Photo Courtesy: NPR.org
This past week, Taylor Swift took to social media to announce her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. When a celebrity endorses, they utilize their fame and fanbase for the sake of promoting a product, place, or in this case, a person. When that celebrity happens to have 284 million followers, this type of promotion can be extremely impactful.
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has been of significance to the music industry for nearly twenty-one years. She’s accumulated many accolades, including Grammys, Emmys, and MTV awards. Her fan base, known as ‘The Swifties,’ is one of the largest and most devoted fan bases in the world. In fact, she has sold an estimated total of 114 million albums worldwide, and no matter the country, her concerts are always sold out months in advance.
With this being understood, it is impossible for an endorsement from Taylor Swift to go unacknowledged. The majority of her fan base is of the legal age to vote, and some fans will take a recommendation from their favorite celebrity seriously. Alexia Champagne, a third-year political science scholar studying at Florida State University, believes Taylor Swift’s fan base will follow suit.
“Anyone who is super influenced by a celebrity has the willpower to do anything for them, so it’s possible for them to bring Kamala Harris support,” Champagne said.
Following Taylor Swift’s endorsement, hundreds of thousands of social media users clicked on the custom voter registration link on her Instagram story. This drastically increased the number of visitors the website had just a day prior.
Many fans of Taylor Swift are of the younger demographic, and if they are easily persuaded, they can be convinced to participate in the 2024 election, and vote for the suggested candidate. Trinity Thomas, a first-year economics scholar studying at Tallahassee State College, understands fans can be highly receptive to a celebrity’s opinions.
“Today, majority of the fans of these celebrities are still young and very impressionable,” Thomas said.
On the other hand, students acknowledge the importance of evaluating both candidates and making a solid decision on their own. Unless someone is a dedicated fan, they most likely won’t solely rely on a celebrity’s recommendation when making a decision as important as this one.
“I think it’s important to have a mind of your own when it comes to politics because your opinion shouldn’t be persuaded by anyone else regardless of status or fame,” Champagne added.
Most people will research both candidates and their policies and come to a conclusion, regardless of which celebrity has endorsed. Clarissa Elysee is a third-year broadcast journalism student at Florida A&M University. She is skeptical of the actual impact that Swift’s endorsement will have.
“They don’t persuade everybody, and in the grand scheme of things, they don’t hold as much power as we think they do,” Elysee said.
Alongside Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris has received endorsements from Cardi B, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, and John Legend. Harris has also received endorsements from beloved actors and actresses, Matt Damon, Kerry Washington, Barbra Streisand, and Tiffany Haddish.
Celebrities showing interest in politics has grown to be a crucial aspect of election season. With the election steadily approaching, their influence can be what promotes people of all ages, but specifically the younger generations, to get to the polls and vote.
Social media allows for celebrities to broaden their reach, and it is important that they use their platforms to promote the use of your voice and your right to vote. The common goal is to persuade all members of society to involve themselves in the political state of the country.