I don’t really care what Brittany Broski has to say about the genocide that’s happening in the Gaza Strip.
That sentence feels surreal, doesn’t it? “Famous comedy influencer under fire for not sharing personal opinion on global relations,” feels like a story from The Onion. But my TikTok is filled with these strong opinions.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Broski. She’s funny. The Broski Report is one of my top podcasts this year. I don’t agree with everything she says, but that’s true of anyone. She has a giant fanbase of people to please. Out of all the people to come to huge internet fame, I think she’s maintained a down-to-earth outlook. I can also appreciate the fact that she seems to listen to her fans. When her viewers ask her to take a vocal stance on the conflict happening in Palestine, she does.
What’s more, is that her words have an enormous impact. There is a complicated conversation to be had about celebrities staying silent on political issues. On the one hand, what about Broski’s background entitles her to a massive stage of political observers? On the other hand, Broski’s audience can only benefit from hearing the truth of the matter, which is that masses of innocent Gazan civilians are being tortured, bombed and murdered. Hoards of people look to Broski for her opinion. This opinion must be based on fact.
But we didn’t look to Broski for a comment after Putin began to invade Ukraine. We didn’t ask for her opinions when a boat overcrowded with Greek migrants sank in June. We didn’t rise in protest when she didn’t address the Taliban’s retaking of Kabul. I’m not sure why we ask for celebrities’ opinions on some political issues and not others.
But, personally, I don’t really care what she has to say. She has the option — and huge privilege — of living in a world relatively untouched by this conflict. Many do not have this option.
The New York Times interviewed Dr. Suhaib Alhamss, a doctor currently working inside a hospital in the Gaza Strip. The interviewer asked if Alhamss had heard about members of Hamas hiding fuel. Alhamss replied:
“I didn’t hear about that. I hear from the Israeli occupation. I didn’t hear about that except from the Israeli occupation. You hear that lots of doctors, professors, consultants, and medical students were killed here. Do you hear about the ambulances that were destroyed by the Israeli occupation? Do you hear about the hospitals that were destroyed?
Do you hear about the lots of children, and women, and pregnant women, and honest citizens that were killed by the Israeli occupation and the whole world, the whole world that they call democracy, the democracy world just watch us? Nothing. Do nothing, just support Israel, support Israel. This is genocide here. I wonder how they can do this. They stole our life. They stole our life. We have dreams. We have children. We have our own dreams. They stole everything. They destroyed everything.”
Alhamss spoke about yellow tap water. He spoke about 18-hour shifts. He spoke about how, for the last two days, he did not have any food to feed his medical staff. He spoke about choosing which children would receive life-saving medical care and which children wouldn’t. Another doctor spoke about performing surgeries on people without anesthetic and by the glow of his iPhone’s flashlight.
Broski can say whatever she wants to say about politics. At the end of the day, she’s not affected by this conflict like those in Gaza. I don’t really care what she has to say about the conflict unless she is amplifying the voices and experiences of those who are directly affected. Regardless of Broski’s opinion, we must listen to Alhamss.
Jamie Miller is a senior at Ohio University studying journalism and women’s, gender, and sexuality Studies. Please note that the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Jamie about his article? Email him at jm834919@ohio.edu
