Anyone tuning in to the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night hoping to see Beyoncé make a surprise appearance onstage was likely disappointed to see former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta standing there instead, his drab blue suit lacking a single rhinestone.
Speculation has been building for weeks ever since Queen Beyoncé gave the Kamala Harris campaign permission to use her inspirational anthem “Freedom” as their theme song that she might perform at the convention, or even team up with fellow pop supernova Taylor Swift to put a woman in the White House. On Thursday, that speculation went into overdrive on social media, fueled in large part by a random tweet from user X that hinted at a surprise appearance on the event’s final day.
If the unchecked, unfounded Bei Tay rumors felt like a moment of virtual mass hysteria, it’s easy to understand why so many became enthralled with showbiz wishful thinking. The star power was so strong, the atmosphere so upbeat, over four nights of the Democratic National Convention, so it’s no surprise that two of the few people there with the fame and influence to transcend an increasingly divided cultural landscape were also there.
Read more: Beyoncé and pop fandom steal the show as DNC’s (falsely) rumored “special guest”
Organizers of the event, hastily relaunched in a matter of weeks after President Biden dropped out of the race, have accomplished a feat that would seem impossible in 2024: turn the convention into must-see TV.
“For celebrities, athletes and musicians to lend their name and influence to a candidate, they take a lot of risks, including being trolled in the comments section. It’s not without its sacrifices, so they have to be really motivated for the candidate,” said Genevieve Ross, founder and president of culture change and strategy firm Invisible Hand and director of creative engagement for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. “Kamala Harris seems to have inspired a tremendous amount of commitment from this community.”
The DNC was a big tent, culturally speaking, offering a little something for nearly every taste, except for fans of aging pro wrestlers. There were musical performances by Jason Isbell, Pink (and her adorable daughter Willow Sage Hart), Patti LaBelle, Sheila E., Stevie Wonder and (who could forget?) Lil Jon, who helped transform a once-boring roll call of states into a rapturous dance party. Celebrity hosts anchored the nightly lineup, Mindy Kaling joked about the demise of Bennifer 2.0 and Kerry Washington staged a reunion with her “Scandal” co-star Tony Goldwyn. Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member in “SNL” history, told a funny but terrifying story about Project 2025.
Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr also endorsed the campaign.The first three days of the convention drew about 20 million viewers each, with 26 million viewers on Thursday night, surpassing last month’s Republican National Convention.As with the Oscars, some of the best moments came not from A-list celebrities but from everyday people being themselves, like Gov. Tim Walz’s teenage son Gus, who cried tears of joy at seeing his father onstage.
In Beyoncé’s absence, the biggest celebrity moment was a surprise appearance on Wednesday by media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who returned to Chicago, where she built her empire, to give an enthusiastic endorsement of Harris, calling her “the best person in America.” Winfrey has a history of playing a leading role in politics: Her endorsement of Barack Obama in 2007 amounted to one million votes for the candidate, according to one survey.
Few stars have her influence these days, but they can still have a powerful voice.
“When trusted sources communicate honestly about participating in our democracy, people respond,” said Ashley Spillane, author of the study from Harvard University’s Ash Governance Center. The study looked at voter mobilization efforts by celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Washington. The study found that celebrities can have a powerful influence on voters if the conditions are right. “What mattered most was that they were communicating their message to their fan communities in a way that was on-brand and authentic. As long as you’re speaking to people in your community in a way that’s transparent and relatable, you can have a really big impact,” Spillane said.
Kamala fever, which has been seen over the past four days since Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month, has led to comparisons with Obama, who has remained a Hollywood darling and who, since leaving the White House, started a successful, Oscar-winning production company with his wife, former first lady Michelle.
Read more: Column: Kamala Harris’ presidency will be historic, if not historic, she’s showing
The DNC stood in stark contrast to the Republican National Convention and its celebrity speeches, where a handful of celebrities, most of whom have been embroiled in controversy at the peak of the last century, played supporting roles in an event that unashamedly flaunted their loyalty to one person: Donald Trump. Attendees included Hulk Hogan, who famously used the N-word in a sex tape; musician Kid Rock, who, despite being from Michigan, has flown the Confederate flag at a concert; and Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, who was filmed slapping his wife last year. If any speeches by Republicans other than Trump were memorable, it was the way that former Trump critics shamelessly kissed his ring.
Despite their professed disdain for “Hollywood liberals,” Republicans seem more likely to be fascinated by celebrities, no matter how culturally irrelevant or powerless they may be. As long as they’re willing to show their support for the party, and for Trump in particular, it doesn’t matter what kind of celebrity they are. The 2016 convention featured many names who appeared in the “Where Are They Now?” special, including “Charles in Charge” star Scott Baio, “General Hospital” actor Antonio Sabato Jr. and former “Real World” cast member Rachel Campos Duffy.
Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, reportedly tried to make a sharp rightward move in politics after facing rejection from Hollywood and the liberal establishment. This is suggestive. Trump, who was infuriated that “The Apprentice” was ignored at the Emmy Awards and famously exaggerated the show’s ratings even to TV reporters, had been hinting at a presidential run for years. Roger Stone said he finally decided to get serious about a White House run after being mercilessly criticized by Obama and Seth Meyers at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Vance first made a name for himself as a Never-Trump Republican and wrote a bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” for liberals to read to understand the frustrations of rural white voters. But the film version, directed by Ron Howard, was panned by critics, and that reportedly was the “final straw” for Vance. Vance quickly reinvented himself as a MAGA warrior and ran successfully for the Senate in Ohio.
Ross said Democrats have long had an advantage when it comes to recruiting big-name celebrities to their cause: “If you look at history and election cycles, they’ve done a much better job of that than any of their opponents.”
Bill Clinton won the White House in 1992 thanks in large part to pop culture touches, including his saxophone stint on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” He was so influential that Fleetwood Mac reunited for the first time in years to perform at the 1993 inauguration, a feat on par with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift singing together in public.
But there is an inherent danger in giving so many positions to big-name actors and musicians who cannot necessarily be described as “people” – especially in a party criticised for being elitist.
“I think it’s a mistake to think of it as anything close to a spectacle,” says Ross. Instead, she says, the provocative question should be, “How can we harness people’s incredible storytelling abilities? How do we make sure we’re connecting them to the problems and the people on the ground who are facing those problems?”
Biden had Hollywood’s backing, at least at closed-door fundraising events, but his performance in the first debate in June was so poor that showbiz allies like George Clooney called on him to drop out. After Biden dropped out on July 21, the party quickly rallied around Harris. The stars rallied to her, flocking to her candidacy with enthusiasm not seen since the 2008 Obama campaign.
Hours after Biden’s announcement, British pop star Charli XCX tweeted “Kamala’s a brat,” a clear endorsement that sparked a slew of memes that delighted Gen Z but confounded their parents. Megan Thee Stallion also appeared at Harris’ first rally as the presumptive candidate, in Georgia. Beyoncé stopped short of an explicit endorsement, but she provided the campaign with not only a theme song but also an umbrella slogan that outlined stances on a variety of issues, including abortion and gun violence.
An endorsement from Swift, who supported Biden in 2020 but has yet to speak out in this year’s election, is so valuable that Trump shared a fake image of Swift dressed as Uncle Sam with the message, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”
“Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have huge followings and fans who really enjoy being in each other’s communities, so it was natural for them to look for places and people to help organize,” said Spillane, who is also founder and president of the social contribution agency Impactal.
DNC organizers didn’t want to let the party’s rising stars and candidates be overshadowed by bigger names. Now that the convention is over, it’s clear why they didn’t want Beyoncé or Taylor Swift to perform, even if the musicians had performed. It would have ruined the atmosphere of normalcy and empathy the campaign had worked so hard to build. And instead of talking about Harris’ speech, fans would have been obsessed with Swift’s outfit and whether Travis Kelce was there, too.
The convention was in many ways less of a showcase for high-profile activists and more of a showcase for the Democratic Party’s deep talent, with speakers from the likes of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Transportation Secretary Pete “Slayer Pete” Buttigieg, whose speeches were as highly anticipated as the headliners at a music festival.
“People are happy to have a candidate they can truly root for and happy to see their concerns clearly represented on stage,” Ross said.
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This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
