Do you think celebrities have an obligation to use their fame to advocate important health causes?

Question

The Apple TV+ movie Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie says, "In 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of Hollywood’s biggest names as the star of a hit TV show and the decade's highest-grossing movie Back to the Future.

Just a few years later, while filming Doc Hollywood in Florida, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

In Still, Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim offers a poignant portrait of Fox’s personal and professional life and his journey from teen idol to advocate for a cure.

Do you think celebrities have a duty to advocate for a cure for particular health conditions, even though they are fortunate enough to not have the condition themselves? What would Michael J. Fox be doing now if he hadn't had Parkinson's?

Do you think celebrities have an obligation to use their fame to advocate important health causes?

abc3643 · Accepted Answer

I won't say they have an obligation, but they certainly can use their celebrity to influence - especially if the illness or disease is something they have. (If you think about it, celebrities are the original "influencers".)

Celebrity illnesses such as Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Disease help raise awareness of the disease so there is public pressure to find a cure or at least help the millions of anonymous others who have the same disease.

Here's another example... In the early 1980s, AIDS got on the public radar. However, it seemed to affect primarily gay men since they were transmitting it to each other via homosexual sex. So, a lot of people didn't care about it and some were even smug calling it the "Gay Flu" and/or saying it was God's punishment for their being sinful homosexuals.

Well, back then, former actor Ronald Reagan was President and not much was being done. But then, in 1985, major star Rock Hudson got it and died. Hudson's death did two things:

First, while it was known privately that he was gay, it was not known to the public. Rock Hudson was not the stereotypical effeminate homosexual but, instead, was an icon of being a man's man; very masculine-looking and always being the leading man in his movies. People began to think "If Rock Hudson could be gay, who else could be gay? Anyone in my family?"
Second, AIDS went from being the "Gay Flu" to being something of concern. We ALL finally knew someone who died from AIDS - it wasn't just something that happened to other people. Other celebrities such as Super-A-List actress Elizabeth Taylor, a friend of Hudson, helped promote awareness of AIDS and, with her influence helped spur action on AIDS research.

Here's how Google Gemini explains it:
===
Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor significantly impacted AIDS research by bringing widespread public attention to the disease, particularly when Hudson publicly revealed his AIDS diagnosis, which prompted Taylor to become a prominent advocate and fundraiser, leading to increased funding for research through organizations like amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) that she co-founded; their celebrity status helped break the stigma surrounding AIDS and pushed the issue onto the national agenda.

Key points about their impact:
* Rock Hudson's diagnosis:
When Hudson, a beloved Hollywood star, publicly disclosed his AIDS diagnosis, it shocked the public and forced the issue of AIDS into the mainstream conversation for the first time.
* Elizabeth Taylor's activism:
Following Hudson's death, Taylor became a leading voice in the fight against AIDS, using her celebrity status to raise awareness and funds for research.
* Co-founding amfAR:
Taylor co-founded amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) which played a pivotal role in funding AIDS research.
* Breaking stigma:
Both Hudson and Taylor's public involvement helped to destigmatize AIDS, encouraging people to talk openly about the disease and seek treatment.
===

A lot of people are living longer now because of their efforts and, in Hudson's case, ultimate sacrifice.

When Magic Johnson got AIDS in 1991, that was another major moment... but he eventually survived and beat-it! That gave people who had HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) hope that they took can live longer lives and possibly beat it.

Other celebrities whose illnesses have had an impact:
1. President Ronald Reagan getting dementia.
2. Bruce Willis' current condition.
3. Angelina Jolie getting a double mastectomy to PREVENT getting breast cancer since she had the breast cancer gene and he mother died from the disease at an early age.
4. Lou Gehrig - there's a reason why, after almost 90 years, "Lou Gehrig's Disease" is still generally called that than by its medical term "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)". Stephen Hawking had it too but lived for decades with it.
5. Christopher Reeve who became a quadripelegic due to a horse-riding accident. He was beloved as Superman and his very public post-accident life helped promote spinal cord research. It has been rather fruitful and I suspect in your lifetime that most spinal cord injuries will be healed.

In all of these cases, there might not be urgency to pour money into the research for these illnesses, conditions, or diseases unless a celebrity had them and their advocacy and/or their condition led to progress in research on these conditions.

ohsheeT · Accepted Answer

I believe that if you have a platform if you have a way to get to that platform an opportunity to that platform to share a positive thought information to help people become more informed about things that will make them better healthier happier than I think you should use it no matter if your celebrity no matter if you are you or me if we have an opportunity to help other people we should do it

This is why I like coming on here because if I see something that I can do to me to be a positive influence to somebody in a moment of need I will do it

And I will always remind other people and myself just because I think something just because I say something it does not mean that I'm right in that moment it means that I'm using my voice to make other people think about things in a positive way to awaken their brain to make them think about something and to let it just keep growing and growing and growing

No matter who we are we're all on this Earth for the same reason and for me it's to become the best we can possibly become to become one myself one with others and one with this universe we're supposed to become one with God and the universe has your back no matter what we do in life if you believe in the universe it has your back if you do all the right things for all the right reasons

It's just like your question was an Awakening for all of us not to look at it as celebrities or that we are celebrities or even if the question was only for celebrities it's for each individual to understand it if you have an opportunity to help people will you do it and that's what I take from it so I thank you for this question you are in a positive influence you are speaking something that needs to be spoke to make us all aware and wake up so I thank you

Screenwriter · Accepted Answer

This is only important if the cause is something they champion. Fox champions a cause that he suffers from. Chirstopher Reeve did the same. Other celebrities have a relative or friend or child who's ill. Then they champion THAT cause.

