dismiss the importance of their vote, using ignorance as a crutch to get around this process.
It hasn't even been 100 years since women got the right to vote. The process to fight for equal rights still isn't over (hello- equal pay for equal work). This is why it irks me to no end when I see my fellow twenty-something beautiful, strong, intelligent women spending hours on perfecting their makeup instead of securing the future of our country. What the f*** did your ancestors even fight for? The right to contour?
I don't claim to know everything about politics or the differences between our candidates. I believe in taking care of our planet, equality, and collaboration for a more peaceful world. It didn't take intelligence or investigation for me to figure out which candidate I choose to root for.
Stop using ignorance as a crutch for not voting.
Pick a topic you're passionate about- whatever it is- spend ten minutes f***ing reading about it, and go vote. It's not just a right that your ancestors have died for- it is your responsibility as an American citizen. Putting off that responsibility to those that you deem to be 'more intelligent' or 'more informed' is putting off your responsibility to participate in what we deem to be a democracy.
Your voice does matter, no matter how educated, informed, or annoying it is. I find a lot of people my age don't believe this, so they sit back, and allow Anglo-Saxon white men to determine the future of our country, which they do purely for their own economic interest. The day you sit back and look at our government, along with all of the hate in this world, and choose to accept that for what it is, is the day that you allow yourself- and your voice- to not matter.
The key to success (DJ Khaled *Major Key Alert*) is to never leave until tomorrow that which you can do today. The voices not practicing their right to vote are the same ones I hear time and time again complaining about the topics that they finally have the right to vote on. If you truly believe your voice doesn't matter, then I hope you practice your right to remain silent if it comes to a sexist, racist, hateful man paving the future of our country.
