The melding of politics and celebrity


More and more, with the rise of social media, the public is being exposed to the notion of normalizing celebrity presence in politics.

Throughout American history, the trend of celebrities making their way into politics has remained a constant.

For example, Ronald Reagan was a movie actor before being voted in as the 40th president. What can be questioned here is: Did Reagan’s celebrity following contribute to his presidency, or was it his actual political platform and agenda?

The same query may be applied to the most recent and leading illustration of the trend of celebrity presence in politics— President Donald Trump.

Celebrities and politics should remain separate because people should vote based on the candidate’s political platform rather than their following or status in the media.

On the other side of the argument, celebrities in politics may reaffirm the appealing idea of representing the common person. Also, it has been proven by various theories in communication, psychology and sociology studies that people are more likely to buy products with a celebrity endorsement or image attached to such product.

Celebrities are essentiality market contributors; now imagine this type of power in the realm of politics.

We may never see the separation of politics, but it’s still important to consider why you may be voting for a person: Is it due to their celebrity appeal or their political platform?

Kelsey Mandell
Agoura Hills