prPOPS!

We live in a celebrity-driven society where rock stars, movie stars, talk show hosts, heck, even b-listers are not only given a silver spoon, but a microphone that beats physics: everyone in the world is able to hear what they have to say. The explosion of social media (ahem, YouTube) doesn’t hurt the celebrities or their message either.

Celebrities like getting a piece of the primary pie. It all started with my not-so-favorite billionaire, Ms. Oprah Winfrey. (Actually, I applaud Oprah’s humanitarian and charity efforts, I just can’t stand her studio audience). Once Oprah announced her endorsement for Barack, it seemed as if the dam broke open and all celebrity endorsements came pouring down.

It’s not like celebrities or rock stars endorsing candidates is anything new. Whether it was true or not, rumors circulated former President John F. Kennedy had the boys of the Rat Pack supporting him.

Badabing. And there you have it. It’s a win-win situation for the endorser and the endorsee. Refer to the old school PR saying: any press is good press. Depending on how you handle the situation of course. It also makes one wonder, how many celebrities are receiving any sort of kick-backs (besides press) from the candidates?

Let us peruse the guest list.

Rock Stars for Obama: Grateful Dead (Phil Lesh), Pearl Jam, Common, Stevie Wonder, Fall Out Boy, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Ne-Yo, Usher, and of course the myriad of celebs in Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am video.

Rallies for Clinton: Madonna, 50 cent, Jon Bon Jovi

McCain supporters: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone

Last but not least, Huckabee. I save this for last because apparently I’ve been living under a rock and just saw this video today. Huckchuckfacts. Chuck Norris, aka Walker, Texas Ranger, teaming with presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.

The video consists of a serious-faced Mike Huckabee making Chuck Norris quotes such as, “My plan to secure the borders? Two words: Chuck Norris.” I didn’t realize being a full-blown comedian is a Presidential campaign tactic.

Professor David Jackson from Bowling Green State University has conducted research on the effects and influence of celebrity endorsement. In the Huffington Post, blogger Elana Berkowitz wrote Jackson “found that the celebrity endorsements influence opinions by reinforcing popular beliefs or making unpopular beliefs seem more palatable.”

Although, as Jane Fleming Kleeb, executive director of Young Voter PAC, so eloquently stated in Elana’s post, “you can’t rely on celebrities to be the holy grail of getting young people to the polls.”

There you have it. Celebrities can toot the candidates’ whistles all they want, but in the end, it’s all you.