Celebrity Activists in Contemporary Society
Works Cited Not Included
According to the book Celebrity Politics, approximately 10 percent of Americans get national political news from nightly entertainment shows such as the Tonight Show. For Americans under 30, the number is nearly five times as many (Orman and West 100). Citizens are looking to be entertained rather than simply educated by the nightly news. As David Schultz aptly put it, “ The new media cover politics, but only politics as it entertains, in part, because the audience the new media attract is a less politically interested audience than traditional news audiences” (20). The fact is that this American audience is less interested in hard news and more interested in entertainment, which has made celebrities effective activists and endorsers of aid organizations in this increasingly celebrity-obsessed society.
Americans “expect, for example, that political campaigns for President will be replete with show biz” (Combs 124). It is no longer good enough for politicians to be defined by their stances on issues, and by the support of different political organizations. Politicians have to be able to provide the citizens with a show, something that will keep them curious and entertained; they need, in fact, celebrity power. Because of this, in order to raise awareness and support for their causes, advocacy organizations have also tapped into the celebrity craze.
One area in which celebrities have become extremely involved is that of political campaigns. Politicians want celebrity endorsements in order to become more visible and more popular with different age groups. One survey shows that forty percent of 18 to 24 year olds were influenced by celebrities’...
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... Despite the popularity of celebrity politics, the political process is not exclusively relegated to celebrities, and no one is forced to agree with an endorser’s opinion.
Perhaps this, then, is the real issue. Clearly, from the standpoint of the advocacy organizations themselves, celebrities are beneficial as activists in today’s culture. They are the perfect spokespeople to maneuver through such an entertainment-driven society and political arena. They raise money and awareness that many aid organizations would not otherwise receive. This research has shown that celebrities have an effect on voter turnout, and also on the way citizens vote. The problem is no longer determining whether celebrities are effective activists. Research now must be done to determine the repercussions of such a celebrity-driven culture on politics, humanitarian aid, and the world.
Celebrities hold a strong power to influence the lifestyle trends of an audience. As members of the entertainment industry, celebrities are looked up to as role models by a large general public. With having such high exposure, celebrities essentially hold the power to positively or negatively influence their followers from fashion trends to behavioral tendencies, the attitudes and lifestyle habits of celebrities influence cultural qualities and the way in which many people function within society. Mindy Kaling’s career started when she became an intern in the popular show “Late Night with Conan O’ Brien”. Mindy was a 19-year-old sophomore at Dartmouth College when she first started with her internship. One way Mindy Kaling’s started to become an importance in the Comedy Business is through her work in the show “The Office” Mindy
Marshall P. David (1997). Celebrity Power; Fame in Contemporary Culture. May 16, 2010. Electronically retrieved from
Voyles, Bennet. "Fifty Years after John F Kennedy's Assassination, Culture of Political Celebrity Is Almost over." The Economic Times. N.p., 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
There are many celebrities who support and promote causes and charities to create awareness about peace, humanitarian causes, poverty, and illness in the world. Does celebrity activism really have the intention to help others or do celebrities get involved in it because they want to enhance their reputation? Although some celebrity activists do not have a good reputation because of their bad behavior, they contribute to society by giving donations or by supporting good causes. Celebrity activism matters because celebrities are powerful tools who raise awareness of good causes. Celebrities have the power to attract people’s attention, for instance, their fans, to influence them to support the important causes.
Technology is growing fast, as is the new generations branching off with new forms of media and devices that provide us with the news. News and politics have had difficulty when informing its public and community of the events that happen in their community. Now the media and news are growing to reform to the earlier generation’s way of receiving the news and events related to them, by using media and popular culture. According to Wodak, for politics to air and to engage and intrigue its public, it must need scandal, rumour, and speculation (45). The West Wing, is a clear example of where the news and politics enter into the world of entertainment, but still informing its audience of the political world and events they may face. I will be analyzing The West Wing television series in relation to the representations of gender, race, and politics with support from examples and scholarly sources.
