English Audio Request

Entertainers & Politicians

Topic: Nowadays, entertainers get paid more than politicians. What are the reasons for this? Is this a negative or positive development?

Model answer:

These days entertainers invariably earn higher wages than politicians. In my opinion, this is the result of technological growth in the entertainment industry and it is a positive development because politics should not be a means to amass a fortune.

Entertainment is one of the most lucrative industries today largely due to developments in media distribution. Vaudeville actors and musicians in the early 20th century were looked down on and earned little. The birth of cinema in the 1920s and the rise of television in the 1950s allowed entertainers to reach a wider audience. From there the rise has continued not only with the diversification of television but also the invention of CDs, portable music players, the internet, and streaming websites like Netflix and YouTube. All this new media reaches the majority of the world’s population who then pay for the content by subscribing or watching paid advertisements.

This is a positive development because politics should not be a profit driven profession. A good example of this would be the early American founding founders, including Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, both of whom sacrificed private wealth for public service. Hamilton was the leading lawyer in New York and when he enthusiastically joined Washington’s cabinet he took a drastic cut in salary. By the end of his term, he was mired in debt but had no regrets as he viewed public political action as far more valuable than private capital. Politicians ought to earn a good salary but this should never subvert their chief motive in serving their country.

In conclusion, entertainers make more money due to the advent of the media age and politicians should not be jealous of their wealth. Unfortunately, many politicians are selfishly compelled by economic gain when they ought to be more self-interested in terms of their role in public life.