PSA to celebs: Stick to performing, stay away from politics | Opinion

I’m not sure who all needs to hear this, but if your name is Bad Bunny or Billie Eilish, it’s definitely you:

You are famous because of your talents as musicians, not because of your idiotic views on politics and President Donald Trump.

As is often the case with celebrities, whether they sing or act, they often feel the need to pontificate on how awful Republicans are when they are accepting awards. 

No one cares. 

And these preachy, shallow diatribes only risk alienating a huge potential swath of the audience, including half the country who voted for Trump. (There’s a reason “Melania,” the documentary about the first lady, broke box office expectations last weekend.)

The latest example of this tiresome practice of political bashing took place Feb. 1, at the 68th Grammy Awards.  

Both Bad Bunny and Eilish, for instance, felt the need to denounce ICE, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that took a lot of heat after federal agents killed two American protesters in Minneapolis in January.

'ICE out' and 'F--- ICE'? Give me a break.

Here’s what Bad Bunny said while accepting an award at the ceremony.

“I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’ ” he said. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”

No surprise, Bad Bunny got a standing ovation from the largely like-minded crowd. 

He also said: “I know it’s tough not to hate these days. … The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them – we love our people, we love our family and that’s how you do it.”

It will be interesting to see what kind of reception Bad Bunny gets Feb. 8, as he’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, where a lot of fans aren’t going to appreciate his politicking. 

When accepting her award, Eilish thoughtfully proclaimed: “F---k ice” and said the following: “Nobody is illegal on stolen land. ... We just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter.”

Maybe not as much as she thinks. 

Jelly Roll's Grammys acceptance speech got it right

Not all the singers were so insufferable. Jelly Roll, for instance, used his acceptance speech to give a touching tribute to his faith and his wife for helping him turn his life around.

And then, when directly asked about the current state of politics after his win, he said: “People shouldn’t care to hear my opinion. I’m a dumb redneck.”

“I hate to be the artist that sounds aloof, but I just feel so disconnected from what’s happening,” Jelly Roll continued. “I didn’t know politics were real until I was in my  mid-20s in jail. That’s how disconnected you are when you grow up in a drug-addicted household.”

How refreshing, and kudos for his honesty. 

Not all celebrities hate Trump. Rap star Nicki Minaj is quite a fan, actually, and she recently attended the White House launch of “Trump Accounts” for the nation’s newborns. She and Trump held hands at one point.

Of course, that earned her a mocking by Grammys host Trevor Noah during his opening monologue: “Nicki Minaj is not here. She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.” 

Other celebrities are starting to back off from politics

While the outpouring of Democratic talking points at the Grammys was discouraging, there have been some hopeful signs that celebrities are realizing we don’t really need to hear them opine on politics.

In November, actress Sydney Sweeney told GQ: “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think. I’m just here to kind of open their eyes to different ideas.”

Sweeney had been raked over the coals by the progressive left for starring in a fun American Eagle jeans ad that some mistakenly claimed was “racist.” 

Similarly, actress Jennifer Lawrence told The New York Times in November that she didn’t feel a need to talk about Trump or politics. 

“As we’ve learned, election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for,” Lawrence said. “So then what am I doing (when speaking out against Trump)? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.”

Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish: Take note. 

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques