Why the Yellow Vests haven’t received any celebrity endorsements

When the actor Jared Leto won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 2014 he used his acceptance speech to send a message to those people protesting against poverty. ‘To all the dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight, in places like the Ukraine and Venezuela, I want to say we are here,’ declared the American. ‘And as you struggle to make your dreams happen, to live the impossible, we’re thinking of you.’

Leto wasn’t alone in thinking of the thousands of brave Venezuelans who for weeks had been demonstrating on the streets against social inequality. Madonna, Kevin Spacey (in the days when he was still a beacon of righteousness) and Rihanna were among those who also spoke up for the students and middle-class demonstrators. ‘Please keep the people of Venezuela in your prayers!’ tweeted the latter.

Rihanna hasn’t asked her fans to pray for the people of France. No tweets or hashtags extending solace to the hundreds of men and women wounded by police weapons; but then she is a friend of Emmanuel Macron.