This presidential election has truly been unique and we’ve never quite had two candidates be so different from one another in terms of policy, views, and even temperament. Americans found themselves flocking to two opposite sides of a spectrum, deepening an already very apparent divide in our country.
Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump had very polarizing views on what was best for our country and like the rest of America, Hollywood had joined in on the furor with most backing Secretary Clinton and a handful backing President-Elect Trump. In the last few weeks of the election, both candidates hastily capitalized on any support they could garner from well-known figures, hoping to sway independents and to convince people not interested in the election to show up to the polls, nonetheless.
The weekend before the election, Hilary Clinton pulled out her secret weapon – Beyoncé. In Cleveland, Ohio, Clinton delighted black voters in particular to a hip-hop concert that also doubled as a political rally starring The Queen B, her husband Jay-Z, and Chance The Rapper. Ohio was a crucial swing state, that despite Clinton’s efforts, narrowly went to Trump.
Besides Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Chance The Rapper, Clinton received a generous amount of endorsements from her friends over in La La Land. George Clooney, Robert DeNiro, Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Pharrell Williams, Viola Davis, John Legend, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tyra Banks, Anne Hathaway, Steven Spielberg, Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Stevie Wonder, and Morgan Freeman among others threw support Clinton’s way. In Pennsylvania, another important swing state, pop-star Katy Perry enthusiastically showed her support for the Democratic presidential nominee by performing hits like “Roar” and “Firework”. The rally had been aimed at white suburban women who were a coveted demographic this election.
Democrats have always fared better with gaining the support of Hollywood elites, but even so, the republican party has also always had their fair share of celebrity endorsements. However, Donald Trump had little luck with celebrity endorsements, more so than Romney did in 2012 and than McCain did ‘08. Celebrities that have endorsed the Republican presidential nominee include Kid Rock, Azealia Banks, Anne Coulter, Hulk Hogan, Gary Busey, Kristie Alley, and Tila Tequila among a few others. While Trump didn’t have the help of celebrities in the days leading up to the election, he did have his wife Melania Trump who gave a speech on his behalf. She ironically denounced cyber-bullying and highlighted her husband’s respect for women despite his past statements that suggest otherwise.
Like the rest of us, celebrities have opinions on who they think will best lead the country. Celebrities often influence unsure voters on who to vote for but in an election as divisive as this one was. I think the favor fell flat since most people were already absolutely certain in where they stood and for the select bunch of indecisive voters that weren’t sure who they would be voting for in the days leading up to election night, I don’t think Beyoncé or any other celebrity did much to sway them towards either candidate.
Hilary Clinton had a host of celebrity endorsements, but because she failed to gain a majority of electoral votes, she unfortunately lost the election. It makes us all wonder: How much do celebrity endorsements matter? How can the person with so much support from the people that grace our television screens and keep us entertained on daily basis not win the election? There’s been a lot of talk lately about Hollywood being kept in a sort of 'bubble', one that shields them from the everyday experiences of the average American. While this 'bubble' is something that I agree exists, I disagree with the negative connotation placed on the Hollywood 'bubble'. I think certain parts of this country live in their own bubbles that keep them enclosed and confined in similar, almost homogeneous lifestyles, where everyone thinks like they do and more importantly looks like they do. These are the bubbles that make it hard for people to respect others who even mildly differ from them in terms of race, religion, and ideology. Yes, Hollywood is in a bubble but in stark comparison, their bubble appreciates diversity – something increasingly important in the pluralistic society that is America. Nonetheless, Hollywood is undoubtedly out of touch with parts of the country and the exciting lives of luxury and fame that these celebrities live, doesn’t even remotely translate to the everyday person living in America. For this reason especially, celebrity endorsements neither help nor hurt in such contentious elections like the one we’ve just all collectively suffered through.
