Taylor Swift recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris following the Sept. 10 debate. Statistics show that once the pop star advocated for Harris, a spike of 405,999 users visited vote.gov through the link Swift posted.
Other notable endorsements for Harris include Martha Stewart, Billie Eilish, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock, George Clooney, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lawrence — the list goes on. It’s important that celebrities and influencers are using their platform to encourage voting and registration, but they shouldn’t have to become political activists.
Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood performed at the Republican National Convention, while Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend and Stevie Wonder performed at the Democratic National Convention. Elon Musk and Kanye West are public supporters of Donald Trump.
Dating back to the 1920s, stars have dipped their toes in politics and endorsed candidates. From Babe Ruth and Frank Sinatra to now Oprah Winfrey and Charli XCX, it is common and almost expected for some celebrities to choose a political party.
However, some celebrities may only endorse a candidate because it helps their reputation and makes them look appealing. It creates buzz around them and can associate them with the “winning” side. If celebrities know their primary fanbase is made up of one demographic, they will cater to them in all aspects, including politics.
Pharrell Williams recently critiqued celebrities for being so involved — he encouraged them to stay out of it. Williams noted that for him, politics is more about action, such as voting and putting money toward causes he cares about.
Celebrities can use their career to promote social causes and their opinions, such as in music, fashion or art. They are human and will have a political opinion. They can use their voice for good, but their job is not to be political activists. Their job is to be a celebrity, a career that most Americans will not have. They should not be the primary source of political information or opinions for Americans.
Blindly following what a celebrity says instead of examining the candidate’s or party’s policies diminishes critical thinking in voters, as well as the free thinking and political engagement of the American people. Examining policies, legislation and the government from your own mind is an integral part of democracy.
Because the modern political climate is extremely divisive, celebrities often receive backlash if they do not express an endorsement in a high-stakes election. America should not leave politics in the hands of celebrities because they live a different life than most of the population.
