Celebrities can have great influence and reach huge audiences. That's why Kamala Harris was pleased to recently receive the support of a musician Taylor Swift.
Because of their media attention and large fan bases, some Hollywood stars and musicians can appear more powerful than traditional politician. And these perceptions of influence can be transferred into the actual effect.
In fact, some celebrities have championed a cause and used their fame to openly push for change (e.g. Bob Geldof and Princess Diana). Others support politicians or successfully run for office themselves (e.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan).
Although it could appear that celebrities who turn to politics are capable of capitalize on their existing notoriety, few celebrities are known beyond their fan base and plenty of people would expect them to lack the appeal of world leaders.
Results of our current exploratory study The study, conducted within the UK, shows that no less than one celebrity, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, stands out. He achieved public recognition, leadership qualities and trustworthiness that were by no means inferior to essentially the most famous politicians.
In fact, our study found that The Rock's recognition was comparable to that of Nobel Prize winner and two-term US President Barack Obama. He was also considered more trustworthy than many politicians.
As a part of the study, we invited 251 participants to rate the faces of 40 experienced politicians and celebrities to evaluate their leadership potential and perceived personality traits.
Only six of the faces were almost universally known. Former US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson achieved 90% or more. In contrast, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin each received 80% approval.
Interestingly, The Rock was also judged to be more considerate, competent, credible, intelligent and trustworthy than most politicians.
When participants were asked how strongly they rated every person's leadership potential, the outcomes were surprising. Biden got 64%, higher than Putin's 56%, which was higher than Trump and Boris Johnson, who each got 42%.
But a much larger percentage, 72%, rated The Rock as a robust leader, surpassed only by Obama's rating of 87%. In our statistical models, two key personality traits, competence and credibility, predicted The Rock's perceived potential as a national leader.
The Rock's fame, based on his wrestling profession personality, television presence and Hollywood fame, seems to reveal the impact of a well-cultivated media image. His expertise within the “Kayfabe” variety of wrestling (a dramatic variety of wrestling portrayed as real) has greatly enhanced his public perception as an authentic man “nice guy”.
This early experience and a robust screen presence could have contributed to leadership results just like Obama's. Here it seems that The Rock's strong media persona has translated into perceptions of effective leadership.
This idea is expounded to the speculation of mediated authenticity, which states that positive perceptions arise when audiences view media characters in a favorable light. The Rock's wrestling persona has allowed him to construct a connection along with his fans, and he seems to have further expanded that along with his Hollywood roles.
What can Trump and Harris learn?
Politicians also need to interact with the general public. Boris Johnson, for instance, did well within the 2019 UK election because he knew the way to do it connect and used this ability to his advantage.
However, leaders must even be viewed as knowledgeable and trustworthy to make an enduring positive difference.
Some theorist of power argue that social influence comes from being popular, not only famous. Of course, The Rock can be known for his nice guy image his film catalog and at all times perfect physique. His perceived leadership potential could also be as a result of the indisputable fact that he’s each popular and viewed as an excellent role model.
The rock's potential was recognized by political parties. He describes himself as independent and announced back in 2023 that he had been approached by someone several political parties a couple of possible candidacy for office.
Can you be a “nice” populist?
In recent years there was the rise of various political leaders all over the world who’ve been labeled with the term “populist”. The leading figures on this list include Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson. However, these managers are frequently not particularly senior trustworthy.
Loss of trust in politicians and political systems is a big problem that may result in reduced participation within the democratic process, whatever the political level. This ultimately results in a civic structure that fails to represent the people it is meant to succeed in surcharge.
With the US presidential election just weeks away, and still practically undecidedPolitical strategists from each major parties must address a central query: How much trust does each candidate have amongst the general public?
Like it or not, The Rock's wrestling persona was based on constructing a real reference to fans through his kayfabe-like performance and friendly image. The caution Cultivation of it has earned him continued popularity and, as an unintended consequence of this achievement, leadership appeal on the national level.
If you’re perceived as a genuinely nice leader, trust will follow, our initial research shows. Something that more politicians clearly need to know.
image credit : theconversation.com