Celebrity Endorsements: Who Cares?

In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, a slew of celebrities declared their support for the running candidates, former President Donald J. Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican candidate counted on figures like Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and Jake Paul. But the Democratic candidate racked up a roster of pop stars with some of the country’s most powerful fan bases, from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny. 

But even the Beyhive, Swifties, and Little Monsters couldn’t get Harris across the finish line on Nov. 5.

A Pop Culture Enthusiast’s Take on Celebrity Endorsements

“Most Americans are not dumb,” said Britney Kirwan, 23, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in advertising at Boston University. “People in their ivory towers telling you a certain thing is just not fair when they would never in a million years spend the day in the life of an average American.”

Beyoncé endorsed Harris at an October campaign rally in the singer’s hometown, Houston, Texas. Bad Bunny showed his support for Harris on Instagram after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally, calling the U.S. territory a “floating island of garbage.” Taylor Swift endorsed her in an Instagram post moments after the Sept. 10 presidential debate, signing off with “Childless Cat Lady” – a nod to a comment Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, made in a 2021 interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. British pop singer Charli XCX’s “kamala IS brat” tweet launched a Harris campaign rebrand. Lady Gaga spoke and performed at Harris’ final rally in Pennsylvania. The list goes on. 

Kirwan, a Boston metro area native who voted in the 2024 presidential election, has long been a pop culture enthusiast. In fact, her love for media and pop culture is what inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Syracuse University before continuing her education at BU. 

“When I figured out that you could literally go to college and major in things that could lead me to working in media, I was like ‘oh my gosh,’” she said. “I could not think of anything else I wanted to do.”

The Making of a Pop Culture Enthusiast

Kirwan said her brother chose her first name – Britney, spelled like pop icon Britney Spears. Her parents liked the idea and predicted that she would be “a Britney.”

“I like to do the most,” she said. “I’m extra. I’m like ‘out there,’ I guess you could say.”

Kirwan grew up watching E! News and TMZ. Disney Channel introduced her to stars like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana. She joined the One Direction mania in middle school, but her Taylor Swift phase began in 4th grade. 

“She was just this ethereal girl. She’s for the girls. She had a sparkly 13; she had all this merch. Her songs were catchy. She was so artistic,” Kirwan said. “She wasn’t doing anything racy either. Moms loved her. It was really easy to see her as an idol when I was like 10.”

Now, Kirwan doesn’t consider herself a die-hard Swiftie but respects the pop star for her dedication and hard work. 

“I do think she has cared for the industry and her fans,” she said. “I like that she’s made her prime now in her mid-30s, and I think that’s important in that industry – defying expectations for women.”

From Pop to Politics

Swift first revealed her support for Democratic candidates during the Trump administration. The decision to break her silence on political issues, documented in the Netflix film Miss Americana, sparked backlash from Republicans, including conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Trump himself. 

To Kirwan, Swift’s leaning into politics made sense. 

“I didn’t realize that was a new thing,” she said. “A lot of celebrities have a point when they do that.” 

In the 2020 presidential election, Swift endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden. 

“Celebrities are so out of reality that whatever they say, I take with a grain of salt,” Kirwan said. “They’re allowed to be political if they want. Will I really internalize and listen to them? Absolutely not.” 

Swift’s 2024 Harris endorsement did not come as a surprise to Kirwan, nor did it influence her vote. 

“A celebrity can tell me whatever they want politically – I’m not going to be swayed by their opinion,” she said. “They make so much money; whoever wins doesn’t affect them.”

Celebrity Endorsements and Shared Values

Mallory Kiley, 29, is a graduate student from Winchester, Massachusetts, pursuing a master’s degree in Media Science at BU who also voted in the 2024 presidential election. Kiley thinks that celebrity endorsements can foster a sense of community in a fandom. 

“Seeing Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala gets me excited, or fans excited, because, ‘Look at that – we have the same values’ and she’s funny and she wants to make this statement,” she said.

This sense of community and collective joy is what draws Kiley to pop culture. She grew up listening to pop music and watching musical competition shows like X Factor and American Idol, which she called “a crucial part of my childhood.” Her favorite stars were Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, and Taylor Swift. One of her core childhood memories involves listening to Swift’s Fearless when her hockey team won its matches. 

Now, she considers herself a “light Swiftie.” While she figured the Swift Harris endorsement was coming, she doesn’t think we should expect artists to endorse a candidate. 

“I don’t think an artist needs to use their platform for politics,” she said. “But if they choose to, that’s absolutely fine and great.”

The Artist’s Values vs. the Consumer’s Experience

Neither Kiley nor Kirwan expect their favorite artists to align with their exact opinions on every issue. But they both said an artist’s values can affect their experience of the art. There’s more to it, Kirwan said, than just knowing whether an artist is a Democrat or Republican, left-wing or right-wing. She loved rapper Kanye West’s older albums, but his recent anti-semitic comments have disrupted her relationship with his new music. Kiley was put off by singer Katy Perry’s decision to work with producer Dr. Luke on her latest studio album, 143. Dr. Luke was the subject of sexual assault allegations from pop star Kesha. After a nearly decade-long legal battle, the two reached a settlement last year. Kiley opted not to listen to Perry’s new music. 

Ultimately, a celebrity endorsement would not sway Kiley’s vote, either. But if a celebrity endorses a down-ballot candidate, she will take the time to research that lesser-known candidate. Still, she didn’t think Swift’s endorsement was meaningless.

“I appreciate that it was a risk. She probably got an increase of death threats and probably had to hide and be on high alert after that for a bit. It was risky of her to do,” she said. “It makes me appreciate her art more because she did it and has those values.”