Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis presents a captivating plot where a group of powerful elites strive to maintain their dominance over the masses. They create artificial crises to incite conflict among the ordinary people and divert their attention from the true crisis of the elite's excessive and corrupt power. In an attempt to conceal their actions, they select a girl from the masses to foment false antagonism and plunge her people into chaos.

Doomsday Prophets and Conspiracy Theories

Many doomsday prophets and conspiracy theorists have used Lang's film to fuel their apocalyptic views of current events. While the musings of those prone to magical thinking should be taken with caution, there are often underlying truths, at least in a symbolic or metaphorical sense, within these hyperbolic narratives. Sociologist Musa al-Gharbi warns in his recent book We Have Never Been Woke that today's "culture war" polemics distract from real issues that affect everyday people and entrench the status quo. "Symbolic capitalists" propagate this political rhetoric, whose commitment to the underdogs is often performative and self-serving.

The Case of Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny's career is a prime example of the fixation with surface-level "symbolic" activism. In a chapter for a forthcoming volume on his oeuvre, it is noted that the 30-year-old Puerto Rican singer is a master of the spectacle. His attention-grabbing promotional tactics, avant-garde fashion, enigmatic use of social media, scandalous performances, and outlandish lyrics and music videos embody Guy Debord's claim that we live in an age dominated by sensational public spectacles. His endorsement of Kamala Harris following a comedian's off-color joke about Puerto Rico is just one of his many political statements. He has also spoken out on trans rights and homophobia and made a statement about Puerto Rico's gubernatorial elections. While his intentions may be good, there is an irony in elite figures like Bad Bunny taking the moral high ground and speaking on behalf of the people.

The Power of Celebrity

When a person known for their decadent music and bourgeois lifestyle like Bad Bunny makes political statements and exhorts people to protest, it raises questions about the true impact of such sensational activism. It seems that these celebrities are more mouthpieces for a concentrated matrix of power rather than truly representing "the people." The totalizing power that such spectacular public figures exercise over the public is evident. Even a comedy show like SNL stepping outside its intended purpose to deliver political messaging reveals the quasi-deific power these public figures hold. While celebrities can use their platform for good, they can also use it to further their own ends.

Puerto Rico's Struggle

In Puerto Rico, the political corruption and lack of adequate representation and resources are real issues that people have had to face. Celebrities' gestures of solidarity should go beyond symbolism and encourage the island's youth to take active roles in proposing concrete changes. Those who applaud the efforts of figures like Bad Bunny without realizing the corporate influence behind their actions are often naive. There are examples like Ms. Lauryn Hill, J. Cole, and Tego Calderon who engage in political engagement that focuses on the concerns and voices of the people.