But in all seriousness, it got me thinking about what type of influence these celebrities actually have on voters. Can a simple endorsement sway voters' opinions? One would think that it shouldn't affect someone who is set in his or her opinions already. However, given the idolization of celebrities in society, it is not unrealistic to think that their endorsements could encourage uninformed voters to vote more or less blindly.
Because celebrities have such a large following in the public sphere, I think it is their responsibility to be informed before talking politics (not to say that they do not do this already), and, even more so, encourage their fans to be informed as well. While I don't think it is their intention to encourage voting blindly, I do think that they can cause it indirectly if they do not advocate informed voting.
All the responsibility cannot be put on celebrities, though. It is our responsibility as citizens to be informed before voting. However, celebs can use their influence to encourage responsible voting and set a good example of it.
I definitely have been thinking over this same question in the past few months. As Katy Perry is openly wearing Obama gear she is almost projecting her celebrity status on the current president. I remember thinking this in the previous election as well -- never did I see so much “president apparel” in my life. Somehow, I think celebrities are affecting the status of the candidates and making it trendy to vote, which is a positive. The risk as you said is simply voting for whom your favorite celebrity votes for and not whose ideologies you may agree with.
ReplyDeleteI think it can go the other way too. Sometimes I wonder if there are celebrities that candidates wish wouldn't endorse them. It is cool to have George Clooney, Tina Fey or Justin Timberlake endorse you but what about when the cast of Jersey Shore or Lindsay Lohan throw their support your way? I can't imagine candidates are too thrilled about that. I also think about celebs like Kid Rock and Ted Nugent who always endorse the Republican candidate. To me, Mitt Romney and Ted Nugent seem like polar opposites so it is funny to think about the two of them meeting and how Romney really feels about the endorsement.
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