During the past election season, and every election season in living memory, a host of celebrities spoke out on behalf of the frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican nominations. Quite a few notable public figures such as Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi and Will Ferrell came to NC State to endorse Hillary Clinton during the most recent election, and more will come during the next. But what effects do all the speeches, commercials and tweets really have on the voting public, and NC State students specifically?
NC State’s own Michael Cobb, associate professor of public and international affairs, has conducted research over the past few years exploring the impacts of celebrity endorsements, and some of his study subjects have been students here at NC State. His findings have indicated that celebrities, while they do play a role in politics, are not likely causing dramatic changes in voting habits.
Cobb has conducted research over the past few years exploring the impacts of celebrity endorsements, and some of his study subjects have been students here at NC State.
“They might be effective in a primary, where you’re choosing between candidates of the same party… [but] there’s really, in a general election, no good reason for a celebrity to try to convince you to vote for an R versus a D or a D versus an R,” Cobb said.
He went on to indicate that while a voter who is already casting their ballot for a particular party could conceivably be swayed to another candidate in that party, it’s highly unlikely that their favorite actor endorsing a candidate of another party would cause them to neglect party allegiance.
An NC State student agreed that her voting habits aren’t impacted by the public figures she follows.
“Seeing Lady Gaga and Bon Jovi in full support of Clinton did not affect the way I voted — honestly, the political views of celebrities are irrelevant to me,” said Rebekah Barker, a sophomore studying political science.
Barker said that some college students might be more susceptible to celebrity opinions than the general population based on age and inexperience.
“Unfortunately, I think college students, being some of our nation’s youngest voters, don’t always take the time to research their party’s platform or the political positions of the candidates before voting,” Barker said.
According to Cobb, collegiate voters are probably more impressionable to not only celebrity, but any influence on their political opinions, since they haven’t had many years to develop their opinions compared to older voters.
Although the entertainers and athletes of America may not hold voters in their sway as much as the candidates they support would like them to, people do care about their opinions enough to lose respect or interest in a celebrity who voices a conflicting political opinion. Cobb’s study found that self-identified Democrats rated Angelina Jolie as less attractive after being told that she had endorsed a Republican candidate, and similarly self-identified Republicans rated Jolie as less attractive after being told that she had endorsed a Democrat.
“I’m not surprised that celebrity endorsements to the candidates aren’t effective […] I think that the media tends to assume causal effects where there aren’t any,” Cobb said. “What was most interesting to me in that study was that the celebrity them self — their own image and their own brand — was harmed by endorsing a candidate of the opposite party.”
But while the football players and pop singers on the campaign trail might not be turning crushing defeats to landslides, they do have a significant role to play in elections, primarily by boosting attendance at rallies and similar events.
“You’re probably able to draw a much bigger crowd by having celebrities that get you there — they generate enthusiasm, they eat up the time before the actual candidate is able to have their time there, they get you in the doors,” Cobb said. “Once a voter is at the rally, staff and volunteers make sure they’re registered to vote, and probably try to get them signed up for alerts and information about voting to press their advantage.”
Barker echoed Cobb’s statement.
“I attended the Clinton rally and most of my friends did as well,” Barker said. “I think campaigning with celebrities is an undeniably strategic way to gain the support and votes of millennials.”
After several years of studying the impact of celebrities on the habits of young voters, Cobb has developed insight into how students think politically, and offers some advice on how to make the most critically informed decision.
“I guess I would just ask myself, ‘What sort of political knowledge and trustworthiness do any of those celebrities have that you’re listening to?’ and ‘Do those celebrities have values that are similar to mine?’” Cobb said.
Cobbs said the individual voter should evaluate celebrity opinions on a case by case basis, rather than dismissing any entertainer or athlete’s opinions as invalid.
“There are celebrities out there who are actually well-respected for their involvement in political affairs,” Cobb said. “Certain celebrities have a brand for an issue that they know a lot about.”
Ultimately, every voter, old and young, has to make their own decision based on their knowledge, values and beliefs. Maybe a celebrity has valuable insight to contribute, maybe they don’t. It all comes down to individual stars, who are human as well after all.
“You wouldn’t ask your friend how to fix the plumbing if you knew your friend knows less about plumbing than you do,” Cobbs said.
