BY: HANNAH WEST, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Morgan Wallen has millions of loyal fans; but why?
In January 2021, Morgan Wallen released his most popular album, “Dangerous.” Just a month later, an unethical scandal came to fruition — Wallen was caught on camera, under the influence of alcohol, shouting a racial slur. Despite this, his career took off in 2021. His album reached number one on the music charts for multiple weeks that year.
One year prior, Wallen broke pandemic protocols, getting his Saturday Night Live debut taken away. More specifically, he was supposed to be self-isolating before he went on the show; instead, he was seen partying. While these two scandals are reason enough to criticize Wallen, there is more. From suspected cheating on his child’s mother to getting arrested for throwing a chair off of a rooftop bar, it is clear Wallen lacks a moral compass. He has offered apologies for his actions, but they do not carry much weight as he has continued to act out until recently.\
Wallen, now in his 30s, is still at a high point in his career. He is selling out stadiums and teenage boys are even imitating his mullet. However, being this old is more of a reason for the public to recognize and criticize his behavior. He no longer has the excuse — not that there should be an excuse — for being young and ignorant.
Celebrities with large followings, like Morgan Wallen, need to be especially cognisant of their actions. It is not the responsibility, by any means, of famous people to raise today’s youth. At the same time, celebrities impact the younger generations more than they may realize. By constantly behaving poorly and offering a half-hearted apology after, Morgan Wallen sets the precedent that consequences don’t apply to him while simultaneously being a lousy role model. This is also on his fans, who continue to put him on a pedestal despite his wrong-doings.
Taylor Swift is often accused of having a “cult following.” Although this may be the case, she has been wildly famous since age 16 and has managed to behave correctly and use her platform for good. She has spoken out in favor of LGBTQ rights and against racism in America. On a more basic level, she has also been unproblematic, unlike Wallen.
There is a lot of controversy in separating the artist from their music. Most celebrities have skeletons in their closets. This makes sense; they are human beings too. They don’t need to be perfect. Second chances are completely fair. However, Morgan Wallen seems to get very little criticism. For someone who has been openly racist, he still decorates the walls of fans and wins countless awards. As a society, we need to hold our celebrities to higher standards. It is one thing to make a mistake; it is another to have a pattern of scandals. His public actions reflect the type of person he is. In no world should he be the face of modern country music.
westhe24@bonaventure.edu
