An election of historic proportions is taking place right now. As early polling and mail-ins have been opened to record turnouts, the political scene is as active as ever, and for the first time in history, social media will play the most central role in the outcome of a presidential election. While it is only natural for those with a dominant internet presence to hold influence over mainstream opinion, American voters should also be wary of the extreme dangers of referring solely to pop culture to formulate an individual opinion on politics. These celebrity “influencers” should feel responsible to educate their audiences on the issues at stake during times of election. After all, the platforms they use to entertain their followings- Twitter, TikTok, Instagram- all grant the ability to convey any message, at any instant, to millions of fans. This vast reach grants “influencers” the power to determine the outcome of the election, and they have clearly done so already. 

To be truly aware of the potential threat that pop culture can pose to democracy, one must consider the unique situation of Nazi Germany. Hitler’s most effective weapon during his rise to power and under his rule was none other but an extensive department of propaganda. Media such as films, posters, books, and comics employed by the Nazi regime are the reason an entire country with a population of millions was able to despicably unite against observers of the Jewish religion. The vast majority of Nazi propaganda served the purpose of vilifying Jewish citizens, and more emphatically, glorifying Hitler. The volume of his repugnant, nauseating crimes was only matched by that of his celebrity. When pop culture is invariably dominated by certain ideals, be it in the realm of beauty or racial politics, the majority of consumers tend to accept those ideals as simple truths or standards. In some ways, this change can be beneficial, however, evidenced by one of the worst genocides in human history, domination of mainstream culture by certain common beliefs can also prove catastrophic. 

In 2020, as aforementioned, “influencers” who entertain hundreds of millions of fans hold undisputed governance of the media industry. In 1939, the population of Nazi Germany was 79 million. Ariana Grande has 204 million Instagram followers. Unsurprisingly, the industry has experienced multiple paradigm shifts in accordance with her varying approach to music. Others with comparable followings have all had similar influences on their own respective sectors. Billion-dollar industries bend and fluctuate to best satisfy the overwhelming buying power of these social media moguls’ gargantuan fanbases, so evidently their immensity must be impactful enough to make a mark on the political landscape, right? It would appear so.

On September 28, Kylie Jenner posted a picture imploring her followers to vote, linking a registration tool in her profile. According to The Huffington Post, a spokesperson for the website reported a 1500% increase in usage of the tool to register. Following Jenner’s post, a wave of others followed suit. In previous elections, Oprah’s endorsement of Obama’s presidential campaign was most comparable to the amount of celebrity “influencer” activism today. However, as apps like TikTok and Instagram have become the norm over daytime talk shows, a younger, larger, more connected, and more politically involved generation has become the primary consumer of culture. Make no mistake, the incredible clout “influencers” possess has already affected the election, as according to The Washington Post, record early voting turnouts have already broken the total for all early voting in 2016 nationwide by several million. The fact that this year, voting is occurring during a global pandemic where going out for anything period is at an all-time low, only makes those numbers even more of an anomaly. Now as the obvious effect of “influencer culture” can be observed in politics, American “influencers” have a responsibility to make sure they exercise their rights in an accountable manner. On the more reckless side of the spectrum, some, such as Tana Mongeau, who boasts a whopping 5 million Instagram followers, have participated in illegal vote-buying, like her one-day #bootyforbiden event. During this questionable venture, Mongeau promised to send followers a “booty pic” through her OnlyFans in exchange for a picture of their ballot indicating a vote for Joe Biden. She later remarked that she had received “tens of thousands” of OnlyFans messages indicating a ballot vote for Biden in a single day. According to U.S News, the closest state vote margin in the 2016 election took place in the “swing state” of Michigan, where the difference was 13,080 votes. 8 of the 10 closest state margins were less than 100,000.

While Mongeau’s stunt may have had significant enough of an impact to win over several states, she will be facing zero repercussions. Due to the large volume and inherent anonymity of the activity taking place in her scheme, her effect on the election is untraceable. While 5M followers is an impressive number, it pales in comparison to the 200 million of the top 5 most followed celebrities on Instagram. When multiplied to scale, the average potential votes drawn in by the top 10 most followed “influencers” on Instagram would be a minimum of ~370,000 each and a maximum of ~3,650,000 each in a single day, in the case of a similar campaign to Mongeau’s. Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election by around 2,800,000 votes. The maximum combined average potential votes from the top 10 “influencers” aforementioned would be around 40,000,000 in a single day. The total number of votes counted in the 2016 election nationwide was 60,000,000. Needless to say, the power of democracy truly lies in the hands of these “influencers”.

Americans are and have been facing dire times in the past few years from reckless national leadership, to extensive wildfires caused by climate change, to a police brutality epidemic, to a viral global pandemic. We must seek to replace leadership how we see fit in the tumultuous present and stand with those we trust in unity for what we believe in. However, we also need to remember the cautionary tale of Nazi Germany’s elections in the wake of their own troubles and be wary of wicked men who disguise themselves as saints. It is crucial to stay informed by reliable sources before making decisions, and not choose leaders solely based on a pop culture craze.