Communications 160: Celebrities in Politics

Molly Raskin

 

Celebrity Influence on Politics:

            Celebrities have always had a strong influence upon American culture and politics. During the Vietnam War, numerous celebrities spoke out against the government, and similarly today, many stars have made their stand in either support or opposition to the war in Iraq. However, it has not been until the past two presidential elections that celebrities have become a huge part of the electoral process. Recently, in the 2008 presidential election, celebrities heavily and openly stated which contender they were going to vote for; Barack Obama or John McCain. Yet, does the presence of celebrity opinions and voices in politics hinder, or help Americans choose their presidential candidate?

            In 2003, celebrity actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California, and since then has induced a regime along the lines of Ronald Regan. His election as Governor initiated the popularity of celebrities running for office. Most candidates for any political office begin as politicians, and after their election, become celebrities. However, Schwarzenegger illustrates a celebrity turned politician.  A research-study performed four days prior to his election sent out a survey to which four hundred-sixty people responded. The responders didn’t necessarily believe that Schwarzenegger was fit to be Governor, yet they were still interested in his political standpoints. Thus, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s celebrity status helped him to victory. Progressively, Americans saw P. Diddy in 2004 launch, with the help of MTV, the “Vote or Die” campaign. This campaign was a new take on the MTV program used in the 1992 presidential election, “Choose or Lose,” dedicated to interview politicians on subjects that affect youngvoters. The campaign was geared to the young, MTV, demographic. Blurbs about voting, or showcasing P. Diddy clad in his “Vote or Die” t-shirt, were frequently played on MTV. Many new programs were created to increase awareness in young voters, and consequently, there was a huge increase in the number of new voters who came out to the polls.

            Whether or not the influence of celebrities in politics has positive or negative effects can be questioned. The 2008 presidential election has to be the most media and celebrity driven election in history. That’s an obvious statement, seeing as on the ticket was the first African-American man running, and the first woman who could have potentially been elected into The White House. This sparked numerous amounts of celebrity endorsements, heated debates, and comedic spoofs. Throughout history, voting was always seen as a private act; going into the voting booths and making your decision alone. However, not a day went by in the fall of 2008 that celebrities were not interviewed on the radio, television, or in newspapers/tabloid magazines. Celebrities who openly endorsed John McCain during the election were difficult to find. To name a few were, Jon Voight (actor), Robert Duvall (actor), Jerry Bruckheimer (director), and Lacy Chabert (actor). On the contrary, I came across pages of sites that detailed celebrities who support Barack Obama. The Top Ten Supporters of Obama, according to the Huffington Post, are: (10) Jennifer Aniston, (9) Robert De Niro, (8) Chris Rock, (7) Samuel L. Jackson, (6) Scarlett Johansson, (5), George Clooney, (4), Ben Affleck, (3) The Kennedy Women, (2) rapper Will.I.Am, and finally at number one, Oprah.

            It can be said that anyone who is mentioned or recommended by Oprah Winfrey almost instantaneously becomes successful, just look at Rachel Ray. During the recent election, it was a big deal who Oprah was going to endorse; was it going to be a woman, Hillary Clinton, or an African-American man, Barack Obama? Oprah’s final decision, in supporting Barack Obama, gave him almost nearly an additional one million votes. When Oprah releases her booklist, ratings and sales unquestionably increase, let alone when publically supporting a candidate who is running for public office. Many people questioned her decision, saying that Oprah was betraying her gender. Oprah retaliated with this statement regarding her decision in endorsing Obama: “I thought long and hard before stepping up and out into this because it feels like I am stepping out of my pew and I know that no matter what you do, you’re going to be criticized. So, I weighed it. What is the cost for me doing it? Am I going to lose viewers? I made the decision that I have the right to do it as an American citizen and I am doing this because I feel it is the right thing to do at this time.” Oprah was not turning away from being a woman, but instead she was turning to her race, like many other celebrities. Many African-American celebrities were very enthusiastic about the prospect of having an African-American president, and therefore thought no harm in publically displaying their support.

            However, celebrities have also shed, what can be perceived to be, a negative light upon the 2008 election. While researching for this paper I came across an article entitled “Sexy Celebrities Love Sexy Obama.” Personally, I think that this makes out Obama’s campaign and beliefs to be a mockery. Similarly, but done with a lot more humor, is the popular Saturday Night Live skits of Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin. Prior to these skits, SNL was doing poorly in the ratings, but the recurring Sarah Palin spoofs revitalized the show’s popularity.  Parody news shows like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have become the main news source for many people. In a recent survey of news show audiences, viewers of the Colbert Report were reported to be more politically intelligent than the BBC’s audience. Stephen Colbert’s influence cannot be doubted. He is constantly telling his viewers to vote for him in competitions for the naming of various things.  “The Colbert Bump,” as Colbert calls it, is the phenomenon that occurs when someone appears on his show and subsequently becomes more popular. The Colbert Bump greatly garnered favor for presidential hopeful Michael Huckabee. Overall, whether it be mockingly, or humorous, comedy gains attention from viewers.

        Ultimately, it is clear that celebrities want their words out in the public to positively affect their preferred candidate. By celebrities speaking out, it gives voters a chance to research and perhaps identify with a celebrity on a political basis. There were many debates in lieu of the election as to whether or not celebrity endorsements would in fact persuade the outcome of the election. It can be argued that they did not, however throughout the years it has been statistically proven, that when given a popular celebrity’s opinion, it will drive people to the polls. The presence of celebrities in politics does not appeal too much to people who have voted previous times. It’s more significant to the younger generation. For people my age, my classmates, this was our first time being able to have a say in the way that our country was going to be governed. Most people who I talk to made their decisions based on research, not which reality television star mentioned a candidate on E Entertainment. This is where celebrities’ presence can be negative. As hard as it is to believe, there are people who will vote for a candidate just based on the fact they believe it will bring them closer to a celebrity they idolize. However, the positive comes into play when celebrities get the word out there that it is the most important job you have as an American to vote.