This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jason Tsoi. Find him on Instagram at @jason.tsoi. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As Election Day nears, more celebrities are using their platform to engage voters and the presidential candidates. Amassing large social media followings, celebrities hold significant influence, especially over young people — a key demographic both presidential candidates are targeting. This raises the question: can celebrities really affect an election? From using social media to hosting podcast interviews, here are ways celebrities are getting involved in the 2024 election.
Getting Out The Vote On Social Media
In the age of social media, celebrities have the ability to make a difference with the click of a button. A recent case study conducted by Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, found that celebrities can influence elections by encouraging civic participation, like voting.
Moments after the second Presidential Debate, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift posted a photo on Instagram of herself with her cat, Benjamin. In the caption, Swift released a statement, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz. As a longstanding advocate for women and LGBTQ+ rights, Swift explained why she chose to support Harris.
“I’m voting for [Harris] because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” the singer-songwriter said. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
At the end of her statement, Swift addressed first time voters, prompting them to register to vote. Soon after the post, the singer-songwriter shared Instagram stories of links to voter registration resource sites, like vote.gov. According to The New York Times, over 400,000 people clicked on Swift’s custom vote.gov link in 24 hours.
Hours after former President Donald Trump survived an attempted assassination, YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul posted on X, emphasizing the need for global stability. Paul stated that Trump “gives us the best chance” at world peace, adding that he “kept us out of wars.” A few weeks later, Paul published a video on his social media accounts, showing him and Trump playfully boxing each other. Paul captioned the video, telling his followers to vote.
“We need Trump to knockout all his opponents on Election Day to save America from more unnecessary wars, the woke agenda, and preserving freedom of speech,” the influencer wrote. “Make sure you exercise your right to vote.”
Hosting Podcasts With The Presidential Candidates
In the past few months, both Harris and Trump have been vigorously campaigning on the ground. But, they have also taken the same approach to reach out to younger voters — by speaking on podcasts. According to a 2024 report by Edison Research, 47% of Americans, ages 12+, have listened to a podcast in the past month.
Weeks before Election Day, podcaster Alex Cooper sat down with Harris for an interview on “Call Her Daddy” — a weekly podcast on Spotify that discusses topics, like mental health and relationship advice. Ranked second among Spotify’s Top Podcasts Globally in 2023, “Call Her Daddy” is the most-listened to podcast by women, according to Spotify. This is significant as 52% of women are likely to vote for Harris, according to the Pew Research Center. Despite not being a political podcast, Cooper addressed her reason for conducting the interview.
“I will be honest, I had been going back and forth with this decision for a while, to get involved or to not get involved,” the podcaster said. “But at the end of the day, I couldn’t see a world in which one of the main conversations in this election is women, and I’m not a part of it.”
Throughout the 40 minute interview, Cooper and Harris focused on reproductive freedom, the vice president’s background as a prosecutor and remarks made by Trump. The podcast invited the former president to join the show to talk about women’s rights.
Months prior, YouTuber and professional wrestler Logan Paul interviewed Trump on his podcast, “Impaulsive.” The podcast covers a variety of topics, including sports and pop culture. Previous guests on the podcast include Patrick Mahomes, John Cena and Casey Neistat. According to NPR, data from Edison Research shows that 82% of people who listen to “Impaulsive” are men. This is notable as 52% of men are expected to vote for Trump, according to the Pew Research Center.
In the hour-long interview, Paul and Trump talked about foreign policy and the drug crisis. The two also moved away from politics, discussing the existence of aliens. During the interview, Paul also reached out to interview Biden on the podcast.
Choosing Not To Endorse A Candidate
However, some celebrities are choosing not to speak out in support of the presidential candidates. In an interview with The Guardian, singer-songwriter Chappell Roan stated she does not “feel pressured to endorse” a candidate, adding that “there’s problems on both sides.” This remark followed Roan’s opposition of the Biden administration’s support for Israel and the left’s stance on trans rights.
Following her interview, Roan faced backlash on social media, with users calling her stance “privileged.” In response to these criticisms, Roan took to TikTok to explain why she isn’t making an endorsement and provide context on the full quote. But the backlash did not subside, prompting Roan to make another video, further explaining and clarifying her comments.
“Endorsing and voting are completely different,” the singer-songwriter said. “I don’t agree with a lot of what is going on with policies — obviously, f— the policies of the right, but also f— some of the policies on the left. That’s why I can’t endorse.”
Roan went on to say that even though she is not endorsing a candidate, she will be voting for Harris. But she urged viewers not to “settle for what we have.”
What do you think about celebrities and their impact on the 2024 election? Let us know in the comments.
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