Basically, the question I am trying to answer is whether or not celebrities should openly announce a presidential candidate to support. For instance, in the beginning of the election, people became very aware that Oprah Winfrey supported Barack Obama. Now, is this an ethical problem, or just one that I cannot place a judgment on?
Here is the situation: Are the voters there to see Obama or Winfrey? Oprah obviously has her own stardom, and when added to Obama's stirring reputation, there is a conflict of interests. Honestly, I cannot figure out if some people supported Obama or supported Oprah.
Let's put it into perspective: If Oprah was not famous, would Obama have won? Yes, it sounds harsh, but isn't it true? There is no sure way to know, what may have happened.
For this semester, I have chosen to cover Arts/Culture as my beat (as I did in high school) and this felt like a perfect piece to start with. I have always wished that celebrities could not influence our society to make decisions just because they can pick up a script and make themselves be someone else. I can do that. So, if I said that Martin Kelly would make the perfect president, would people vote for him because I support him. I am actor, so people follow what I say.
Obama was well supported by the acting community. As was McCain, but I will not start dwelling on the republican/democrat issue. I want to focus on celebrities misusing their stardom. Don't take this as me saying that celebrities are misusing their fame by supporting a president, but do they have to do it during the election? I want to see a president elected purely on what he tells the nation.
In the long-run, celebrities have often been able to influence policy. A perfect example of this is when Angelina Jolie traveled to Iraq to visit with the troops and refugees. Would she if she were not famous? It is sad to think that celebrities may only do half the things they do for attention (Owen Wilson's attempted suicide; Britney Spears shaving her head).
Maybe I am just rambling on this, but it is something I am an advocate of, for both sides of the track. Isn't it ridiculous when celebrities have a crises but do not receive any privacy to mourn and recover.
Celebrities will always be around, whether we like them or not, but what they do with their power is not set in stone. I challenge you in four years to think for yourself. Don't let Oprah do it for you!
That's all for now! "See" you next week!
Great "ramble" -- if celebrities did not influence people, would they still be celebrities?
ReplyDeleteKyle-
ReplyDeleteYour post is interesting and a good read. Really close to the election, I read an article about Carrie Underwood; it stated that she won't voice her opinion about the candidates because she didn't want to influence voters. A good choice, in my opinion. Here is the article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,446704,00.html.
Well said, Kyle. It's kind of sad the people we elevate in our society. Actors, singers, athletes, etc. get most of our attention when truly admirable people like doctors and teachers often go unrecognized. It was stunning to see how many people were going to vote in the election without knowing where the candidates stood on the issues. Celebrities should use their influence and money to help people rather than squander it all away.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very good point Kyle. I believe celebrities do have a big impact on some people’s decisions, especially those who do not really look into the facts and research before making a decision. Instead they just go along with what Oprah says, because everyone knows that Oprah knows best! I do not think Oprah hurt Obama’s election at all, if any she helped. Oprah being such a well known woman people look to her for answers and figure she knows what is best. Sure she knows what is best for her and that means that others should not base their opinions on just what Oprah thinks or believes.
ReplyDeleteHey Kyle!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have noticed this celebrity endorsement trend as well. I was reading a magazine today and it showed Beyonce, Jay-Z, Jim Carrey, Leonardo Dicaprio, etc.... all endorsing Obama through t-shirts, or comments. I don't think it is a bad thing for celebrities to publicly endorse political candidates. As they can generate people to maybe take a second look. I don't look up to them, more so care about what I think and feel. And like you I was all for Obama. Celebrities are no different then you and me, except for their platform. If they want to endorse McCain or Obama, go for it. I actually thought it was refreshing to see so many people ready for so much change. And to build that comrade among the American population is something in which they can influence. Go Obama!
Oh and one more thing...I was watching a television show one day and it was discussing Oprah and her influence upon the election. And two graduate students generated a formula which figured how much influence Oprah just had. It was so interesting! i think they said they achieved Obama like 3.8 million votes for Obama. Have you ever heard of that?
ReplyDeleteMeghan,
ReplyDeleteThat wouldn't surprise me. Oprah has been broadcasting for how many years, and Obama is a new face within the past couple years. Here grabbing votes for him would not surprise me!
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI whole-heartedly agree with you. Obviously, celebrities have a right to choose a candidate whom they feel is best to serve this country; however, the problem is they feel they have the right to push their thoughts onto other people. “I like this person, so, you should too. I’m a celebrity, so, how could I possibly be wrong?” The point is, it is none of our business who celebrities support. I remember my high-school government/economics teacher not telling us who he was going to vote for because it was none of our business and we should be able to decide for ourselves who we should vote for. Of course, this raises another query. What does this celebrity influence tell you about the rest of the country? How easily we are swayed into something simply because a famous person said so. Either way, no matter what a celebrity says, it is solely our responsibility to weigh the facts and do the research.