2016 was certainly full of surprises. However, it would appear that the most surprising aspect of 2016 was the result of the presidential elections. There wasn’t a news media outlet that predicted it and realistically not many people probably believed that Donald Trump, billionaire businessman, would actually be elected president of the United States.

While I will hold my political views, for now, one of the many things that frustrated me throughout this whole election cycle was how much celebrity views were publicized. Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus waltzed around a college campus knocking on dorm room doors under the premise of telling students to get out and vote yet flat out asking them who they would vote for. Many celebrities boldly made statements that if Trump was elected they would leave the country! Just as a side note, to date, no celebrities have left and suddenly any conversation of leaving has disappeared.

My question is a simple one: Why the hell does America care what these people have to say about politics?

Let’s think about this… celebrities are actors, singers, and entertainers primarily. Yes, they are people that other people tend to look up to and will follow. We watch them on the news, Facebook, Instagram. We watch their movies, we listen to their music. But has our society become so obsessed with celebrities and their every thought and action that we can become so easily influenced by them when it comes to something as important as politics? As scary as it is I think that the answer is, in many ways, yes.

Unfortunately, I have wondered whether or not celebrities really understand the enormous weight of influence that they can have on certain people, especially young people. While I’m sure that many people would still consider me “young” I know that I have my own thoughts and opinions on many matters. There is not one celebrity in the world that would be able to influence any decision that I make in my life, especially when it comes to politics. I wonder how many voters really went to the booth on Election Day and said to themselves, “I’m voting for _______ because _______ is voting for them.” Where is the sense of individuality? Where is a person’s own thoughts- period?

It is my opinion that Hollywood needs a big wake up call. Realistically, I think that there are many in Hollywood that promote voting and who they are voting for not because it is important but because it is the “cool” and “trendy” thing to do. The right to vote and exercising that right is something that is only talked about in Hollywood during presidential elections. Where are these same celebrities during the years when the president isn’t being elected but elections are still taking place? No where to be found. Ultimately, I believe that Hollywood needs to stay out of the political atmosphere. Celebrities need to keep their opinions to themselves. If they are going to speak on politics, promote the right to vote every year, not just every four years. And most importantly, if you make statements- stick to them- regardless of what you are speaking about.