But causes are as unique as the celebrities that champion them. Some celebrities don't support any particular causes and as that's true for any individual, it's true for them.

I get why you say they should: Because they have dollar power and might be able to make a difference.

But that is completely up to the person. And some celebrities have causes they tell no one about. So you don't even know they're supporting particular issues. It's up to the person. THere's no shoulds.

emeraldsaphire · Accepted Answer

No, I don't think anyone has to do anything (with some exceptions) I think most celebrities will do something to help the causes they support. However a hard question to answer is, how? Advocacy is hard and I don't think people should advocate for things they do not understand or have any stake in. That could just cause trouble for people trying to fight the problem.

Since Michael J. Fox has the condition and was constantly talking to doctors he was in a unique position to advocate for it. Had Michael J. Fox tried to advocate for ALS, it would be a different story.

MisterWack · Answer

Michael J. Fox would be putting more effort in his acting career which would be putting money on the table while doing what he loves while Parkinson’s Disease hindered it…. He put his efforts & time & energy into finding a cure and better treatments to not only advance the medical field on it to also improve quality of life for those diagnosed with this terrible disease.

If a celebrity has a disease or perhaps a family member has a disease, they should utilize their time, money, fame, and influence to fight back for a cure / better treatment or to help those fighting the disease through aiding in payment of their treatments so their quality of life improves. Period and full stop!

Gene Wilder, Tom Magliozzi, Ronald Reagan, and Andrea Fischer all died of complications that come with Alzheimer’s Disease & we should be working for a cure as the cases of Alzheimers keeps increasing as we are getting older and it is the most expensive disease a family could go through. Robin Williams had Lewy Body Dementia.

Diseases suck and take the life of not only our most cherished celebrities, our beloved family members & friends who stuck with us from the good times to the bad times through thick and thin through our whole lives get wiped out too…. These are serious and should be advocated against for the betterment of humankind. They do have an obligation to speak out and advocate, give compensation to charities, and utilize their fame for the greater good.

Bricealan · Answer

Usually stars only become advocates when they have the condition themselves and I don’t know if Fox would’ve been like that or not and there’s no way of knowing that he has survived a long time with the condition and I don’t know what his condition is, but I just lost a friend with Parkinson’s disease and he had it for 16 years.

Aimée__LJ · Answer

The best celebrities are those that obviously don't feel obligated to do any charity work but just do it because they enjoy it or believe that it is the right thing to do. You can tell when a celebrity goes to a childrens hospital whether it was something they decided or someone else decided for them. Best indication of this in my opinion is if you find out this happened by the celebrity themselves (forced/publicity stunt) or you found out by posts by the people they visited (genuine).

MikeTheBartender · Answer

No. They have no obligation for anything except maybe live groups that sell tickets for shows. They have an obligation to play them. But that being said there's certainly nothing wrong w using influence to promote a good cause. Some celebrities i. e. Jack Nicholson, just wanna be actors. That's all good too.

BadApple69 · Answer

No…. They get paid to entertain me and nothing more. I don’t care about their opinions and quite honestly once they start to give me their unsolicited opinions they no longer entertain me…. So I stop watching their crap!

AviatorTom · Answer

I don't think they have an obligation, but it can be useful for them to describe some of the things they go through, which can be helpful to others in a similar situation. Michael J Fox is a good example.

Crimsyjo · Answer

Obligation? No. Is it morally right? Sure. But then can't abd shouldn't force people to do things if they don't want to.

WhitneySnow · Answer

I think celebrities have the moral duty to support charitable causes of their choice, not necessarily health causes

KostasKouvalis · Answer

Not necessarily a health cause, but a cause organization in general. It sure seems that way. If they want to compete on a gameshow they're required to give all their winnings to charity.

abbyjgriffin98 · Answer

I don't think they're obligated, but it would be nice.

AhmetHasanCan · Answer

If he were healthier, he could make a lot of good movies. Or maybe he would get behind the camera.

DrPepper12 · Answer

Celebrity have an obligation to use platform for good.

nawtee_me · Answer

I certainly think that is much better than advocating for a politician.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Not obligation, but as the old saw has it,"To whom much is given, much is expected." (INCLUDING YOU, MR. PRESIDENT-ELECT !!!)

Anonymous · Answer

nope. society just needs to stop pedestalizing celebrities

Anonymous · Answer

No, celebrities should STFU and stop using their celebrity as a podium to preach and try to influence people.

Jakefromstatefarm6 · Answer

Nah, they are just people doing a job. We put to much importance on fame and celebrities

msc545 · Answer

It's nice if they do it but there is no obligation to do it.

Anonymous · Answer

Do celebrities have a proper understanding of those problems?

slatyb · Answer

No, I don't think so. It's their life.

Dongie · Answer

He would be having life.

CubaPirate · Answer

No more so than everyone else

zombiewoof · Answer

Only if they feel a passion for it

eagle1951 · Answer

no, because what makes then right

ContactLight · Answer

I mean, it’s their choice

NewWaves · Answer

No, I do not.

In_Trance · Answer

Not at all

Anonymous · Answer

Nope.

Do you think celebrities have an obligation to use their fame to advocate important health causes?

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