Fearlessly Fucking Forward
Chelsea Handler is not fucking around. Not only has she built a name for herself in the world of stand-up comedy, but she has also managed to break through the late-night scene with Chelsea Lately, written several award-winning books, and hosted her own talk show on Netflix. If you haven’t already guessed it, she’s kind of a big deal in the entertainment industry. When she walks into the room, you can’t help but listen. And when she starts to speak, you can’t help but laugh at her dry, witty humor that continues to shock audiences across the nation. It’s that holy shit did she really just say that? type of humor that we just can’t seem to get enough of.
But as of late, we’ve seen Chelsea take a break from her comedy in order to focus on political activism, telling CBS that she needs to "participate in a more meaningful way" after the most recent presidential election. While it’s clear she isn’t exactly Trump’s biggest fan (just take a look at her twitter feed), she says that it was actually Trump’s election to the White House that motivated her to step up her game and take action. “I just feel a sense of responsibility, I think, more than anything else, to help people understand,” she told the Washington Post. “I know I certainly didn’t understand politics as much as I do now. I have a lot more to learn.” After a few more rants on social media, Chelsea announced that she would be putting her shit in high gear: she partnered with an organization called Emily’s List, which works to elect more women into office, and traveled around college campuses to advocate for political activism.
Is there anyone dumber than @realDonaldTrump? Besides his children, and Melania? Does anyone know anyone dumber? Maybe tila tequila.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 18, 2017
What’s really encouraging about Chelsea’s decision to put comedy on hold, however, is the way in which she’s using her platform as an entertainer to push for the things she is passionate about. In a society where everyone has a voice, it’s sometimes easy to forget how influential social media can be, allowing certain people to rise up and make a difference. But, a lot of influencers feel as though they do not have a role in our political climate, or wish to “stay out of politics” because they fear offending their fans.
Chelsea has no such qualms.
Instead, she has shown up to schools asking to hear from people with different viewpoints, ready to have real discussions about issues like women’s rights and gun control reform. She doesn’t care if people disagree with her and she doesn’t care if people get pissed off after they hear what she has to say. By sporting this attitude, she is setting a precedent for other celebrities to follow.
We can no longer pretend like celebrities don’t have influence, even if they are fairly separated from politics in their daily lives. It’s time for more of them to recognize the responsibility that they have to speak up for the people who don’t have the same reach.
Chelsea put it best when she talked about how important it is for people to speak up for minorities who can’t always speak up for themselves. “You’ve gotta do it,” she said. Even if that means losing followers on your socials. If this election wasn’t enough motivation already, like it was for Chelsea, understand that now is the time to take a stand. Celebrities have work to do, and if this work still scares them, they should take a page out of Chelsea’s book and start moving the fuck forward.