The costs of political endorsements

It’s a dilemma that artistes face globally, with some choosing to delve into the politics of the day while others steer clear of it. The Kenyan political sphere is volatile. Hardcore positions are taken and practically everything has tribal overtones.

Taking sides in this heavily competitive space could cost celebrities dearly as they lose favour with their fans. As the dicey season of politics starts, stars who appeal to everyone regardless of creed, race or political leanings find themselves isolating a section of their fans. This comes at great cost.

In mature democracies such as the US, celebrities openly support political candidates without raising eyebrows. During his election bid in 2008, President Barack Obama enjoyed the support of a long list of actors, singers and entertainers. They included Beyonce, Ben Aflleck, Antonio Banderas, Demi Moore, Jennifer Anniston, 50 Cent, Mariah Carery, Jay Z and Jennifer Hudson.

In American political traditions, even media houses openly support candidates without any repercussion. A celebrity’s political opinion is seen simply as a personal choice and is respected as such. But even so, singer Justine Beiber turned down $5 million to play at a Republican Convention.

GAVE UP BIGGEST PAYDAY

According to gossip site TMZ, Beiber declined on the advice of his manager, Scooter Braun, who is reported to be a Hillary Clinton supporter. It is said the GOP refused Beiber’s request to display a “Black Lives Matter” banner during his performance. In the end, to avoid being associated with the Trump campaign, he gave up the single biggest payday of his career so far.

In Uganda, mega celebrities like Bebe Cool, Jose Chameleone, Rema Namakula, Mun*G, Haruna Mubiru and King Saha all threw their weight behind the National Resistance Movement endorsing President Museveni for a fifth term in office. But even that was not smooth sailing.

With a lot more pressure to get Museveni to step down after decades at the helm, celebrities were an easy target by his critics, with many saying the artistes were choosing money over the future of their country and democracy. Though it is yet to be seen how that affected their careers, some analysts claim there has been some impact.

In Kenya, political endorsements are rarely welcomed. But while secular artistes like Jaguar don’t seem to mind, gospel artistes tend to receive the heaviest backlash for performing at political gatherings.

They are viewed by many as neutral parties who should not involve themselves with politics. Top gospel star Mercy Masika is one such artiste whose appearance at the Jubilee Party launch elicited mixed reactions, with some people questioning the wisdom behind it.

“I used to be a critic of gospel artistes who perform at political rallies. Until I was invited, I had never thought of it critically,” she says. “As a minister, I have to represent Christ everywhere. Christians are called to serve in every sphere of society. I didn’t expect the backlash I got. I was there as a minister, not to endorse any party. God is bigger than anyone. I will go anywhere as long as my security is assured.”

AUTHENTIC

Respected for her “authentic” gospel tunes, many took exception to her appearance at the Jubilee Party launch, claiming she was merely after the money.

“It wasn’t my first time to perform for the president. Although we appreciate what the political parties give us, it is not enough to buy us. As a gospel artiste you can’t always be swayed by public opinion, you have to follow God’s word,” says Masika.

As the drive for votes intensifies, political parties will do anything to attract attention and increase their influence. Celebrities are obvious crowd-pullers; they add to the pomp and colour. It is for this reason that corporates hire their services when they want to launch or push a product or service.

Corporate endorsements are a win-win situation. They grow both the company and the celebrity’s brand. But when it comes to politics, that doesn’t always pan out. The marriage of convenience can sometimes hurt one or the other party.

Artistes that are corporate darlings like Sauti Sol, Elani, Nameless and Wyre tend to stay away from linking themselves with a political brand as this may affect their corporate relationships.

According to Sauti Sol, they are not planning on endorsing any political candidate.

“We don’t want to be used simply as a campaign tool, we are looking for longterm engagements that positively affects society,” they say.

Anthony Nownes, a political scientist at the University of Tennessee, did a survey on the matter during the 2008 campaigns in America. He found that celebrity endorsements affected students’ opinion, but their reaction depended on how they felt about the celebrity in question. If they liked the celebrity, then the endorsement made them view the party favourably, but the reverse was also true. He also found that the arrangement did not do much to improve the celebrity’s brand; in some cases it made it worse. 

FAIR SHARE OF CAMPAIGNS

Veteran gospel artiste Rufftone has had his fair share of campaigns and navigated Kenya’s political minefield for many years.

He says: “We don’t have a mature democracy, people take hardcore positions and that is what led us to the 2008 post-election chaos. In a true democracy, people have different views but they still respect each other as human beings. We should be free to express our political position. If I think something is good, I should be able to say so. Artistes need to deal with the undercurrents that make our politics so divisive.”

In his song Mungu Baba, released just before the 2013 elections, Rufftone offers a political commentary and dream of a brighter Kenya. He contends that artistes must face the issues head-on, as silence will not harmonise the country’s diversity.  

During last week’s ODM convention, singer Susumila headlined the event; a move that may be interpreted as an endorsement of the party. In his defence, he says: “I am paid to entertain people so I leave my political opinion at home. I have performed at Jubilee, Cord  and ODM rallies. We are a very political country; you will lose fans if you endorse a party,” he says.

“Even Ugandan artistes who took sides suffered after the elections. It is unfair when people judge us, yet those who attend  rallies are not all supporters of that party. If any free citizen can walk into a political rally, why can’t we as artistes?”

No matter how you slice it, Kenyan politics is a minefield with divergent opinions. Those naive to the facts are fast realising that any political position, real or imagined, comes with a price tag in the market of public opinion. As political temperatures rise, it will be interesting to see how the celebrities navigate these choppy waters.