‘Celebrities have perfected it’: Cringe instances of ‘performative outrage’ called out
Sky News host James Macpherson calls out instances of “performative outrage”, the see-through form of “art” the modern celebrity has “perfected”.
“Back in the old days, if you were angry about something, you’d do something about it; not so much these days, being angry and doing something is seen as the exact same thing,” Mr Macpherson told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio.
“It’s what we call performative outrage.
“Remember when Islamic crazies abducted 276 Nigerian schoolgirls back in 2014, Michelle Obama posted a photograph of herself pulling a sad face while holding a sign that read ‘bring back our girls’.
“12 years later, 89 of those girls are still missing, and the last public statement I can find from Michelle Obama on the issue was in 2021, when she gave an interview, but not to advocate on behalf of the girls still missing; rather, she was reminiscing about her selfie back in 2014 became a ‘global moment’.
“It’s performative; it’s not meant to make a difference, and it’s certainly not meant to be taken seriously, but it does make everyone feel good, for a moment.
“It’s theatre, it’s art, it’s performative; none of it is real.”
