The infatuation and obsession with political leaders are nothing new, but the impact of social media, misinformation, and pop culture has amplified this. Politicians are the new celebrities, with fan edits, social media pages filled with memes, and podcasts dedicated to your favorite candidate in the 2024 Presidential election. The amount of celebrity endorsements in this election is unheard of, with the lines between celebrities and politics becoming blurred, so how is this impacting the election and influencing public opinion and the cultural
The phrase, “Celebritization of Politics” is used to describe the phenomenon when pop culture and politics intersect, and creates a fandom, celebrity, political conjunction that merges to shape popular opinion. This topic was popularized by the book Celebrity Politics by Mark Wheeler in 2013, where he makes a nuanced critique and important context on the then, new topic of social media’s influence on politics and pop culture. This is why seeing celebrities run for office, or politicians become celebrities themselves has become normal. Remember when Kanye West ran for president? Alas it seems funny and random but represents a culture shift. One that started positively but spiraled out of control because of the impact of the internet.
Back in Ancient Athens, in year 507 B.C. the first democratic election was held, and the people participating in the political society were men picked in a random raffle. Their relationship with political leaders was very normal, because even the average Joe could randomly become a politician. Fast forward to 1789, George Washington became president, and he was seen as the father figure of America, someone who was a higher class and needed respect. Not one of those low-class musicians and actors, and the thought that a musician would be part of the political circle would be an abomination.
But then all the stigma of pop culture and political worlds mixing changed going into the 20th century. In the 1920s, silent-film stars endorsed Warren Harding’s presidential campaign, something unheard of at the time. It had a surprisingly positive public reaction, which then continued the practice. Looking back, this was the opening of Pandora’s Box.
Celebrity endorsements continued, but they were carefully curated and manufactured by big producing companies the celebrities were under, and their real opinions regarding the politicians were unknown—until the late 60s. Suddenly, musicians were making politically filled lyrics, actors were attending hippie festivals, and television personalities were making public speeches protesting the Vietnam War. The mixture of politically correct celebrities, and a culturally positive view on actors and musicians allowed for a culture shift that slowly integrated celebrity and politics, in ways that had never been allowed. This is what allowed Ronald Reagan, actor turned President to be accepted, because otherwise, no one would have taken him seriously.
But how is this even relevant? That’s a good question that many political scholars have been debating. Should celebrities and politics ever mix?
The Pros are it allows fans to take an interest in public policy when they otherwise.
Personally, I feel like the cons outweigh the pros because the impact of social media and the unlimited access of the Internet, has brought a culture that idolizes political leaders into unsafe levels. The amount of Kamala Harris edits on my FYP, and Trump themed everything (weddings, fashion shows, stores) has been intense. Politicians are becoming celebrities of themselves, attracting their die-hard stans, and that’s not a good thing. Politics has always been messy and corrupt, so seeing politicians as a character, someone to be obsessed with, will lead one to be disappointed.
So as some Prep students are registering to vote in this election, it’s up to the individual to decide if celebrities in politics is a good or bad thing, and if it has an impact on their vote. But doing thorough research, discerning their opinions, and actively being educated to make an informed decision at the ballot box is super important.
