Editor’s note: This article is a part of a head-to-head. Read the other article here. 
Celebrities are constituents and have the right to voice their political opinion.
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift infuriated fans and politicians alike when she posted a lengthy message about her political views on Instagram and encouraged her followers to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
Swift acknowledged her formerly apolitical demeanor and assured her followers she no longer feels reluctant to publicize her political views. Many slammed her after she endorsed Tennessee Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper.
Swift revealed she supports the LGBT community and condemns discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender. Further, Swift said she finds America’s systemic racism to be terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
The singer’s personal opinion on politics was enough to anger conservatives, but she took it a step further by denouncing U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for re-election in Tennessee’s 7th congressional district.
Swift opened up about her troubled feelings toward the Tennessee candidate. Blackburn voted against equal pay for women and the Violence Against Women Act. She supports businesses who refuse to service gay couples and believes gay people shouldn’t have the right to marry.
Swift’s unexpected message sparked an increase in voter registration in Tennessee and nationwide. According to
vote. org’s communication director Kamarie Guthrie, registration numbers shot up to 240,000 within 48 hours after her post. Guthrie believes many factors contributed to the increase. Swift’s influence is undeniable, as roughly 102,000 of the registrators were between the ages 18 to 29. Most of Swift’s 112 million Instagram followers are in the same age range.
Republicans and former fans took to social media to express their anger toward Swift. Many felt Swift and other celebrities should stay silent about politics and stick to entertaining. Some politicians discredited Swift, arguing she’s ignorant about politics because she doesn’t come from a political background. Conservative fans were shocked about Swift’s leftist views and announced they would no longer support her because her political values didn’t align with theirs.
I believe Swift was brave in her decision to share her political views with her fans. Most celebrities are hesitant to become political because they have fans from both major political parties and don’t want to alienate the people who support them.
Politics divide people. Fans want celebrities to avoid sharing their political views because they don’t want to see their idols differently afterward. Celebrities and celebrity culture provide a means of escape for many fans. It’s difficult to subscribe to someone’s life who doesn’t have the same core values as you. I understand the frustration and annoyance former “Swifties” feel, but what Swift did was profound.
Celebrities are often attacked by fans when they fail to comment publicly on social issues, even though they are dismissed when they share their political ideology. This puts celebrities in a tough situation because they receive backlash either way when all they want is to satisfy their divisive fans.
People should stop saying celebrities have absolute power — they aren’t dictators. Yes, their actions impact their fans, but it doesn’t mean their fans agree with everything they do. Swift used her platform to encourage young people to vote. Clearly, her post didn’t persuade Republican fans to become Democrats. Swift’s goal was to motivate her young followers to be politically aware. She’s concerned about their lack of involvement in politics.
No one is certain what made Swift decide to become political, but her plea for fans to vote came the day after Brett Kavanaugh, current Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, was confirmed after being scrutinized for sexual assault allegations. Swift is a victim of sexual misconduct, and I’m certain his confirmation greatly influenced her decision.
Swift shouldn’t get backlash for motivating her fans to use their voice so progressive change can happen. She doesn’t want them to be idle in this political climate, even though they feel underrepresented by the government. The beauty of being an American is voting for candidates whose values closely intersect with yours. The power of voting allows your desired representatives to fight for your rights.
Whether you agree or disagree with the singer, get out and vote. Like Swift, your voice counts.
Jasmine Edmonson is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Denham Springs, Louisiana.