One of my favorite memorabilia from the 2004 election (yes, it’s from 20 years ago, not last week) is a compilation CD released by the Seattle-based indie label Barsuk Records . It was called “Future Soundtrack for America,” and it contained a hodgepodge of covers, alternative versions, and unreleased tracks from a variety of artists. Jimmy Eat World (covering Guided By Voices’ “Game of Prix”), Blink-182 (remixing “I Miss You”), Laura Cantrell (covering John Prine’s “Sam Stone”) ”) was also included. Death Cab for Cutie recorded an unreleased song, “This Temporary Life” on it. All of this was a boon for Music for America, a once-fervent nonprofit that raised money to support progressive causes, and for fame petitioner MoveOn.org. It was a good album. I still listen to it.
But there was one thing I didn’t like about that same election cycle. It’s the “Vote for Change” tour. It was a multi-city affair in October of that year, featuring everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Babyface and Pearl Jam to Bonnie Raitt. The goal was to get attendees to vote for John Kerry instead of George W. Bush. They hit a number of battleground states, some hitting Mr. Bush, some hitting Mr. Kerry, but ended up in the Meadowlands, a suburb of New York City.
I did not attend. I loved the little compilation CDs and Death Cab t-shirts (“I’m voting with the facts,” after the band’s second studio album), but the whole premise of the tour was It turned out to be something. Even if you didn’t use that word 20 years ago, it’s disgusting. (Maybe we said that’s disgusting?) The idea that celebrities can somehow use their cultural power to get their fans to vote for a particular candidate is , I found it ridiculous at best and snobbish and condescending at worst.
Nadira Goffe
There is much dispute as to why Harris lost. But everyone seems to want to avoid this explanation.
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That’s how I felt throughout September, when people waited for Taylor Swift to show her support on Instagram. As we waited to see if Beyoncé would potentially “attend” and perform at the Democratic National Convention. Bruce Springsteen, who represents the essence of America, also appeared in front of Kamala Harris. I’ve always wondered whenever these very famous people (one of whom is literally called the Queen) showed up at elaborate (and expensive) Harris events.
What value is a celebrity endorsement? The whole concept is already outdated. Ryan Reynolds still touts his cell phone company on every podcast, and George Clooney still pushes tequila (which I really like!) out of liquor store windows, but celebrity days are all about brands. It faces the same level of trust as — let alone trust in a brand. People are a thing of the past. Parasocial relationships are how we currently interact with celebrities. Their social feeds intermingle with our friends and family until they all seem the same. Sure, celebrities may create momentary curiosity about the candidates they’re voting for. But you probably already know who they’re voting for. And furthermore, since our culture is polarized along with politics, you probably support it too.
But what’s worse is that presidential endorsements generally don’t work. In this cycle, newspaper endorsements have been effective in persuading people to vote for a particular presidential candidate anyway (despite the fact that no candidate should be excluded by a billionaire owner). We’ve all been forced to admit that it doesn’t seem like it. Celebrity endorsements must be accepted as well. Perhaps we can even begin to let go of the idea that the “cool” factor is an illusion. In fact, even before this race ended in disaster, I was already uncomfortable with celebrity alliances. No matter how much fun the Harris faithful were having inside the arena, the view from outside was bleak. At a time when Americans, even the wealthy, are struggling to pay rent and mortgages, Harris was performing with such well-known artists that most fans no longer turn to see them perform. I can’t afford to buy a ticket. It seemed to me that the downside of these events was far more obvious than the potential upside, and that the distance between Democratic presidential candidates and ordinary Americans has never been greater.
President Trump considers President Putin a friend. The Russians issued a humiliating statement to the contrary. The only reason Trump would put these nefarious people in charge of the military and intelligence agencies is that Matt Gaetz would destroy the Justice Department as attorney general. That’s just the beginning. Trump’s Cabinet is a clown car for now. thank god.
You might think I hate pleasure. I don’t hate joy. In 2004, I went to an election night party at Clover, a terrible nightclub on Manhattan’s west side. I thought it would be a fun way to pass the time while waiting for the voting to close. (It wasn’t. I only stayed for an hour, but I gave it a try.) In 2008, I participated in a parade through the streets of my Brooklyn home to celebrate Obama’s election. did. (Let’s be real, he was a celebrity on his campaign trail.) In recent years, I’ve become increasingly joyless when it comes to politics (as we all do!) . But this isn’t really about joy or fun. We’re all sick to death of being influenced by every purchase and belief in our lives, and politics is no exception. I vote for someone because I like them or their ideas, not because my favorite artist is doing it.
As more and more celebrities appeared, I felt a sinking feeling. If it’s sending any message at all, it’s sending the wrong message. So now that the post-mortem is unfolding over the production costs of these celebrity-studded events, I have to make a plea to future Democratic presidential candidates in 2028. I hope they don’t make “celebrities” the pillars of their election strategy. It’s expensive, ineffective, and empty. Of course, show us who you are on SNL, podcasts, and interviews. But leave out Taylor Swift, or Sabrina Carpenter, or Chapel Lawn, or the next star to take over your Spotify feed. Their star power will only overshadow you campaign.
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