The celebrity influence: do people really care what they think?

Abstract

Celebrity opinions and endorsements of political candidates, issues and office holders have now become commonplace in the media before and between elections. Many actors and comedians, athletes and talk-show hosts share their opinions with society in an attempt to influence the opinions of those who listen to them. Often these celebrities use their influence to persuade citizens to vote a certain way or advocate for certain issues such as reproductive freedom, environmental protection and human rights. This study examines young adults' perceptions about celebrities' political opinions and endorsements. The research finds that young adults are more likely to listen to individuals other than celebrities for their own political information. However, they do believe that celebrities have an effect on the way people think. The study also finds that the gender and ethnicity of the respondents affect their attitudes regarding celebrity endorsements.

A scoping review of celebrity endorsement in environmental campaigns and evidence for its effectiveness

“…For example, Magic Johnson's support for HIV‐AIDS and Michael J. Fox's efforts to increase awareness of Parkinson's disease (O'Regan, 2014). This was the case in four examples from the review; Hugh Fearnley‐Whittingstall, James Cameron, Roberto Burle Marx and Jacques Cousteau were all passionate about the topics they endorsed and campaigned to achieve their personal objectives.…”

Shut Up and Play: Black Athletes, Protest Politics, and Black Political Action

“…However, the influence of a mononymous celebrity of such acclaim, like Oprah, may be an outlier. The literature suggests young adults are not only more likely to be politically influenced by friends and family than by celebrities (O’Regan 2014) but also that celebrities tend to exert the greatest influence on self-efficacy, involvement, and complacency (Austin et al 2008; Becker 2013, 2012).…”

Can Celebrities Set the Agenda?

“…Any discussion of celebrity effects must acknowledge that not all celebrities are created equal. For example, in their study of how celebrities affect the opinions of young people, Jackson and Darrow (2005) conclude that a celebrity must be credible to move people toward his/her opinion on a policy issue (see also Nisbett and DeWalt 2016; O’Regan 2014 though see Morin, Ivory, and Tubbs 2012). Others tab trustworthiness as crucial for positive celebrity effects (Sanati 2017).…”