Celebrities — they’re just like us! They talk about politics; they hang out in group chats; they sometimes freak out over news articles without checking the date first. But they also have the advantage of being, you know, famous — so their informal conversations about politics or the state of the world could end up reaching a substantial number of people.
That’s where the Decency Collective comes in. In an article at Vox, Emily Stewart described it as “an under-the-radar, invite-only network” which encompasses a number of group chats on Twitter. Among the people involved?
Gabrielle Union, Alyssa Milano, Jon Cryer, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, Tom Colicchio, Jason Long, Mark Ruffalo, Adrian Grenier, Akilah Hughes, Piper Perabo, W. Kamau Bell, Ady Barkan, Jason Kander.
Also in the mix, Stewart reports, are representatives of the Warren and Sanders campaigns. The Decency Collective itself is the brainchild of Rob Bennett, who previously worked as the creative communications director for New York City mayor Bill de Blasio.
Stewart notes that this kind of organizing predates the advent of social media; it’s also something that has its counterparts on the conservative side of things.
In practice, the Decency Collective is involved with everything from discussing specific issues to getting involved with fundraising. There are also more pragmatic concerns; Stewart writes that the group’s conversations can sometimes involve “a lot of retweet requests and discussions about what’s going on in the news and how to approach certain topics and stories.”
All of which makes it sound not unlike group chats in all walks of life, despite the context being significantly different. It’s a fascinating blend of old and new, and it’s one that might well have an impact on the political landscape.
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