HOW THEY USED THEIR POWER TO GET TRUMP OUT!

24th November 2020

Joe Biden is the light at the end of the tunnel for a world coming to a place where people almost cannibalise each other over politics.

The President-Elect who just won the Electoral College as well as a record-number of votes for any presidential candidate in the history of the United States is set to become the 46^th president of the country. Beating the incumbent Donald Trump – a divider and elitist that caused turmoil, sparked riots, promoted hate and discrimination during his troubling 4-year long presidency – what a mission as difficult as it was impressive, but Biden had not done it on his own. Alongside him was Kamala Harris – a strong woman who is set to make history both as the first female to hold an office as the Vice President of the United States as well as the first woman/person of color ( Black/Indian) to be in that position. Biden’s decision to bring her on board was one of the key factors behind their big victory and now, it’s more than a message to all women out there in the world – it is a testament to the idea of equality, female empowerment, unity. It is a proof that anything is possible and now, it’s a home stretch for the idea that perhaps, in the near future, we will see the first female POTUS. Perhaps, it will one day be Kamala Harris we predict.

This win also wouldn’t be possible without the talent in the entertainment world finally unapologetically, honestly and openly speaking out against the reigning wannabe-dictator and backing up a presidential candidate that may alienate some of their audience.

Certain people in the film industry had put their own movies in jeopardy by telling some of their fans certain truths that they may not wanted to hear or perhaps did not feel ready to hear. And you know what? That is a total power move on their part and something we should celebrate.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: Previously voting both as a Republican and Democrat, Johnson always shied away from voicing his political views. Never openly endorsing any party before, this time around, Rock spoke in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, urging people to vote for them and making use of his insane Instagram and Facebook following. The fact he is about to open a new, Disney-made movie called ‘Jungle Cruise’, based on one of their Disneyland attraction – in hopes of recreating the success of another ride-turned-movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean – in just a few months, as well as having completed filming and awaiting the release of Netflix’s action thriller ‘Red Notice’ [starring Johnson, Gal Gadot (‘Wonder Woman’) and Ryan Reynolds (‘Deadpool’)] speaks volumes about this statement. Rock ain’t afraid of the studios or losing fans!

Jennifer Lawrence: Four-time Oscar nominee (and a winner for her turn in ‘Silver Linings Playbook’) Jennifer Lawrence did something rarely anybody else does – she admitted to voting differently than before and going against what she was raised to do. What was met with a dose of criticism from the online trolls, haters and social justice warriors should have been applauded and loudly spread among people out there. Having described herself as a ‘Little Republican’ who ‘voted John McCain’, Lawrence voiced her support for the Biden-Harris duo and urged people to do the same. This is something that we should see as a message of encouragement and hope, saying – hey, you know what, it’s okay to say you were wrong and you’ve changed your political views, because that’s part of growing up and it has nothing to do with loyalty to the party. We should not vote for people or groups – we should vote for laws, regulations, policies, ideas. Jennifer Lawrence bravely talked about her change of views and that is something good, positive and hopefully, educational for people out there. No one should be judged for the previous alliances. Bravo, Jen!

Chris Evans: When Captain America tells you to do something, you should probably consider it. He is, after all, Captain America and one of the loveliest and purest souls in Hollywood. Chris Evans had always been a loud advocate for the Democratic party and during these elections, he once again put his uniform on (it’s just a figure of speech) to encourage people to vote and also, to vote for the right people. Evans had never been a man who was afraid of political activism or fighting for the right thing cutting into his box office or affecting his position as one of the two heads of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man). In fact, his confidence in expressing the views might be one of the main factors behind his success, because we buy Captain America’s act as much as we are buying Evans acting as our Captain America-elect for the people off-screen.

Jennifer Aniston: When things go sour, you can always count on our favourite Jen – also known as Rachel Green from ‘Friends’, Polly from ‘Along Came Polly’, super successful comedy actress with a number of big box-office number movie roles in her filmography, as well as dramatic talent proven this last decade with acclaimed indies like ‘Cake’ or winning TV series such as ‘The Morning Show’. Aniston was one of the biggest and most outspoken supporters of Biden-Harris big for the elections and when push came to shove, she reminded people to take it seriously and not waste their votes on the unprepared, spontaneous Kanye West. Aniston has no time for nonsense and doesn’t care who she may have crossed in the industry when the country’s future – as well as the entire world’s future, too – is at stake. We need more actors like Jen!

