It’s understandable to see the media constantly cover politics. In fact, it is encouraged that the media holds our government accountable by repeatedly reporting on it. However, the problem is that politics is now bleeding into all aspects of American culture and society.

Everything is now political.

Sports, music, Hollywood and even shopping has become intertwined with politics. It is inescapable and has become mentally exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, being politically aware of what’s going on in our country is a must, but sometimes you just want a break from it.

Take for example, sports is something seemingly so far away from politics. Yet, it has been littered with it the past year. For example, Colin Kaepernick “bending the knee” during national anthems and Tom Brady having a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker are just two of a myriad of examples where sports has become political.

People don’t tune in to watch a football game so they can see whether their favorite football player is a liberal or conservative. People, especially sports fans, watch football or any sports for that matter, to see their team win. They watch it to be entertained. It’s that simple, why complicate it with politics?

The problem is far worse in the entertainment industry. Granted, Hollywood historically has some ties to politics, but when you start seeing Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits about President Donald Trump or his administration every week, we have a problem. It’s not just SNL, all sorts of shows are getting more political than they have been in the past.

Actors and musicians in general seem more active during this presidency than they ever were. Which again, is both a good and bad thing, but it’s starting to look like politics is entertainment. It is now a trend to be political. Being political will bring your ratings up. Going back to SNL, according to Variety Magazine, the show hasn’t seen such successful ratings for over 22 years.

Even stores are forced to ride the political trend. Business Insider reported that stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Belk have dropped Ivanka Trump’s brand as early as last November. Although some stores have said it was because of poor sales, others have said they feared the boycott of #GrabYourWallet back in October 2016.

Who would have thought that shopping would get so political? What’s next? “Dora the Explorer” having an episode about finding her way across “the wall” President Trump wants to build?

Being politically aware and active is great, but being forced to consume politics 24/7, especially during this time of chaos is mentally taxing.