i-D: Ellie Goulding’s pop star activism makes us less empowered

The emptiness, and toothlessness, of such headline-friendly forms of ‘speaking out’ are not doing anyone any favours. Rather than putting pressure on society, industry and institutions to be less oppressive, the onus is instead placed on oppressed people to endure: on women to be empowered; LGBTQ people to be defiant; PoC people to be endlessly strong; and unwell people to be boundlessly cheerful. When heroic struggle is a selling point, there is no impetus to take the disadvantage away — or even to acknowledge its true effects.

Read “This is how pop star activism actually makes us less empowered” on i-D