At the end of the day sports stars, movie stars and other celebrities are all in the business of monetising our emotions. They convert our adulation into wealth for themselves

The smarter ones give a small portion of that money back to the community.
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It’s an investment - that money then generates more adulation which they can monetise further.

Some use their platform for genuine good, but that’s the exception not the norm. Most just raise their voices when they know that will generate more adulation at minimal cost

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When there is a cost involved to raising their voice, they weigh it. Carefully. Is angering a authoritarian government in India worth the adulation it will get you? If it isn’t, they don’t speak. An elephant in an opposition ruled state is an easy win- so they speak.

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Farmers, mishandled pandemics, the CAA NRC, Kashmir, all clear nos. Even amplifying distress messages come at a cost- it goes against the “things are not that bad” narrative.

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I rage at this often but maybe the answer is to just hold on to our adulation. If watching them perform makes one happy, let’s pay only for that. Skip buying their products, don’t engage with them online.

Treat their talents just as cynically as they treat your adulation.
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