The up-and-coming love story featuring music superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce took an unexpected turn this week in the wake of the team’s breakup and sparked political conspiracy theories. brought into the world of advanced to the super bowl.
Countless unsubstantiated rumors have surfaced on social media, ranging from claims that Swift is involved in a Pentagon psychological operation to claims that Swift and her two-time Super Bowl-winning boyfriend are running for President Joe Biden’s re-election. Everything from the idea that he’s a key figure in a secret plan to help. 2024. Another theory: The Chiefs’ success was rigged as part of the planning for the Feb. 11 game in Las Vegas.
The allegations have been amplified by right-wing politicians and media figures, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, political activist Laura Loomer, and One America News Network host Alison Steinberg.
This claim is ridiculous and may reflect the fear on the right that a celebrity like Swift’s landmark Elas tour is her first. Crossing the $1 billion markIf she can nudge her legion of fans in one direction, it could certainly influence the presidential election.
Pop culture and politics have long been intertwined. The entertainment industry is a deep well of political donations. And candidates often try to draft star celebrities to further enhance their appeal.
The strength of the effect is less clear. In Swift’s case, there is some evidence that she could at least generate more voter registration.
In September, Swift posted a short message on her Instagram account encouraging her 272 million followers to register to vote. The post brought him more than 35,000 registrations with the nonpartisan nonprofit organization. Vote.org.
Swift’s huge fan base gives her a powerful voice. An SSRS poll conducted in October 2023 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults said they were at least casual fans of the singer, and 8% said they were big fans. The poll also found that 8 out of 10 U.S. adults said they had heard about her relationship with Kelsey, and a majority of those familiar with the relationship said it was a real relationship and not a publicity stunt. It turned out that I was thinking about it.
“People in pop culture are empathizing with this and paying attention to this, and that’s what’s driving politics now. It’s attention and identity,” said Scott, an associate professor of politics and pop culture at Montclair State University. said Joel Penny, whose research focuses on cultural intersections. Indeed, Donald Trump’s improbable march to the presidency in 2016 was propelled in part by the fame he achieved as a reality TV star.
But the far-fetched nature of the false claims about Swift will test the limits of how powerful conspiracy theories can be. Penny sees the recent spate of posts directed at Swift as an attempt to preemptively blunt her influence by discrediting her.
Penney said Swift’s influence could be a difficult force to counter, especially if she publicly supports Biden. Just like she did in the 2020 race.
Attacks on Swift could also galvanize younger voters who want to rally around her.
“Young people are fighting political battles through language drawn from popular culture,” said Henry Jenkins, a professor at the University of Southern California who also studies politics and pop culture. “That’s what unites them. That’s what they’re working on.”
Both Swift and Kelce have spoken out publicly about politics and other issues that conflict with the far right.
Quick broke her long-held refusal To discuss her political views in 2018, she announced In an Instagram post, he said he would vote for Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Democratic House incumbent Rep. Jim Cooper. She also criticized then-U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican candidate, citing Blackburn’s opposition to certain LGBTQ+ rights and her vote against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act in 2013. criticized. Blackburn won the Senate election.
In 2020, Swift support Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris interview V Magazine said, “We believe that under their leadership, America has a chance to begin the healing process it so desperately needs.”
Kelce faced criticism In September appear in advertisements As recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are promoting two doses of the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine. The ad, part of a partnership with pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which developed the vaccine in response to the pandemic, has since become a common mark of anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists.
Pop culture figures and the industry that surrounds them have been embroiled in political movements long before the duo some fans refer to as the Sweals.former president bill clinton First appearance on MTV during the 1992 election campaign when he was still governor of Arkansas. Big stars including Johnny Cash, Mary Tyler Moore and Willie Nelson supported former President Jimmy Carter during his second bid for the White House more than 40 years ago. Ronald Reagan entered politics after his acting career.
‘Does this question work in pop culture?’ Absolutely,” Penny said. “And it will be. And history shows that.”
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