We Need To Stop Calling Entertainers ‘Artists’
We all love entertainment and the talented people who bring it to us. Unfortunately, in today’s culture, it’s become too easy to call every entertainer an artist, even when they don’t deserve it. This is a disservice to the true artists who work hard to hone their craft and produce meaningful art.
To be clear, I’m not saying that entertainers don’t create art. Music, for example, is an art form, and many of today’s pop stars do create music. But the difference is that their music is focused on creating something that will get a lot of radio play, rather than something that truly has artistic value. In contrast, real artists focus on creating something that goes beyond the mainstream — something that has a unique, personal voice.
What’s more, celebrity culture has become so pervasive that many people don’t even recognize true artistic talent anymore. They only recognize the shiny faces they see on social media, covers of magazines and TV shows. This has only served to further blur the line between art and entertainment, and to make it harder for real artists to make their voices heard.
The truth is, celebrity and art are very different things. A celebrity can make you feel good, but an artist can make you think. A celebrity can give you the illusion of access to the glamorous life, but an artist can give you a window into their soul. And while it’s fine to appreciate a celebrity’s work, we need to stop calling them “artists”. Doing so does a disservice to the real artists out there, who are working hard to create something of true artistic value.
