Celebrities have only become more and more important as social media becomes more prominent in our lives. Not only do they entertain us, they’ve mainly become influencers. This power allows them to use their fan base to put pressure on companies in order to work more ethically – or whatever the celebrity perceives as such.
Let’s take a look at some of the best boycotts that have been spearheaded by a celebrity.
Elton John – Dolce & Gabbana
Everyone knows you don’t mess with Elton John, and that’s exactly what Dolce & Gabbana did when they claimed that IVF babies were “synthetic”. Elton was disgusted with the way the designers treated same-sex couples and the fact that they called his children synthetic.
Miley Cyrus – Abercrombie & Fitch
After A&F’s chief executive said their clothes were only for the “thin and cool”, you can imagine most people – mainly the not thin & cool – not being too happy with that. Miley Cyrus was one of the celebrities to boycott the brand and actually asked people to donate A&F clothes to the homeless.
Danny Glover – Hugo Boss
After Hugo Boss decided to close a plant in Cleveland, Ohio that would leave 300 people without a job, Danny Glover decided that maybe people shouldn’t use Hugo Boss products anymore. Who can blame the guy?
Loads of Celebs – The Oscars
Remember when loads of actors, mainly of African-American heritage, boycotted the Oscars because barely any black people got nominated? Well, almost no non-white actors showed up to the ceremony.
Stevie Wonder – Florida
It’s not every day you have someone boycotting an entire state, but Stevie didn’t stop with Florida. He refused to play there because of the “stand your ground” law, which allows the use of deadly force whenever someone thinks their life is in danger. As it usually goes with these things, someone thought their life was in danger when it really wasn’t but used deadly force anyway. Stevie refuses not only to play in Florida, but in any state that supports this law.
Jay Z – Cristal
Now we all know hip hop artists all around the world sing about Cristal in their songs, but apparently the brand considered this “unwanted attention”. Jay Z wasn’t too pleased with this and even removed all bottles of Cristal from his club and replaced them with other brands. He found Cristal’s remarks to be racist and inappropriate.
Loads of Celebs – Trump’s Inauguration
I mean, why would you want to be there in the first place? Many celebrities confirmed that they would not be coming beforehand, and it even took Trump quite a while to find a music artist willing to play at his inauguration.
