Zephaniah: 'Celebrities exploit charity'

Benjamin Zephaniah has claimed that celebrities only get involved with charity work to boost their careers.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the poet is cynical about recent efforts to help those involved in the earthquake in Haiti, including Simon Cowell's charity single 'Everybody Hurts'.

Speaking at the Concert For Haiti at Congress House in London, Zephaniah said: "I know a lot of these people. They talk to their managers and say, 'Is it worthwhile? Is it a good career move for me?'

"They obviously raise money and so one can say that it is a bit of good, and you can't ignore a bit of good, but why didn't they do one for China?"

He added: "I come from a time in the Eighties where lots of artists were political and they didn't mind standing up and being counted. Now that kind of activity is being replaced by charities and Red Nose Days."

Zephaniah also explained that many celebrities are unable to explain why they are helping out charities.

"They call you a militant for being political and they think they are going to change the world by doing Comedy Relief [sic]," he said. "I have nothing against those people - well, I have, but I don't think we should get rid of them, they do something - but when I talk about stopping the problem in the first place, then I'm called a militant.

"To talk to journalists and stand in front of people and articulate what we are doing there and why you think it is important or whatever can be very difficult for some popstars who can hardly string a sentence together, to mention no names."

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