The Fine Line Between Celebrity and Politics

We live in a celebrity-driven society. Celebrities are the face of media and modern popular culture, and they are the voice of millions of fans idolizing their very existence. With the emergence of Facebook and Twitter, celebrities have found a greater medium to exert their influence. Celebrities often use social media to express their politics, some even going so far as to endorse a candidate or party. This of course begs the question, if we are to let celebrity culture pervade our social existence, should we draw the line at politics?

From NBA icon Wilt Chamberlain’s endorsement of Richard Nixon in 1968 to Muhammad Ali’s endorsement of Ronald Reagan in 1984, celebrity involvement in politics can be traced back throughout America’s political history. Although the political activism of celebrities is nothing new, their growing political activism is changing the landscape of modern politics and blurring the ever-permeable boundary between celebrity and politics.

In 2012, celebrities (who are perhaps overshadowed by campaign bluster) have eagerly endorsed Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. Ellen DeGeneres, George Clooney, Beyonce Knowles, and Leonardo DiCaprio represent the myriad Hollywood support for Team Obama. While significantly behind President Obama in terms of celebrity support, Mitt Romney boasts Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Kid Rock, and Donald Trump for his side. Is a celebrity’s involvement within a campaign good, bad or inconsequential?

Some contend that at the end of the day, celebrities have little real influence. “There’s not a lot of evidence, historically, to show that celebrity endorsement has an impact on how people vote,” Darrell West argues in Celebrity Politics. “Most people in middle America and elsewhere look to celebrities for entertainment, not for advice on presidential politics.” Yet, a particularly publicized celebrity endorsement by Oprah Winfrey in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary ballooned support for Barack Obama. Oprah remains an American pop-culture icon known for her powerful influence over her fans in aspects of social issues, commercial decisions, and perhaps political ones. A study conducted by The Oprah Magazine assessing whether she had affected the outcomes of the primary found that her endorsement had directly contributed to an increase in the overall voter participation rate — the number of contributions Obama received — as well as approximately 1,000,000 additional votes for Obama.

As the election season reaches its pinnacle, I feel more inclined to address the extent of celebrity influence over votes and the caution the famous should take in engaging in public political activity. Celebrities that stray into the realm of politics mistakenly believe they inspire fans to engage in the system. Really, celebrities attract non-political fans to embrace their own brand of politics, devoid of any real issue knowledge, solely because of their fame.

According to West’s book, approximately 10 percent of Americans digest national political news through entertainment shows like the Tonight Show (for those under 30, this number was more like 50 percent). Many Americans, especially young voters, are unable to distinguish between hard news and entertainment news, which presents celebrities as players in the political issue arena. The public then mistakenly overestimates the political expertise and knowledge of celebrities and puts too much weight in their words. To be fair, the mainstream media is often complicit in this overestimation (look no further than the coverage Donald Trump receives).

The Washington University community is a largely politically-involved group, however, not everyone in this nation is as well-versed or passionate about politics. The undeniable truth is, in the celebrity-obsessed society we live in today, many individuals will blindly vote for a candidate simply based on the words and actions of a celebrity.

The line between celebrity and politics is progressively disappearing, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. Publicity and celebrity status can be a great asset to bring worthy causes — such as environmental and humanitarian issues — to light. Actors, TV personalities, musicians, and athletes inspire many through the passion they show in their own respective fields, and rightfully so. However, when they abuse the respect, love, and influence they have earned through their career by publicly expressing their political leanings with a direct intention of influencing their fans, this inspiration is lost. When an individual enters the voting booth, it should be to vote for the candidate they have decided on without the influence his or her favorite celebrity.