Lofton, Kathryn, and Brenda R. Weber. "The Legacies of Oprah Winfrey: Celebrity, Activism and Reform in the Twenty-first Century." Celebrity Studies 3.1 (2012): 104-105. Print.
Television has affected every aspect of life in society, radically changing the way individuals live and interact with the world. However, change is not always for the better, especially the influence of television on political campaigns towards presidency. Since the 1960s, presidential elections in the United States were greatly impacted by television, yet the impact has not been positive. Television allowed the public to have more access to information and gained reassurance to which candidate they chose to vote for. However, the media failed to recognize the importance of elections. Candidates became image based rather than issue based using a “celebrity system” to concern the public with subjects regarding debates (Hart and Trice). Due to “hyperfamiliarity” television turned numerous people away from being interested in debates between candidates (Hart and Trice). Although television had the ability to reach a greater number of people than it did before the Nixon/Kennedy debate, it shortened the attention span of the public, which made the overall process of elections unfair, due to the emphasis on image rather than issue.
Social media and public figures have helped younger generations get interested and involved in politics. To admire a public figure, is to allow yourself to be influenced by what that person buys, says, and even does. Extensive coverage of Kanye West, has led to an undeniable cultural impact. Long before his controversial video “Famous,” Kanye was already known for his disorganized grandiose rants, controversial stunts, and his comparison to god. Kanye, a self-proclaimed democrat, made vague intentions about running for president in 2020. A year ago, before Donald Trump’s nomination for the presidency, I wouldn’t have thought this possible, but today, I would rather have Kanye running than Trump. I say this because Kanye West has reinforced
According to a poll conducted of 2,577 adults between September 18 to 24, 2013 by Harris Interactive, 53% of Americans agree that celebrities can make a large difference to social causes they support. One example is the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections (Garthwaite and Moore). Oprah Winfrey is considered one of the most influential women in the world - books like Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina experienced phenomenal increases in sales after Oprah recommended them. She had previously never shown support for a presidential candidate. As such, Garthwaite and Moore estimate that Oprah’s endorsement of Barack Obama led to over 1 million votes in the latter’s favour. It is also widely believed that her endorsement decided - or helped to decide - that Obama was the Democratic presidential candidate.
When you hear the word “celebrity”, the first thing you may think of is your favorite movie or tv show star. According to Daniel Boorstin in the article “Celebrity Culture is Beneficial”, “The celebrity is a person who is known for his well-knownness.” Celebrity can also be argued as the great new art form of the 21st century. Celebrity culture is beneficial to society, because many celebrities, spend time helping causes, and supporting their hometown. First off, many celebrities often dedicate their time supporting important causes.
Celebrities in a way decide for the people; oftentimes, people tend to buy something if a celebrity is advertising it. Other theorists have an extension of Dyer’s ideas on Celebrities power and effect on society. Despite the fact that Dyer’s theories may be aged, they are still applicable to today’s society as shown
We are part of a generation that is obsessed with celebrity culture. Celebrities are distinctive. Media and consumers alike invented them to be a different race of super beings: flawless, divine and above all the real moral world. In a 1995 New York Times article “In contrast, 9 out of 10 of those polled could think of something
As media has grown, it has allowed for easier use for the average individual. This paper will examine how Donald Trump has used the media available today and how effective he has been. To begin, Trump’s background must be looked at to gain an understanding of how he came to the place he is today. According to the Washington Post, he was born in Queens, New York into a wealthy family and when he was a teenager he was sent off to military school by his father (Miller & Schwartzman). He grew up with a cushy lifestyle before his father decided that his behavior required somewhat of a “reality check” for the teen.
From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing “fake news” has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, “fake news” has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed “you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,” that started it all (PBS).
Often times, when famous people run for political office, they are not nearly the most qualified for the job. They usually do not have experience in the field of politics and they are not the right choice. However, they often get elected. This occurs because celebrities can do many things throughout the course of an election that most ordinary politicians can not do. Celebrities have a very special way of interacting with their constituents and this helps them to get elected and succeed once they are in office. There is a reason many politicians work hard to achieve celebrity status once they are in office.