Stars not tackling real issues
CELEBRITIES have found a new cause du jour. No, it’s not fighting catastrophic climate change, tackling the obesity crisis, rates of opioid addiction or helping starving children in sub-Saharan Africa.
The latest cause to energise our celebrity overlords are the pampered, non-essential members of the royal family.
Singers Elton John and Pink, TV host Ellen DeGeneres, actor Jameela Jamil and Labour politician David Lammy are among those who in recent days have spoken in defence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Painfully woke ecowarriors Harry and Meghan are apparently beyond reproach and any criticism of their insincerity, political activism and growing insufferableness is out of bounds and tantamount to treason.
Worse still, there is a growing narrative among the chattering classes that any disapproval is racially motivated.
In recent weeks, the pair have come in for some mild criticism, along with the usual adulation, for their glaring acts of hypocrisy in lecturing the masses about climate change while travelling the globe on private jets.
It’s little wonder that the entertainment industry has come to their detheir fence; nowhere else is such posturing, vacuousness and divorced-from-reality shenanigans so celebrated.
American star of the small screen DeGeneres claims the “down to earth” couple are unfairly maligned: “Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better.”
Spare us the hyperbole, Ellen. They are merely being held to account for their sanctimonious elitism and “do as I say, not as I do” antics.
British icon John sent a number of ill-advised tweets expressing how “deeply distressed” he was by the criticism of the couple after it was revealed the environmentalists had taken four trips on private jets in just 11 days.
After a couple of absurdly overemotional tweets, John finished off with this: “After a hectic year continuing hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquillity of our home.
“To maintain a high level of muchneeded protection, we provided them with a private jet flight.
“To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™ … I’m calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis.”
They really think it’s okay to lecture the little people to lower their living standards to save the planet while they continue to fly in private jets, live in mansions and are driven around in gas guzzlers, as long as someone writes a cheque to “offset” their emissions.
But the Harry and Meghan defenders weren’t done yet and pulled out the race card to condemn the naysayers as racist. The UK’s version of Sarah Hanson-Young, David Lammy opined: “The hounding of Harry and Meghan is becoming a witch-hunt replete with nasty racial and xenophobic overtones that have become typical not unusual in a post-EU referendum environment that has emboldened the worst elements of British society.”
The Left’s habit of labelling anything they don’t like as “racist” has seen the word lose all meaning. It’s an insult to real victims of racial hatred and discrimination.
How do the race baiters explain the ongoing criticism of Prince Charles for precisely the same type of hypocrisy?
I’ve written several pieces lambasting the future king for his outrageous claims of climate catastrophe and his failure to curb his personal carbon footprint.
Only last month the Prince of Wales warned world leaders that they had only 18 months “to keep climate change to survivable levels”.
And yet, Charlie, just like Harry, thinks nothing of taking a private jet to a climate conference or having emission-spewing helicopters take him short distances easily covered in a car.
It is absurd to suggest that these privileged group of born-to-rule pretenders are beyond criticism.
A recent poll shows about one in two Brits favour the Queen passing the Crown directly to Prince William.
But given Charles’ ego, it’s unlikely he’ll remove himself from the line of succession. Rita Panahi is a Herald Sun columnist.
SPARE US THE HYPERBOLE, ELLEN. THEY ARE MERELY BEING HELD TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR SANCTIMONIOUS ELITISM AND “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO” ANTICS.