"Rock The Vote" Inspires No One To Change Their Facebook Status Or Voting Habits

Is it ever a good idea when Hollywood and DC promiscuously mingle?

A betting man would say: fuck no.

He'd say "Surely, you jest! Do you think today's youth, which revels in the way celebrities embarrass themselves on reality TV shows, allow their vaginas to fall out of their skirts, hawk photos of their pink wrinkly newborns to the highest bidder -- do you think these youth are the least bit impressed by a celebrity endorsement?"

And yet Rock the Vote -- the non-profit that has fueled massive voter registration drives through celebrity endorsements and rock concerts -- has launched a similar campaign for the 2008 election, hoping to lure youth away from Gossip Girl marathons and into the voting booths. They've enlisted Christina Aguilera, her infant son swaddled in the American flag, Soulja Boy, the one-hit wonder who rapped about jizzing on a girl's back and caping her by throwing a sheet on top (ie, "Supermanning a Ho" -- you're welcome) and Sheryl Crow, who no one born in the 80s listens to.

Just exactly who is the target audience here? Are the Rock the Vote people so out of touch with the "smart" young people out there? You know, the ones who might actually be inspired to vote if you gave them a good reason to? The approach is so laughable because the assumption on which it hangs is no longer valid: the kids of today are too skeptical and snarky to be swayed by rockstar/celebrity endorsements.

Even the candidates are hip to this fact.

When Brad Pitt declared his hard-on for Barrack Obama and offered to go out on the campaign trail and stump for him, Obama wisely declined.

You'd figure since this is the 2.0 election year Rock the Vote could really utilize young people and budding technology to claw itself out of irrelevancy. But it doesn't look likely. The formula is all wrong. It's not actual pop stars that motivate the youngs to vote, it's the popstar qualities of a candidate.

A candidate like Barack Obama already has the larger-than-life image, the pop culture appeal, the strong backing of the 18 to 30 set. Throwing out-of-touch pop idols at him like they're groupies only serves to cheapen the brand values that his campaign has spent so much time building.

Rock The Vote could have attached itself to his bandwagon -- get Will I Am and some of the Yes We Can artists to do a tour. Build upon the values that are clearly mobilizing the youth today. But no, in traditional Gen-X grunge-rock fashion, they gotta "do their own thing," which is sadly irrelevant to all but some bumfuck young Republicans who just found out that Kurt Cobain died.

Comments

[spiderbucket]

The people they get for these things always SUCK.

[joebiz]

I suspect that if the draft was reinstituted, most young people would run out and vote. Why encourage cynicism among the young with this terrible plan Rock the Vote has in store.

[hufferfan]

Check out Otep Shamaya. She inspires and encourage her fans to vote and be involved! AND they are!!
Otep won the Rock the Vote contest within 48 hours getting over 500 registered to vote! Otep has the largest group on www.carbonrally.com
She is involved in helping Darfur and Child Abuse. Her fans are amazing.
www.myspace.com/otep

[Guitarsandmore]

Perhaps, but it is heartening to know that the stars that I pay to see are at least thinking about the elections and planning to vote for the same candidate I am.

[TroubleNYC]

I only clicked because of the Christina pic.

[OkieIntellectual]

DITTO

[hufferfan]

Otep Shamaya is going to be there on the 25th. You want someone there the kids can relate to then it's her.

[walk0nwalls]

Oh my god I am stealing that HendrixObama picture

[Lobo72]

I sure would like to see the young get out the vote this year but history consistently proves otherwise. Kerry got the best 18-34 year-old turn-out since McGovern in '72 right after they got the vote. But even though Nixon supported the lowered voting age (and signed the law in '71), he knew the 21-25 voting group traditionally had the lowest voting day numbers. Even knowing he was prolonging an unpopular war, Nixon knew young people are either too busy starting their lives; too busy with college; too busy dodging bullets in Nam; or simply too self-absorbed (as young people can be) to even consider voting. As a college grad in '72 there were many reasons to get Nixon out of office even without the Watergate scandal. Results: McGovern took only Massachusetts and DC.

[TStone]

I find it absolutely ridiculous that the democractic process in the USA doesn't have high participation - for a country that prides itself on its democractic principles a large segment of your population takes allot of pride in not engaging with them.

it is vitally important for a democracy to work for every persons voice to be heard and if they are so apathetic as to not actuvely seek participation than they deserve the government they get.

Hopefully in this election cycle there will be greater turnout amongst the young as it will be their taxes and lives that will be paying off the huge government debts and policy holes that have been created by the current administration.

I think countries where they have compulsory voting have stronger democracies because everyone has their say - the government is more representative of the will of the people - including the apathetic

[Bitsko]

Young folks probably think everyone in those days was a groovy hippy trippies. When I was in high school in the late sixties and early seventies most of my schoolmates, if they were interested in the '72 election at all, were supporters of Nixon, and were aghast at me and my friends working for the McGovern campaign. They thought it was so great he went to China and anyone who support him was some kind of freak, which of course was a badge of honor for us. Square little twerps.

[edwcorey]

And, as usual, they will be the ones who will have to live longest with the results. That'll learn 'em...not.

[Pupadup4oBama]

WOW Xtina - thanks for the mammaries!!!

[allonfla]

I've always thought Rock the Vote was lame.