The Conservative Movement is the ugly girl at the dance when it comes to celebrities. For decades, conservatives have been subjected to their favorite singers and movie stars espousing progressive talking points while we faithfully consume their content. This especially applies to popular figures who are people of color.
So when a celebrity makes a statement that sounds remotely conservative, the conservative movement immediately wraps its arms around them and declares them one of us.
Enter Candace Owens. As a black woman, when Candace Owens rose to fame over her criticism of Black Lives Matter, older, white Republicans would routinely come up to me praising Owens and saying, “Isn’t it great that she’s on our side? We need young Black people like her to grow our base.”
No, she’s not great and let me tell you why. On multiple occasions - including but not limited to here, here, here, and here - Owens has deflected opportunities to take a firm stand against Hamas. On issues pertaining to Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ, or the border, Owens has complete moral clarity. But when asked about the largest attack on Israel since the Holocaust, she needs to do her research and hear both sides.
Kanye West is another example. After Kanye West wrote a song about Chick-fil-A and allegedly converted to Christianity in 2019, conservatives immediately adopted him as one of us and defended him to the hilt. Since then, Kanye has gone on vicious antisemitic rants, dined with Nick Fuentes - a white nationalist - at Mar-a-Lago, and identified as a Nazi on Alex Jones’ InfoWars.
Andrew Tate, a champion kickboxer, rose to fame by teaching young men how to be men. Viral clips circulated conservative media outlets as he was promoted by Tucker Carlson, Patrick Bet-David, and others. All of this came crashing down when Romanian prosecutors charged Tate with rape, human trafficking, and organized crime. While Tate and his brother lived in mansions and owned 15 luxury cars, it turns out the fortune was funded by a porn business where many girls were allegedly having sex against their will. And he’s an anti-Semite.
Tim Pool, Robert F, Kennedy, the list goes on…
Guys, we need to be better. Just because someone of fame tickles your ear, flirts with you, and tells you what you want to hear, doesn’t mean they are a principled conservative who loves this country. Just because someone famous offers a hint of conservatism doesn’t mean they are conservative. And frankly, you should be leery when someone bursts onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere, telling you exactly what you want to hear or has a magical overnight conversion.
If nothing else, remember the Apostle Paul’s admonition about church leaders. “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” 1 Tim. 3:6.
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