When a celebrity speaks out on politics, they have the opportunity to have either a positive influence on a large group of people, or lose part of their fan-base. Nowadays, most expect the celebrities they follow to share their views; and if a celebrity doesn’t share which way they lean, their political stance is assumed. In a highly political world, there is heavy pressure for everyone, especially those with influence, to speak out and share their views.
Celebrities have a huge influence over the general population as well as the ability to create waves in the political world. Take the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show for example – Kendrick Lamar began making waves as he presented a heavily politicized show; playing his song “Not Like Us” (a song carrying messages about racism), having a red, white and blue theme, and having Black movie star Samuel L. Jackson play Uncle Sam in the performance. This half-time show is a recent example of celebrities speaking out and it definitely sparked many debates within both political parties.
With the 2024 election, many celebrities spoke out and shared their political affiliation – some such as Taylor Swift, LeBron James, and Oprah openly throwing their support to one side. But those who didn’t speak out were assumed to be a part of one party or the other, which, for the most part, had a negative impact on their image.
Celebrity endorsement can be a great political move for candidates, but not every celebrity should be expected to throw their support. Celebrities are famous not because of their politics, but because of the work they produce. Though I don’t support or like some celebrities because of their personal lives and political statements, I recognize that they have not built their platform on politics.
Their politics are just what comes with them as a person, it doesn’t change their vlogs, writing, music, films, or shows. Any person not sharing their political views would just make them a more private person, it doesn’t immediately make them unamerican for not sharing.
Celebrities are people as well. They are people with a lot of influence over others; and any sort of influence can cause a significant impact. Celebrities are normal people and could be voting any way based on a number of factors, but they shouldn’t be expected to share their views – they are entitled to their privacy. Sharing political views not only makes people view a celebrity differently, but it also keeps people from doing their own research and picking their own side.
With so much media shoved in people’s faces nowadays, there is little need for one to find their own resources and form their own opinion about a topic, especially when it comes to politics. The public will often turn to social media to form their opinions rather than doing their own research or turning to news outlets to find facts.
Celebrities aren’t always political. Listening to other opinions helps form your own, but you shouldn’t be blindly following someone or expect every person to share their views. Do your own research and curate your own opinions rather than waiting for celebrities to make a political post, song, or back a candidate.
