On Jan. 20, renowned country singer Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump’s inauguration, though she faced backlash for her decision. Underwood is one of many celebrities who have lost respect from their fans and the general public due to their political opinions. Due to celebrities constantly being in the public eye, their actions are often in the spotlight. In this case, Underwood’s choice to take part in the inauguration signaled her support of the event, causing her to lose a chunk of her fanbase.
Many fans hold strong political beliefs that often align with their values, so when a celebrity openly expresses an opposing viewpoint, it feels like a division between them and their audience. This is exacerbated when they use their platform to promote these political beliefs.
An example of this would be in 2020 when Joy Villa wore a Trump dress to the Grammys, and talked about how reporters heckled her because of her outfit choice. She also spoke about how there were “secret fans” who wanted to take a picture with her but were scared to receive hate as well. This incident highlights how there can be a rift between fans and their favorite celebrities when political ideologies don’t align. For Villa, her bold political statement in the form of a dress serves as a reminder of how celebrity influence is connected to the beliefs of their audiences.
The public expects celebrities to be ‘politically correct,’ and if they don’t live up to those expectations, they risk facing public backlash and losing their fans. However, if they do live up to those expectations, they are put on a pedestal and praised for their ‘correct beliefs.’
For example, the framing of articles like, “Big stars come out for Biden” and “Celebrities who support Donald Trump,” insinuates that people who support Biden are thought of more highly by the media. We often look to our favorite celebrities as a way to measure the worth of our own beliefs, and when they share the same opinions, it elevates their status in our eyes.
Specifically, celebrities with huge fan bases have an even greater expectation because they have more people who look up to and idolize them. So, when celebrities speak out about political issues, it raises awareness for their viewers. For example, when Taylor Swift encouraged her fans to vote using a vote.org link in 2023, the website saw a 1,226% traffic increase and over 35,000 voters registered within the hour.
However, celebrities who do not use their platform to speak out on political matters also face backlash for not using their status to advocate for current causes. Nowadays, politics are constantly being discussed, so fans expect celebrities to speak out about these issues. When a celebrity stays quiet, it is associated with being out of touch and avoiding their responsibility as a public figure. In September 2024, singer Pharell Williams made a comment about how he “doesn’t do politics;” as a result, he received backlash about how privileged he was to not have to care about politics.
Our expectations of celebrities are often cultivated by the desire for their views to align with our own, especially when it comes to politics. Even though celebrities have the right to their opinions and whether they state them publicly, their influence means that their choices can have significant consequences. We know that if they speak out or stay quiet, however, their actions will always be under scrutiny.