I think this is a very interesting concept. “This” being the question of “what responsibility do i have to push ‘social good’?” In my opinion, the answer depends. It mostly depends on what I am. If I end up becoming an animator, like I would like, then my first, second and third responsibility is to animate. If I somehow become a musician, my responsibility would be to make good music people want to hear. The end, right? Well, of course, were there to be a cause I want to throw my weight behind, I may or may not mention it. Even then, people wouldnt look at my animation or listen to my music in order to hear me be preachy. More often than not, people come to artists/entertainers in order to escape the preachy, moral superiority complex of the rest of the world.
I hear the argument that if you have a platform, you need to use it for “social good”. And okay, cool, I understand that, but no. No I don’t. Naturally, you, the country, and the queen can all point at me and say “Nuh-uh, you gotta”. And once again, very naturally I would reply “No I don’t.” If I want to, I’ll use my platform as a way to create a space for people to escape everyone else forcing activism down their throats. To me, THAT is a “social good”, so if that counts, then yes I’ll be more than happy to use my platform for social good – just don’t tell me what social good I’m supposed to push.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if I choose to use my platform to get away from the moral authoritarianism, I think you should be able to play into that and push whatever the hell YOU want – it’s a free country. I’m not here to yuck your yum, yah dig? I just think if an artist chooses to stay in their lane and not preach a political point, they are well within their right to do so. They are adults, they can make choices for themselves without the mob telling them what choices to make. Thus is freedom. And hey, there may be some artists that push a different social good than you are thinking. For example: For someone on the right, “social good” may mean pushing a pro-life agenda. For someone on the left, “Social good” may mean pushing a pro-choice agenda. Who’s to say which one is the definitive “social good”? Not me. Probably not you. Probably not the other. God? Maybe, but even then his track record isn’t perfect. Need I remind you of the Great Flood fiasco that happened because God didn’t like the people he made? I’m just saying, maybe it’s a little tougher to find an objective moral authority these days that people seem to think.
So do i feel a responsibility to promote “social good”, I certainly wouldn’t word it that way, but sure. I would say more I feel a responsibility to do whatever the hell I want and since I have my own morals, values, and principles it will naturally end up promoting SOME kind of social good. I just don’t wanna hear any authoritarian tell me “NO! You’re not promoting MYYYYYYY idea of social good.” because I might just start laughing. At the end of the day, you can just say that’s the pesky thing about freedom: people will do what THEY, not you, want.
