During the 2016 presidential election, political coverage was heavily influenced not only by big ticket issues such as immigration but also by the increasing presence of celebrities in politics. With Donald Trump’s history as a reality television star and celebrities like Beyoncé, George Clooney and Tom Brady publically endorsing and campaigning for candidates, this election season proved to be one for the stars. However, the election brought up criticisms about the liberal nature of Hollywood and the role that celebrities should play in political activism. Many believe that, since celebrities are being paid to sing, dance, act or compete, they should limit their behavior to promoting these fields. However, celebrities should be able to express their political views as they see fit without others chastising their political involvement, particularly since their fame offers a conduit to create positive change.
Both supporters and opponents of celebrity political involvement agree that celebrities have considerable ability to influence political behavior. According to a researcher at Wake Forest University, celebrity involvement in the 2008 Obama campaign represented a way to connect well-liked personalities like Oprah Winfrey to positive campaign messages. Obama’s platform of change and civic empowerment combined with Oprah’s social reach around the country proved to be a winning combination for Obama in the end. Opponents feel that celebrities should not be using their fame to promote this sort of influence but, just as celebrities can influence ordinary citizens, so can their neighbors and friends. A 2016 study by Harvard professor Ryan Enos found that the context in which citizens live greatly affects their political behavior. So, though people complain about celebrity political activism and its effects, people have an ability to be influenced by those closest to them as well.
Furthermore, politically active celebrities typically face backlash for using social media platforms and speaking engagements to extol their personal political views. According to International Business Times, “much of the public are tired of the celebrity culture that mass media relentlessly promote — they are particularly cynical about multi-millionaires who act, sing and dance professing knowledge about social issues and foreign policy.” This backlash is unjust because many Americans are active on social media for political reasons and celebrities should not be held to different standards. Additionally, much of the point of political activism is to have one’s voice heard and celebrity status provides an ideal platform for that. Celebrities have a unique position in that, if they are well-liked, their fans look to them for information and ideas. This position is a way to create social change because the reach that a celebrity receives on social media accounts large amounts of publicity for charities and causes.
Celebrity status should not play into the right to express political opinions. Though celebrities’ political views are perceived to have more impact than the average person’s, the political beliefs of many Americans are influenced by their neighbors and friends as well. Additionally, it should not matter whether or not celebrities have the ability to influence political behavior. If people have issues with celebrities publicizing their political views, they also have the right to turn off the television, unfollow social media accounts and ignore what they are saying. Though some may argue that the all-consuming nature of social media could make these messages inescapable, there is always the option to unfollow. Celebrity status should have no bearing on a person’s right to express their political beliefs and all Americans who express their political beliefs in public should be treated with respect.
Carly Mulvihill is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.mulvihill@cavalierdaily.com.
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