Oh how interesting that everyone is now rooting for feminism, after a famous female gets on the stage to tell the world that she cares about equality for men and women. And that’s just the thing, Emma Watson is an actor, of course everyone is going to follow her lead and post a picture on Instagram (#heforshe #EmmaWatsonrocks). Despite the fact Emma Watson’s speech was refreshing in the sense that most actors/singers don’t talk about the roots of feminism (the fact it’s about equality), it begs the question: how much of this feminism love is really just because she’s famous?

To be honest, I might have been more impressed if a man gave this speech. I’m not bashing Emma Watson for putting herself out there; I’m looking at all celebrities. When a celebrity goes in front of a camera and supports something, no matter how good their intentions are, the fact that they are celebrity only makes whatever they are saying seem like a fad. After the speech, after the flood of followers shows their support, then what? So what you posted #heforshe on your twitter board, or you posted the video on your facebook page and said, “Hey you guys watch this awesome video.” So what, what are you going to do now?

Although Emma Watson didn’t go up on a stage and say “Yeah Feminism ROCKS!!!” (Like a certain someone *cough Beyonce cough*). It still gives off the impression that it’s not going to be taken seriously.

Even after the speech was posted on various websites, the video was still misunderstood. One man commented on the video, “Chivalry is alive and well. Please have no illusions folks, he for she is all about men protecting women from other men . . .” Because, yes, that’s what the whole video about the equality of the genders was about, men should be protecting women. It is comments like these that worry me. To misconstrue ideas in the media, leads to followers doing what they do best: following what they think they understand.

The sad thing is the only way to get some people to listen is to have their idol, which for most adolescents are actors and singers, to stand in front of a camera and talk. Ah yes Taylor Swift has seen the light of feminism thanks to Lena Dunham. But what about you? We shouldn’t follow the path of feminism simply because famous people say it’s right, but the catch-22 is that if famous people don’t say it, then many might not listen.

In my politics class, my professor talked about realism, liberalism, and Marxism in full detail, and then, oh yeah, feminism is how women want equal pay and stuff, moving on. Feminism should be explained in schools and classes across the world, instead of being miseducated in the streets or on the news, they should instead learn about it in school. Maybe they would understand that, yes at one point feminism was seen as ‘aggressive,’ but that was due to conservative backlash and women distancing themselves from the movement.

Until we see a major shift in how feminism is presented, we will have to look to those we follow: stars. And while there were flaws with Watson’s speech and presentation (whether or not you believe they go beyond the fact she’s a celebrity), the message was clear. She asks, “If not me then who? If not now, then when?”