The Roles of Celebrities in Public Disputes: Climate Change and the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

Celebrities are increasingly important actors in social disputes, with their high public profiles used to amplify political campaigns and business firms utilising celebrity endorsements to promote their brands and justify their actions. Engaging with the conceptual framework of Boltanski and Thévenot’s ‘orders of worth’, we explore the public dispute over coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, analysing the different roles that celebrities have played and how their claims are evaluated. We demonstrate how celebrities as powerful agents for industries and environmental campaigns perform three key roles – popularizers, authorities, and visionaries. Our article contributes to the management literature on public disputes by explaining the evaluative processes underlying sustainability controversies. We also contribute by providing a better understanding of the roles and capacity of celebrities in in public debates over contentious issues. We discuss the policy implications of celebrity roles in addressing the climate crisis and mobilizing action to limit further disruption.