Celebrities wield unparalleled influence and have a responsibility to engage in political discourse, using their platforms to amplify critical issues

With millions of fans tracking their every move, celebrities have a unique ability to spotlight critical social and political issues. Celebrities are citizens, and like all citizens, they have the right—and the obligation—to speak out. Given their far-reaching influence, their advocacy is not just beneficial; it is necessary.

“I believe that celebrities should speak out, and it’s a part of civil liberties. Celebrities can support [Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)] and advocate for moral causes that benefit the community,” junior Pranavi Kandepu said.

Kandepu further explains that when celebrities advocate for nonprofits and human rights organizations, they bring much needed attention and support to underprivileged communities. Their platform becomes a powerful tool for raising awareness, mobilizing donations and inspiring real action.

In the 2024 United States (U.S.) presidential election, high-profile endorsements and political engagements by celebrities not only sparked public discourse, but also mobilized voter participation.

President Donald Trump received endorsements from a diverse array of celebrities. Notably, podcaster Joe Rogan publicly supported Trump, sharing a nearly three-hour interview with him and announcing his endorsement on social media. This move was significant, considering Rogan’s substantial influence with “The Joe Rogan Experience” boasting 14.5 million Spotify followers.

According to Reuters Press, Former Vice President Kamala Harris garnered support from numerous celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé. These artists utilized their platforms to sway voter turnout and advocate for Harris’s policies. Taylor Swift’s endorsement, in particular, has been noted for its potential to change public opinion, especially among her extensive fan base.

Celebrity participation in political discussions can help humanize complex global issues, making them more accessible and relatable with the public. Seeing the wide influence that celebrities hold, it is also imperative to recognize the beneficial aspect of how more people are empowered to actually take a political stance and think about the issues that impact our nation as a whole.

A YouGov survey indicated that while only 7% of respondents have supported a candidate due to a celebrity endorsement, and 11% have reconsidered their stance on an issue based on a celebrity’s opinion, these figures represent millions of voters in a national election actively discussing political debate.

Celebrities using their platforms to share political stances prove to be beneficial as they raise awareness about important social and political issues, encouraging civic engagement among their followers.
However, some argue that celebrities should remain neutral and that their opinions are not well informed of the full perspective of the issue.

“I don’t think teenagers just believe whatever celebs say. We know how to fact-check, look at real sources, and tell what’s legit or not,” junior Hanna Tao said.

Nowadays, teenagers are able to distinguish between fake and real news and are able to construct their opinions based on primary sources. Additionally, celebrities have the right to express their opinion and their ability to shape conversations and inspire action makes their voices valuable in driving political progress.

Given their large audience, celebrities can often amplify the underrepresented voices, bringing attention to policies that may go unnoticed and inspire people to take action whether through voting, activism or policy advocacy. When public figures advocate for their stance, they put pressure on lawmakers and institutions to address societal concerns, showing that public opinion holds power.

“I don’t think students look up to celebrities more than politicians when it comes to politics,” Chelsea Im said.

While policymakers hold the power to make legislative changes, celebrities hold the power to influence the public to push for those changes. Celebrities catalyze awareness, activism and political engagement by leveraging their platforms to advocate for justice.

While it is true that celebrities must be responsible and informed in their activism, looking over their voices altogether is shortsighted. Some minority opinions from celebrities may face intense backlash from their fans. The solution is not silence—it is informed advocacy.

Recent politics have seen celebrities become more involved with the political landscape, but is it really justified?

During the 2024 election, we saw a slew of celebrities endorse each side, with celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan. Their huge fan bases primed them to be one of the most influential parts of our democracy. Yet they are not experts on policy and can be often incorrect; so why are we continuing to allow them to influence our politics?

Celebrities are public figures but are also individuals. Individuals have the right to their freedom of expression, including the right to not express their opinions.

“It’s okay for individuals to keep their opinions private. There is always a possibility of public outcry and people harassing others because of their opinions. So I think there shouldn’t ever be a necessity to be public about any of your opinions,” sophomore Zuraj Abraham said.

Even when celebrities speak up about their beliefs, it is sometimes false. They are susceptible to all the same things as us: being uninformed about current events, being blatantly wrong or being biased. One key example of celebrities spreading misinformation was during the pandemic where many different celebrities came out to speak against the Covid-19 vaccine, slowing down the response of the government.

A study published in the British Medical Journal about celebrity tweets of Covid-19 vaccines found that these polarized messages downplayed the risks of not vaccinating and endangering peoples’ lives.

The high amount of attention that celebrities have focused on them makes the information celebrities spread particularly hard to handle, as it allows them to influence the media greatly.

“People who are involved in the media are affected by celebrities and [so] are indirectly affected,” sophomore Kelly Wang said.

Furthermore, celebrities’ whole purpose is to make money, not to give people information they need, unlike news sources.

“[Celebrities are] doing it most likely exclusively for [Personal Record (PR)]. They just want to look good in the public eye, and not because they actually support their opinion,” sophomore Charles Chen said.

Celebrities are involved mainly for money to their PR, allowing them to gain the most amount of value. It is not that their interest is to see that their political opinions are made a reality, but more often of which side nets them the most value. This conflict of interest is even more stark when we look at the role of a celebrity.

“Most celebrities are people who provide entertainment. What we should really oblige celebrities to do is provide good entertainment. I don’t think politics should be entertaining,” Abraham said.

When individuals in the entertainment industry speak on politics, it detracts from the severity of these choices, trivializing them. By allowing for a celebrity to be attached to a political message, it clouds what the message is truly about and instead focuses it onto the speaker.

According to the professor of communication at Fordham University, Lance Strate, “[In] the early ’80s, all the opinion polls were showing that Reagan had enormous popular appeal. And yet when people were asked about the issues, their views on the issues, they were diametrically opposed to them. And yet they voted for him anyway.”

The power of popular appeal is immense as history has shown, even greater than the actual actions of politicians are focused on.

“I feel like it’s okay for celebrities to be involved politically and express their opinion publicly, but they [shouldn’t] tell people how they should think,” Wang said.

It is when celebrities’ right to free speech is used to support an ideology that issues arise. Telling people who you are voting for is different from telling people who they should be voting for. By encouraging politics to become more linked to an individual, the weight that popular appeal has increases, leading to less importance being placed on actual policy.

Our current system of celebrities influencing our politics greatly harms an individual’s ability to make choices. It dilutes discussion of policy with popular appeal and misinformation. Removing this influence allows for actual democracy to take place, helping society change for the better.