From George Clooney to Robert De Niro: The power of celebrity endorsements

George Clooney’s opinion piece calling for Joe Biden to step down as the presumptive Democratic Party nominee two weeks before the president ultimately did illustrates how powerful celebrity endorsements – or dis-endorsements – can be in politics.

Now that Biden has withdrawn from the race, another wave of Hollywood celebrities have weighed in to express support and share thoughts for the future.

Jamie Lee Curtis, Spike Lee, Cher and Robert De Niro are among those to have expressed support for Kamala Harris (centre).Credit: Artwork by Marija Ercegovac

A long-time opponent of Donald Trump, Robert De Niro told The Hollywood Reporter: “In an act of shrewd politics and selfless patriotism, Joe Biden is stepping aside to clear the path for another Democrat to become president … because there is nothing more important for our country than defeating Donald Trump at the ballot box. With respect, admiration, and affection, thank you, Mr President!”

Familiar to the White House through her role in Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus also thanked Biden on X, while Barbra Streisand called him “a man who accomplished significant achievements”.

Dr Nives Zubcevic-Basic says celebrity support in US politics matters more now than ever.

Announcing he would not contest the upcoming election, the president endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Once again a sista comes to da rescue,” wrote Spike Lee on X.

Jamie Lee Curtis gave Harris her full support online, writing “she is trusted and tested and she is a fierce advocate for women’s rights and people of colour and her message is one of hope and unity for America at her time of great national divide”.

It’s long been the case that famous people’s opinions matter, of course, particularly in the United States. Professor Nives Zubcevic-Basic, a senior lecturer in marketing at Swinburne University, says celebrity opinions have more impact today than in the past.

“People are so time starved,” she said. “They don’t spend the same amount of time researching topics that they used to, their attention spans are shorter … things are constantly pinging in front of them. When it comes to things like elections, if they have someone they admire, there’s a certain level of trust associated [with that individual].

“Although they may be in the arts or sports – they do carry opinion leadership and people rely on their opinions to form their own.”

Given Trump, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan before him, crossed over from entertainment to politics, it’s clear celebrity matters in America.

Just what Clooney and company for the Democrats, alongside Trump supporters such as Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan, will get up to in the countdown to voting on November 5 remains to be seen. The world will be watching in the most engrossing – and meaningful – reality show imaginable.

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