Of all the clichés that can be attributed to American politics, one thing is certainly to be appreciated: ALL openly manifest their position without hesitation. US Election Day, scheduled for next November 3rd, is now upon us and the exercise of the right to vote overseas is felt stronger than ever. Certainly thanks to the possible end of the Trump era which divided the population in half between assent and criticism, but also undoubtedly the Coronavirus pandemic that has folded America more than any other country in the world, and last and certainly not least the “Black Lives Matter” movement, elections have become the only goal of the American people, including celebrities.
Communication, on social media as well as traditional media, speaks of nothing else and, above all, leaves anyone who can make their voice resonate, the opportunity to express their position in no uncertain terms. The secrecy of the vote seems in fact a concept that has almost vanished in America, to the point that some of the most famous celebrities in the world have never left their political position to the imagination, pushing EVERY citizen to exercise what is now considered (and so it should be all over the world) the right par excellence: the vote. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which, as we have already anticipated, has afflicted America continuously for more than 8 months, the US government has been given the opportunity for citizens to vote in advance starting from 16 October. The result? More than 22 million Americans have already voted, and the 2020 presidential election has already announced it is the one with the highest turnout ever. Are the celebrities complicit?
It has now become a strange but wonderful rite among the most famous in the world to post photos of themselves on Instagram while exercising one’s civic duty, almost never making a secret of the political position taken. It is, without ifs and buts, perhaps the most honourable way to influence one’s audience. In fact, among the names that stand out in favour of the so-called “I Voted” campaign, not only those of actors whose political position has always been clear like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez or Leonardo di Caprio, but also those of young actors or influencers with millions of followers. Among them Gigi and Bella Hadid, Selena Gomez, Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway, Zoe Kravitz, Kendall Jenner, Camila Morrone and many others. This is undoubtedly a symbol of the fact that having millions of followers also brings with it very specific duties, and that of pushing the younger generations to choose their destiny by becoming an active part of the American electorate is one of these and perhaps the noblest. Yes, critics are always ready to demonize celebrities by categorizing any attitude they take as negative in some way, but now why not give due recognition to those who were not afraid to take a stand? Using one’s communicative power for a noble purpose is something that everyone should take an example from in every country in the world.
What is even more important is not to criticize when exponents who are superficially not part of this world are talking about political issues. We are all part of politics, even if not actively, and it is right that those who have the power to make themselves heard, express their opinion, especially when the goal is to emphasize the importance of the rights we can exercise. In Italy, a few weeks ago, something similar happened when President Conte asked for the support of Fedez and Chiara Ferragni to encourage the use of masks in view of a peak return of COVID-19. In this case too, there was no lack of criticism, but why couldn’t we take an example from America and start democratizing political issues in the democracies that we support so much?
Here are just some of the American celebrities who have spoken out in favor of exercising the right to vote:
Jennifer Aniston
Selena Gomez
Blake Lively
Anne Hathaway
Bella Hadid
Gigi Hadid
Zoe Kravitz
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Camila Morrone
Halle Berry
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Lucy Hale
J.Lo
Elizabeth Gillies