an era of endorsements

Camila Gutierrez • November 4, 2024

The human gaze is drawn to what is most extraordinary. Celebrities are those who stand out in the media — specifically actors, singers and influencers. It is because of this popularity that society has given a lot of power to their voices, making their opinions more influential than the average person’s.

Politics and the entertainment industry may seem like they are on two different spectrums, but there is a history of celebrities involving themselves in politics and vice versa. When placed together in front of the public, celebrities humanize political figures through their endorsements, which invite appeal toward who is being publicly supported because of the positive outlook now associated with them. If someone should come across a celebrity new to them, they can be viewed more offhandedly — but by correlating a known and favored celebrity with them, it creates interest that might not have been there before. For instance, fans of Olivia Rodrigo might’ve never heard about actor Louis Partridge, but after seeing that he is currently dating Rodrigo, they may watch his films because of that positive connection. This is called the “bandwagon effect,” a psychological occurrence where people do something simply because others are doing it, despite their previous feelings on the subject (Psychology Today). The bandwagon effect first originated in the 19th century in political campaigns, where people “hopped on the bandwagon,” announcing their support for that candidate as well. Given this, celebrity endorsements can create a desire for fans to align their political views with their favorite celebrity.

“Younger voters are more influenced by celebrity endorsements, especially through social media,” Junior Matthew Sanchez said. “Older voters rely more on political figures with experience rather than the opinion of a celebrity they like. They likely want the opinion of someone with political experience that understands the complex issues of it, over someone who lacks those abilities."

The 2024 election season has undoubtedly become very popular on social media, and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are clearly aware of the impact celebrities and influencers can have, as they have both arranged star-studded performances and interviews. Harris had Megan Thee Stallion perform at one of her rallies and used a song by Beyoncé as her walk-out anthem after being given permission by the artist (CNN). Similarly, Trump orchestrated a months-long tour of interviews and campaign appearances with influencers like Logan Paul and Bryce Hall in order to reach more audiences (NPR). Celebrities like these have caused thousands to register to vote. Taylor Swift shared an Instagram post back in 2018 encouraging her fans to register, and it was later recorded as the largest day in new voter registration (CNN). Now in 2024, Swift endorsed Vice President Harris, which led to a large spike of people researching more on voting information (CNBC). Hours after Joe Biden stepped down from the race and announced his support for Harris, singer Charli XCX joined the political conversation, posting on X “kamala IS brat.” This post, a clear reference to her popular album “brat” just released a month prior, led to an explosion in discussion around Harris, with people even making fan edits of her to various Charli XCX songs. The post positively impacted Harris’ campaign in appealing to younger audiences, despite the fact that Charli XCX is British and cannot vote in the United States.

By contrast, Trump’s own list of celebrity endorsers extends to Elon Musk, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and 50 Cent, who have shown support for him through social media posts and comments (Deadline). However, despite the big names in Trump’s list, he has received negative backlash over it, as following Musk’s endorsement, both Musk and Trump were monikered “self-obsessed rich guys” as the two laughed over firing striking workers on social media (The Hill).

In 2008, Barack Obama held a last-minute campaign rally that thousands of viewers appeared at where Oprah Winfrey made a campaign appearance (Time Magazine). Endorsements are powerful, and can heighten or lessen the popularity of a presidential candidate, as economists estimate that endorsement was worth over one million votes (University of Maryland). While all of these endorsements have substantial effects on certain audiences, they also depend on celebrities’ reputations so that presidential candidates receive the best outcomes.

“Harris will be largely and positively impacted due to the fact that her voters seem to be a group more influenced by celebrities,” Sophomore Allie Holstein said. “Trump might be more negatively impacted because of the controversial backgrounds of the celebrities endorsing him, like Elon Musk.”

With the exponential growth of technology and its omnipresence in society, social media’s impact is even greater now. Today, celebrities have more accessible platforms to share all beliefs and opinions, thereby removing formal barriers between themselves and fans to build connections (CNN). Despite the trust celebrities cultivate, some voters may view celebrity endorsements as uncomfortable one-sided relationships. However, in retrospect, it can be viewed as a source of guidance where people have beliefs that align with certain celebrities, and look for the confirmation of their own opinion from those around them with similar ideologies. Presidential candidates similarly can guide voter’s beliefs, with this influence continuing to grow through social media. As social media continues to grow, it is likely that social media, and celebrity endorsements on its platforms, will be even more influential in elections.

“Celebrity endorsements will definitely be playing a larger role in the future now that amounts of celebrities have made their point and stance on political views,” senior Bernice Ho said. “In the future there will be more celebrities who come out and do the same, either in support of someone, or to oppose the certain views of a [figure].”

Social media and idolized figures are ingrainedin the everyday lives of the public and continue to influence younger generations. The public handed over the power to celebrities, giving their opinions significant value to voters that seek guidance, allowing their endorsements to affect the campaigns that decide who governs their country. Celebrities lend political campaigns not only their fanbases, but their humanity, moving people to exercise their own humanity and participate in democracy.