Guy Sebastian Is Fighting With People On Twitter Over His Vax Campaign Backflip
Stop digging, Guy.
Guy Sebastian has spent the morning on Twitter doubling down on his decision to distance himself from his involvement in the Vax The Nation campaign.
The campaign is designed to spruik vaccines so that Australia’s at-risk entertainment industry can open back up, and was pushed by many key members of the local scene, including the one-time reality music TV star.
But mere hours after the Vax The Nation video was posted to his Instagram, Sebastian deleted it, claiming that “the campaign was posted to my page without my direct involvement.”
“Whilst I, like everybody else in my industry, want everything to get going again, it is not my role to communicate in the way that that post was communicating,” he wrote. “I would never, ever tell people what to do when it comes to their personal health choices. I’m very sensitive of it.
“So I just want to say, I’m really sorry. It was not a post that communicated with love or compassion, which is what I feel is needed when addressing things like vaccinations.”
Sebastian’s fence-sitting was immediately criticised by a range of figures within the industry, including radio host Ray Hadley. “Get the splinters out of your arse, get off the fence,” Hadley said on 2GB. “Grow a set, Guy. And don’t let those who are perhaps on your website saying ‘I’ll never listen to you again. Won’t buy your CDs. Won’t go on Spotify ever again’ [get to you].”
Now, Sebastian has responded to the backlash, taking to his Twitter account to try and explain his disappointing position. Replying to rapper Urthboy on Twitter, Sebastian said he feels empathy not for anti-vaxxers, but for those “facing extreme pressure on their decisions.”
“I’m not talking about ppl who are believe [sic] in wild conspiracies etc,” he continued. “I support the campaign, but I personally didn’t like my own caption which didn’t account for those ppl.”
health circumstances to consider. They are not anti-vax but are facing extreme pressure on their decisions. I’m not talking about ppl who are believe in wild conspiracies etc. I support the campaign, but I personally didn’t like my own caption which didn’t account for those ppl.
— Guy Sebastian (@GuySebastian) September 7, 2021
Brother I have given my reasons but if want to believe in another narrative I can’t change that. I hope we can find a way to have these conversations and still stay together in our industry.
— Guy Sebastian (@GuySebastian) September 7, 2021
Which is how I would have worded the caption. Once again, I put my name to the campaign and support it but it was the caption I put out that I would have worded differently. That’s literally all there is to this.
— Guy Sebastian (@GuySebastian) September 7, 2021
Moreover, Sebastian downplayed any potential role that he might have to play in stemming the tide of vaccine hesitancy, writing on Twitter that such work fell to doctors.
With all due respect, we have doctors for that.
— Guy Sebastian (@GuySebastian) September 7, 2021
Of course, Guy Sebastian is wrong — changing the opinions of those who refuse to get vaccinated for any reason falls onto anyone with a platform, least of all one of Sebastian’s size.
For their part, Vax The Nation have released a statement about the social media noise. “We all miss our loved ones — our friends, our family, and being able to gather again,” they wrote. “We all want to get back to the magic of live events. #VAXTHENATION is not a political campaign tied to any Government, and we welcome open conversation.
“The campaign is self-funded by the industry and the position of the LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues and Entertainment Alliance) is that high vaccination rates are the only way to get the show back on the road. We are encouraging people to seek professional health advice and make an informed choice.”