Politicians, it seems, aren’t so dissimilar from the rest of us in their obsession with celebrities. Indeed, not even Hillary Clinton can resist the allure of Snoop Dogg, who’s set to perform at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week. Forget the Oscars, this event has become the hot ticket for the A listers. Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry will be just some of the stars gracing the blue carpet; trying to convince others that Clinton is both cool and credible. Clinton has even welcomed Sanders supporters into her club, with comedian Sarah Silverman taking to the stage on Tuesday to tell others: Bernie’s the past, Hillary’s the future.
Celebrities can sell a lot of things, whether it’s Botox, clothes or fitness routines. But one area where they have a questionable impact is politics. Indeed, events over this summer have shown us that A listers may even be the kiss of death for a campaign.
In the run up to the EU referendum, Brits were bombarded with endorsements for Remain. ‘Don’t do it!’ warned everyone from Tracey Emin to Daniel Craig. They cautioned that a vote for Leave would ruin the economy and the arts. These threats concerned Brexiteers, who thought James Bond voting in might sway the fickle public. Then the real surprise came; even J.K. Rowling couldn’t cast a spell on the population.
Americans should take note of the lack of impact celebrities had; it says something. Namely that people are resentful towards what they perceive to be a privileged elite. When Clinton poses with Lady Gaga, it may improve her street credibility, but she also runs the risk of alienating massive sections of the voting population.
Comparisons – often crude – have been made between the Leave campaign, and that of Donald Trump. Both appeal to a demographic that is working-class, less educated and older. Lots of these individuals are sick of being lectured to by luvvies; they prefer the plain-speaking rhetoric from the populists. They are drawn to the (ostensibly) anti-establishment figures of this world; the Trumps, the Johnsons and the Farages, who promise simple solutions to complex problems.
All in all, many Americans feel a great divide between their own, often dire, economic situation and that of Katy Perry. And so it is not enough any more to wheel out the celebrities. It may even make politicians look ignorant, and out of touch with the ordinary man. Forget ‘Let them eat cake,’ it’s now ‘Let them listen to Snoop Dogg.’
Trump, of course, is a celebrity himself. And he isn’t entirely behind Clinton in the celebrity stakes, because he does have his own famous following. The trouble is, they’re all fairly pants: Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman – who once sang happy birthday to his ‘best friend’ Kim Jong Un.
It doesn’t matter anyway; as the Leave campaign shows, political campaigns can manage without celebrities. Without them, they can even prosper. An absence of glitterati suggests you’ve got your head on the ground, not up in the clouds. Just because Clinton parades around with the stars of Hollywood, it doesn’t mean she has the right to the fifty stars of the United States.
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