Arts and Entertainment

Face Off: Should Celebrities endorse political candidates? - YES

By Jack McManus '13

November 1, 2012

I understand that this seems like the less logical side of this argument in some ways—celebrities are stupid, right? Don’t they represent the rampant superficiality and misguided value system of our flawed culture? Some might, but that’s an oversimplification that robs credit from the handful of brilliant celebrity intellectuals that really do deserve it. It’s easy to deride famous people for their socially-constructed status, but, based merely on the fact that they often have an attentive audience, these people have abilities that the vast majority of us undeniably do not. Every time a famous person performs, records, shoots, tweets or makes an appearance, their influence reaches thousands of adoring fans (sometimes known as eligible voters), a valuable asset that even the candidates themselves can’t always match. Whether they deserve this power or not, it exists regardless, and many celebrities take the associated responsibilities very seriously.

As Americans like the rest of us, most musicians, actors and other celebrities feel strongly about how our nation is governed, and, accordingly, they side with candidates that best represent their views and interests. While we all exercise our power by voting, celebrities have the added ability to shape our nation’s government by endorsing a candidate, theoretically influencing their fans’ voting habits. As long as they’re motivated by the genuine desire to make America the strongest nation it can be, I don’t have any problem with them exerting this power over their available, largely consenting audience. Ordinary people do the same thing when they post about their chosen candidate on Facebook, slap a sticker on their car or stab a sign into their front yard—we’re all just trying to help our own interests get fulfilled. We’d all like to make a difference; the difference is celebrities can. Especially for performing artists, the act of political endorsement also runs the risk of alienating sects of their fans, but if they’re willing to take that risk, we should commend them for valuing their beliefs and our country’s well-being over their own popularity and economic interests.

While I fully believe everything stated above, I admit that my argument is complicated by my use of “celebrity” as a comprehensive term. We can all agree that there’s an ocean of difference between thoughtful, conscientious artists and the inexplicably popular Kardashian/Jersey Shore end of the celebrity spectrum. While I don’t fundamentally object to the latter group making political statements and endorsements, I’d like to remind everyone that we have the unrestricted freedom to ignore their opinions completely. However, in the case of true artists (which you can define however you like), I’d urge everyone to at least consider the merits of their political opinions. More so than any other professional group, it’s the artists’ duty to observe, interpret and reflect on the state of our society and culture, and the best ones carry out those duties respectably. Listen closely to Pink Floyd’s The Wall if you don’t understand what I mean (it may seem so, but you’ll just have to trust that I’m not being cliché with this recommendation). Artists often delve into our society’s issues more deeply than most of us are equipped or prepared to, and that informs their political decisions drastically. Putting aside the fact that I enjoy their music, I’ve heard both Roger Waters and Bruce Springsteen speak at length about the role of government, the importance of personal freedom and the way governments do, don’t and ought to respect human rights and lives, and their intellect convinced me of their credible knowledge about  matters of national importance, including elections. True artists should earn our trust in this way; it’s their job to do so.

One can complain all day about the dangers of celebritocracy and our society’s misplaced admiration of the rich, talented and beautiful, but it’s a foregone conclusion that these types have a certain amount of power over how our society functions. While some may not be trustworthy, others have proven the legitimacy of their ideas and deserve to be considered worthy sources of political influence. Of course, we all have the right to vote however we choose, but the health of our nation depends on our ability to enter the voting booth with a clear heart and educated mind, and anything that helps that process should be welcomed.

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