Last week I was meeting with a new morning show hire. My direction was clear: be authentic, live your life on the radio, be real and emotional, and NEVER talk about your political views. Obviously, this was a music station, not conservative talk where you’re expected to take a side. With Election Day just weeks away, stay away from politics — unless you have superstar status.
It might be the same for artists and companies. Bruce Springsteen clearly takes a stand against the Trump administration when he is on stage. But he’s Bruce, and his fans expect that and agree with him. Meanwhile, when much less popular Macklemore pushed a strong Pro-Palestine message while opening for Ed Sheeran in New Jersey, the negative feedback was strong. Sadly, it spilled onto Ed as well. P!nk reposted an Instagram message from StopAntisemitism that called Macklemore’s performance “awful” and argued that concertgoers were owed apologies and refunds. Consequently, her 12 million followers became involved. Macklemore’s words became newsworthy.
Celebrity Influence and Political Risk
Jellyroll guest hosted Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show. Knowing that Jimmy’s audience leaned to the left, he made fun of Trump during his monologue. Something country stars are not expected to do. Remember what happened when the Dixie Chicks slammed then President Bush? Similarly, Jellyroll probably helped his image with pop music fans, but alienated some of his core base. Moreover, he was reportedly uninvited from a law-enforcement fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago following the Trump jokes. But I’ll bet he found something else to do that night.
Nike is in the news as the company’s value has dropped dramatically. Indeed, they were dropped from the S&P 100. Sports commentators like Craig Carton attribute part of that to their liberal lean. Additionally, some even draw a comparison to the ill-fated Dylan Mulvaney ads that knocked Bud Light’s sales into decline a few years ago. Perhaps Nike execs will think back to the famous Michael Jordan line when he refused to take a political position. Republicans buy sneakers too.
The Divided Landscape
We live in a very divided world right now. There are haters ready to pounce on any missteps you make. Frankly, I think it’s unfortunate. Deep down, I believe most people are somewhere in the middle on most issues. However, the voices on the extreme ends of each side are the loudest. Especially on social media, where everyone has their own “show”. Imagine the fallout if your biggest PPM meter holder was on the other side of the aisle. What if they heard a political opinion you stated on air? Or worse — your biggest advertiser.
If you’re playing the greatest hits of all time on the radio and want to talk about your political beliefs, here’s my advice: Just DON’T Do It!
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