The presidential elections in the United States have reached a crescendo. The choice between a Harris or Trump presidency is similar to grasping the tail of a python or falling into a dark abyss for drained Muslim American voters who have witnessed 13 months of American complicity in the genocide in Gaza.
However, regardless of one’s perspective on the situation in Gaza, it is impossible to ignore the fact that American democracy is at risk now more than ever in the past eight years. Sadly, despite how much Americans assert that their democracy is in danger, voter participation rarely reflects this urgency.
America’s low voter turnout can be attributed to a number of factors.
First, the United States does not automatically register citizens to vote when they turn 18, unlike other developed nations. Second, each state has its own unique rules regarding absentee ballots, early voting, photo ID requirements, and election deadlines. The issue of trust is another one. Americans are enthusiastic about controversial policy driven issues like movement, environmental change, weapon savagery, and fetus removal privileges. However, they have little faith in the government’s ability to address the issue, with only 2% of Americans believing the government will “just about always” act in the right way.
As a result, only about two thirds of Americans will vote in presidential elections, with political apathy particularly affecting younger voters. However, the cult of American celebrity may have provided capitalism in the United States with a solution to voter apathy and low turnout.
America’s star-studded banner To comprehend why American celebrities can influence whether or not you vote and for whom, we must first comprehend the consumer culture of the United States, which has always encouraged individuals to shape their identity through consumption.
Celebrities have been successfully promoted as role models in this consumer culture. This is exacerbated by the accessibility of celebrities’ lives through social media, which fosters a sense of connection and relatability. American capitalism has commodified celebrities, creating a parasocial relationship in which fans not only feel a connection to them but also perceive them as relatable figures that they can take inspiration from in their own lives.
Celebrities are such a powerful part of American culture that their support for a politician can help the candidate reach new audiences, raise money, draw large crowds, and get the attention of the media.
For example, in 2020, Hailey Bieber and a number of other celebrities appeared in advertisements urging America’s eight million newly minted teens to register to vote and stating that voting “will impact millions of lives — especially women.” In 2019, Ariana Grande also set up booths at her concerts in the United States to encourage people to register to vote. When Kylie Jenner encouraged her then-196 million followers to register to vote in 2020, the number of people who did so increased by 80 percent. David Dobrik, a well-known YouTuber, gave away Teslas in 2020 as a ploy to encourage new voter registration. In addition, nearly 60,000 potential new poll workers signed up in 2022 when Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, and Alicia Keys took to social media to address the shortage of poll workers.
“Seeing a celebrity you respect celebrate their identity as a voter can change your perception of what it even means to be a voter,” says an August 2024 Harvard study on celebrity civic engagement. It may motivate and excite you to incorporate civic engagement into your worldview.
Naturally, there will be those who despise, with some even telling celebrities to stick to their own path. In 2018, the well-known Fox journalist Laura Ingraham advised NBA player LeBron James to “shut up and dribble,” stating that she was not interested in political advice from “someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball.” Ingraham’s comments were made in reference to LeBron James. The best response came from another NBA player named Draymond Green, who stated, “They say athletes can’t speak on politics.” Since everyone believes they can speak basketball, I find that amusing.
Celebrities: powerful and free tool for rallying support for a political candidate Despite the occasional backlash, celebrities are a valuable resource for political campaigns. They are also not afraid to get involved in politics and support a candidate now more than ever.
Think about Taylor Swift.
Swift asked her then-112 million Instagram followers to register to vote at vote.org in a single Instagram story in 2018. 65,000 new voters had registered within 24 hours. In this year’s election, half a million people registered to vote within 24 hours of her endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Swift gives viewers a glimpse into private political conversations in her 2020 documentary Miss Americana. The pop star, weeping, tells her parents and management, “This is something that I know is right, and I need to be on the right side of history,” as seen by the audience. And even if [Phil Bredesen] loses, at least I tried… it really matters to me. Even though Swift’s management team can be heard warning her that posting about politics could hurt her career, it doesn’t seem to have hurt Swift, who is currently on the tour with the most money made in music history.
A relationship that benefits both parties To be clear, celebrities in the United States aren’t just showing up unpaid to support American democracy for the sake of democracy. Political candidates and celebrities have a mutually beneficial relationship.
A celebrity supporting a candidate is a low-effort, high-payoff way to get in the spotlight and become known for something bigger and more profound, just as political campaigns benefit from celebrity support because it helps them reach potential voters.
Beyonce’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, for instance, allowed her access to high-profile political circles and events with prominent political, activist, and philanthropic figures. She went from being an entertainer to a fearless leader as a result, which allowed her to expand her advocacy work with her BeyGOOD Foundation.
The same is true for Leonardo DiCaprio, who frequently backs candidates (most recently Harris) who prioritize environmental and climate change policies to reach a much larger audience.
But does celebrity endorsement guarantee a victory on the ballot?
The Biden campaign’s energy was as lackluster and unimpressive as Biden himself before Harris took over as vice president, making Trump seem like an inevitable candidate. However, the party was quickly reenergized when Harris was nominated for the Democratic presidential nomination in August 2024.
High-profile celebrity endorsements have followed Harris on the campaign trail ever since she became the presidential candidate.
Beyonce and Harris recently performed at a Houston rally. If rumors are to be believed, Trump was late to his rally that same night because he was watching the Harris/Beyonce performance in his limousine. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican governor, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bad Bunny, billionaires Mark Cuban and Bill Gates, and Charli XCX are among the other mega-celebrities backing Harris. In response to Harris’ campaign’s reference to the “brat summer” trend, Charli XCX tweeted, “kamala IS brat.” Billie Eilish and her brother also expressed their support for Harris in a video that was recently shared by the Marvel’s Avengers cast.
The Trump lobby likewise has its big name allies with Trump himself a result of the clique of superstar. However, the celebrities who are associated with his campaign either a) are celebrities who are as problematic and controversial as Trump himself (think Kanye, Elon Musk, and Mel Gibson) or b) are celebrities who are not prominent household names — particularly for the younger generation, which requires more convincing to get out the vote.
Even publications and brands are offering their perspectives on the upcoming presidential elections in 2024. Designers such as Vera Wang, Prabal Gurung, Thom Brown, Gabriela Hearst, and Aurora James (who designed a shirt that says “America is an Idea”), among others, contributed 20 items to the Harris campaign’s Designers for Democracy collection.
In the meantime, Glossier, a makeup company, has Ignite National team members stationed at stores across the country to encourage voter registration.
Nika Soon-Shiong, the daughter of Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, made headlines recently when she said that the publication would not endorse a candidate in 2024, adding that “for me, genocide is a line in the sand.” This was an unprecedented move. Her comments were later refuted by her father, Patrick Soon-Shiong, who claimed that she was not involved in the publication’s decision not to endorse a candidate.
In light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Los Angeles Times controversy is significant because it reveals a divide between presidential candidates and certain voter groups who feel marginalized and ignored.