Ava DuVernay: The filmmaker behind ‘Selma’ and ‘13^th’ is a prominent voice in the African-American community and she used that position to get people of colour to go out there and take reigns over the future by voting for the candidate and party that have, in fact, their interest at heart. One of the biggest  demographics for 2020 Elections were the black people who in the past had not always come through to vote, often because they were discouraged from voting (Donald Trump’s campaign targeted minorities in 2016 to actively discourage them from participating in those elections) and, at times being only first or second generation of Americans, weren’t taught to vote or told of their right to vote – and how important every single vote is. Du’Vernay did more than enough – in fact, she even firmly told people she ‘doesn’t wanna hear anything bad about Kamala Harris’ and strongly supported her VP nomination, realising early on how big of an impact a strong, smart female of colour can have on deciding the outcome of this year’s presidential campaign.

John Legend: Has been a big political activist this year. He was openly a part of the debate and ongoing call to support against the Republicans and Donald Trump from the primaries – standing firmly behind a female candidate for the Presidential bid, Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was the early favorite for a nomination before Biden. Once Biden was chosen as the representative of the Democratic Party, Legend did not hesitate to back his campaign and remained a brave supporter throughout. In fact, he went against people from his own industry! Speaking at Joe Biden’s rally, he took aim at the rappers and musicians supporting Donald Trump: ‘Some people see the meanness, the bullying, the selfishness of Donald Trump and they mistake it for strength, a kind of twisted masculinity,’ and then, passionately and without holding back, he continued: ‘Some of your, former, favourite rappers have been taken in by these lies’.

Lady Gaga : Shewas with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris throughout the entire voting process. It’s not that common for a celebrity to get so political from the get-go and when they do, they don’t normally go as far as attending the rallies in the name of those they are endorsing. Gaga took it all the way – she even delivered an emotional speech at one of those events, ensuring that her fans are under no illusions as to who she sees in the White House, speaking out against Trump and calling him out without any breaks: “now is your chance to vote against Donald Trump, a man who believes his fame gives him the right to grab one of your daughters, or sisters, or mothers or wives by any part of their bodies”. Hats off!

Beyonce: She has 155 million followers on Instagram. She also comes from Texas, a Republican stronghold that remains red since… well, it’s very red and pro-GOP. This is why Beyonce left everyone crystal clear about who she supports – on the day of the vote, she was wearing a Biden-Harris face mask (!), asking Texas to ‘come thru’. In 2016, she was also backing the Democrats in the public eye, saying: “I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country, and know that her possibilities are limitless. We have to think about the future of our daughters, our sons, and vote for someone who cares for them as much as we do. And that is why I’m with her,” and this year, part of that dream came true – as a step one, we now have a female Vice in the United States, who also happens to be a woman of color. Two milestones and a beginning of a better future for all women, all people of colors, all of us.

LeBron James: Athletes are needed to spread the word too, and who better to do it than LeBron James, who is heading the organisation “More Than a Vote”, which is comprised of athletes attempting to reach audience that can often be missed by the campaigns. James took part in recording promotional videos (like the one with the MLS soccer players). James himself particularly targeted young black Americans who aren’t always as aware of the weight their votes carry, or the rights that are theirs to be executed. James also spoke out against the incumbent President: “I don’t go back and forth with anybody. And I damn sure won’t go back and forth with that guy,” and endorsed the duo Biden/Harris on his Instagram with a graphic post and a hashtag #BidenHarris

Taylor Swift: In a rare move from a mainstream Pop-star with tons of fans to lose, should she rub them the wrong way, Taylor Swift allowed Biden and Harris to use her song for a campaign video. On top of that, she appeared in a video going over Trump’s disastrous 4 years at the helm and encouraging people to vote against Donald Trump and supporting Biden and Harris bid for presidency. 2 years ago, Swift first very courageously stepped on the political toe, opposing Marsha Blackburn – woman known for a poor track record as far as women’s rights and LGBTQ people go – and her campaign in Tennessee. Swift did not shy away from it since, and from a person who initially, not too long ago, refused to talk politics, she quickly turned into a full-on activist using her popularity and influential, privileged position to educate her young audience.

Zendaya: She had the best partner-in-crime one can ask for during the elections. To encourage people to vote, she teamed up with the former FLOTUS of the United States – the one and only, Michelle Obama. The two of them appeared on IG Live together, in honor of the National Voter Registration Day and urged people to sign up and ensure they will be heard off. Later on, she took it to the 80 million people following her Instagram on the big, big day to remind everyone that she had casted her ballot and once again, stress the importance of the elections without preaching too much. Even though she didn’t publicly endorse Joe Biden, she did Tweet “vote this mf out”, referring to the current Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump.

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