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In the lead-up to the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite, Australia\u2019s own Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth took to Instagram to encourage his millions of followers to vote Yes to marriage equality.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear open-minded, free-speaking, laid-back, life-loving Aussies,\u201d wrote Hemsworth. \u201cMarriage is about love and commitment, and in a country based on equal citizenship, it should be available to everyone! Vote now for marriage equality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hemsworth was far from the only high-profile Australian to take this position, with Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Kylie Minogue all joining him in publicly campaigning for the Yes vote.<\/p>\n
At the time, Crowe tweeted: \u201cHey Australia, I love you. Thanks for being you. Please send a clear message with your vote and your voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six years later, Australia is on the precipice of another crucial public vote on a key social issue: the enshrinement of an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the constitution. But this time, the message coming from our most recognisable cultural exports is much less clear.<\/p>\n
Just days out from the referendum, many of the country\u2019s biggest celebrity names have remained conspicuously absent from the debate, with Hemsworth, Robbie, Minogue, Crowe and Kidman yet to voice their thoughts on the Voice.<\/p>\n
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Kylie Minogue, Chris Hemsworth, Margot Robbie and Russell Crowe all publicly supported the marriage plebiscite, but have stayed silent on the Voice to Parliament.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Instead, the heavy lifting has been left to our Indigenous stars \u2013 Adam Briggs and Cathy Freeman have been front and centre \u2013 or a collection of famous-in-Australia celebrities, including footballer Nathan Cleary, comedian Tom Gleeson, TV host Hamish Blake and long-time First Nations supporter Paul Kelly.<\/p>\n The question is, why? How come a group of high-profile people with a track record of using their platforms to speak up on issues that matter has suddenly hit mute? Perhaps the answer can be found in the response to the people who have<\/em> spoken up.<\/p>\n Last week, long-time Hemsworth collaborator Taika Waititi became one of the most visible celebrities to join the Yes camp. The New Zealand filmmaker shared the Yes campaign\u2019s viral Far Enough<\/em> video starring and produced by Indigenous musician Adam Briggs on his Instagram. Waititi paired it with a caption explaining why people should vote yes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe aim is to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people a voice in parliament, so they can weigh in on issues that affect their lives,\u201d wrote Waititi. \u201cSimple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n Waititi\u2019s post caught the attention of Aquaman<\/em> star Jason Momoa, who was born in Hawaii and is of Polynesian descent, who then shared the video with his 17 million followers.<\/p>\n Spend five minutes in the comments section of either Waititi or Momoa\u2019s posts, and you\u2019ll soon see a recurring theme: accusations of out-of-touch celebrities lecturing the public.<\/p>\n Australian actress Angourie Rice, known for her roles in Spider-Man<\/em> and Senior Year,<\/em> faced a similar chorus of criticism after she shared a selfie with a Yes badge and said she supported the Voice to encourage \u201clistening, recognition and a better future\u201d.<\/p>\n There were comments of support, but the bad far outweighed the good. Rice was told to \u201cstay out of politics and don\u2019t be a pawn\u201d. Others warned her she risked \u201closing support for something you know very little about.\u201d Meanwhile, actress and comedian Celeste Barber posted her support for the Yes vote on Instagram but opted to turn comments off.<\/p>\n Celebrity activism has long raised eyebrows, but in an increasingly fractured world, being painted as a preachy elite can damage not only your own brand but also potentially the cause you\u2019re hoping to spotlight.<\/p>\n Take Ray Martin, one of Australia\u2019s most respected journalists and a man people from both sides of politics would likely have a beer with.<\/p>\n During an appearance at a Yes rally, Martin called voters convinced by the No campaign\u2019s \u201cIf you don\u2019t know, vote No\u201d slogan \u201cd\u2014heads and dinosaurs\u201d. He stood by the comments on an appearance on A Current Affair<\/em>, and a few days later Peter Dutton appeared on The Today Show<\/em> criticise Martin.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the arrogance of elites and celebrities like Ray Martin is that he has no idea how much damage he\u2019s done to the Yes case,\u201d said Dutton. \u201cIt just makes people more reluctant.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying that the Voice to Parliament is an issue fewer Australians understand, compared to the marriage equality plebiscite. The plebiscite cruised to victory on a groundswell of goodwill, built up over decades of campaigning on the issue. The Voice has steadily become more divisive, thanks to the lack of bipartisanship and a well-resourced No campaign. As a result, the polls have shifted, and now a strong majority of Australians appear to be opposed.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re in the business of wanting people to like you, buy tickets to your film, or pay to go to your show, the risk you run by speaking out is no longer worth the reward. For someone like Chris Hemsworth, whose Instagram following is twice Australia\u2019s population, picking the \u201cright\u201d side has become harder to predict.<\/p>\n And if you don\u2019t know? Well, don\u2019t say anything at all.<\/p>\n Robbie, Hemsworth, Kidman, Minogue and Crowe were all approached for comment.<\/p>\n