Actor Matthew McConaughey is in the spotlight this week after giving a performance on behalf of the Biden administration. Standing in front of the press, McConaughey called for more gun control. He called to restrict the rights of American citizens. Of course, the gun grabbers of the country praised him, with one pundit saying it was the most important speech an actor has ever given. At the same time, many of those that oppose gun control brushed it off, pointing out that the actor is just that, an actor. Who cares what he has to say because he should stick to acting and stay out of the political limelight, right? Shut up and dribble mentality. But here is the thing. We absolutely should pay attention to what McConaughey said, even if he is just an actor.
McConaughey is an A-list award-winning actor who has clout. But not just clout amongst the Hollywood elite or even the political elitists. No! His reach is vast. Let’s look at his social media.
Twitter: 2.9 million followers
Facebook: 9.8 million followers
Instagram: 6.4 million followers
Youtube: 670K followers
Those are just 4 of his social media accounts. That is a long reach. That is millions of people who follow him and listen to what he has to say (yes, not everyone will agree). That is millions of potential voters who will see a popular and loved celebrity plead to the public to strip away American rights. Unfortunately, millions of people will do what he says. Millions of people will listen to him. Millions of people will vote for politicians who will erode our right to self-defense.
This goes not just for him, but for any celebrity. We may not like their politics (hell, even their movies) but they have the potential to sway elections. It’s unfortunate that people listen to celebrities and trust them. But that is the world we live in. Don’t brush off what McConaughey or any other star has to say. It may be a backwards way of thinking that lacks common sense, but at the end of the day, it will penetrate the minds of millions of voters who can make a difference in elections.