By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Celebrities and American politics have become intertwined. Singers endorsing candidates, actors encouraging voter participation and athletes voicing their opinions have become regular scenes for the average American.
Celebrities have the platforms to create conversations with their large following, which can be a very valuable way of sparking change.
There isn’t a true issue with celebrities engaging in political conversation they pay taxes, vote and still feel the effects of decisions every day — they’re citizens, just like the rest of us.
Denying them the ability to talk about issues would be like telling the average American voter to stop talking about their own opinions. They should still have the right to speak, even if they have a mass platform to do it.
Celebrities can bring unknown issues to light for their followers. When a well-known celebrity talks about issues, people who may not watch the news or pay attention to the political landscape are directly affected.
Taylor Swift provides a recent example of a celebrity spreading their influence.
Taylor Swift openly supported Kamala Harris in September 2024. Swift shared a link to vote.gov with her followers and encouraged them to vote. The federal voter registration website received approximately 338,000 visits in 15 hours, showing the effect Swift could have on politics.
However, it’s difficult to wield that power responsibly.
Celebrities can share whatever they want, whenever they want — but sometimes, that information is false or unverified.
When audiences see and trust a celebrity, they may accept the information as true without verification and form their opinions based on the celebrity’s fame.
A 2012 study by Anthony J. Nownes found that celebrity political activity does influence voters decisions by affecting which party a person aligns with.
Another study by Nownes found that celebrity endorsements could change how voters felt emotionally toward a particular candidate, specifically reducing anger.
Nownes’ research proves how celebrity endorsements affect not only voting decisions, but also feelings towards specific candidates.
Overall, the responsibility to be fairly engaged in politics belongs to both celebrities and audiences.
Celebrities have the right to engage with politics when they feel inclined. When they do, though, they should emphasize sharing accurate information and remind followers that it is their opinion.
At the same time, audiences should think for themselves. Just because a celebrity supports something shouldn’t shape your opinion. Do your own research and form your own opinion.
Celebrities can have a voice, but not the final say.
