THOUGH CELEBRITIES ARE SPEAKING UP, PUBLICISING THEIR POLITICAL STANCE WILL ALWAYS SOLICIT CRITICISM FROM ONE PARTY OR ANOTHER
THE SWIFT EFFECT According to vote.org, Taylor Swift spurred 169,000 new voter registrations in just two days of the 2018 midterms – compared to 59,000 in the previous month
vote on whether this information is relevant, with the aim of combating disinformation. When it comes to major elections, this open-source strategy will hopefully take fake news out of the equation – or at least lessen its effect. THE DEATH OF THE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT? For decades, celebrities have endorsed politicians, subtly urging their fanbases to vote for one candidate over another. Once a coveted seal of approval, these endorsements are now worth little to politicians themselves, while silence is unacceptable to many fans – especially those politically engaged. Though celebrities are speaking up, taking to social media to express their views and use their enormous platforms for good, publicising their political stance will always solicit criticism from one party or another. Up until 2018, one of the world’s biggest stars – Taylor Swift – was apolitical. Walking a fine line between pop and country music (which tends to attract a more conservative crowd), Swift hadn’t endorsed anyone in the 2016 election, though she did post a photo of herself at a polling station, causing speculation. In 2018, she finally spoke out against Trump and Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn, ‘pledging allegiance’ to Democratic politicians. Swift has a stronghold on society; at the time of writing, she has 284 million followers on Instagram, 95.2 million on X and 32.8 million on TikTok. She’s a certified billionaire, holds the record for highest-grossing concert tour of any female artist and has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential
people three times and Person of the Year twice. Her cultural impact is undeniable – one that’s arguably been underutilised. Certain celebrity fanbases have proven a political force to be reckoned with. K-pop fans pulled off a few pranks during the 2020 election, like spamming a police scanner app and booking tickets to a Trump rally, leaving the stadium embarrassingly empty. Plus, they put their money where their mouth is, raising over $1 million for Black Lives Matter. Swift endorsed Biden in 2020 but hasn’t yet done the same for Harris. Journalists argue her support is invaluable, but the reasons behind her recent political abstinence remain unclear. Maybe it doesn’t matter, as Swift’s publicly voiced values align with the Democratic Party’s – and a Harris backing won’t change that. UP FOR DISCUSSION In today’s globalised era, social media encourages community- building and crowdsourcing. On the flip side, these platforms can also serve as ideological silos that thrive on algorithmic organisation. Despite stricter user guidelines and significant improvements in verification, disinformation still poses a threat. Although the UK’s election season is over, the US is full steam ahead, and we have yet to fully realise just how impactful social media has been. What’s increasingly clear is its endless ability to spark political discussions, which isn’t an inherent drawback; if apps like TikTok and X can engage people – especially the youth – that’s surely a win for society overall.
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