Report: Hollywood Stars Rethinking Getting Involved in Politics, Expert Says Voters 'Tired of Celebrities Telling Them How to Think'
A new report indicates that the entertainment industry may take a quieter approach to politics in the next presidential election.
After the 2024 cycle, some celebrities are considering whether wading in is truly worth it, according to The Hill.
“I think celebrities are seeing backlash and making a calculated decision that this is just not worth it for them,” Susan Del Percio, a longtime Republican strategist, said.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is among them.
“I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself,” Johnson, 54, said in a recent interview.
“Politics is omnipresent, and it’s forever. I don’t like it. I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bulls*** that comes with it,” he said.
Paris Hilton recently said politics “is something I feel like celebrities should not be discussing.”
The 2024 presidential campaign marked a “turning point in celebrity political engagement,” according to Pace University’s Melvin Williams, noting that Vice President Kamala Harris was awash in support from A-listers to no avail.
“Harris was overshadowed by her celebrity endorsers, and she was deeply criticized by the public for her excessive use of celebrities,” Williams, an associate professor of communication and media studies, said.
Williams said times have changed.
“People are tired of celebrities telling them how to think politically and how to vote, especially when private citizens view celebrities as being detached from their daily challenges and their socio-economic realities,” Williams added.
Anti-Trump mouthpiece Jennifer Lawrence said all the talk may not be worth it, noting that “election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for.”
“So then what am I doing?” she asked.
“I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart. We are so divided,” Lawrence said.
Jessica Feezell, a University of New Mexico political science professor, said some celebrities can influence people, although “it really is a small effect” since “politics and public opinion is rooted in much more enduring values.”
“Entertainers and musicians are most likely to be effective among those people who are new to politics or have low levels of political interest because their views are not crystallized, and so they’re more easily susceptible to being persuaded by people that they admire or trust,” Feezell said.
“If these celebrities could affect the way people vote, Hillary Clinton would be a two-term president. Kamala Harris would have been the president,” Jordan C. Brown, a Democratic strategist from Los Angeles, said.
Harris “didn’t win a single battleground state,” Brown said. “So you take that along with the enormous increased cost to reputation and career.”
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