Baby Baby Baby Vote, by Arthur Tebbel – Pop Art #93

September 14, 2010 Arthur Tebbel 6 Comments

Dear Art,
To drum up interest in the midterm elections my group, Campus Progress, has tried to tie the election to teen heartthrob Justin Bieber.  We’re encouraging kids to ask their parents and grandparents to vote because of the influence the next congress will have on the future.  If kids won’t ask their parents to vote for them, maybe they’ll ask them to vote for Bieber.  Do you think there’s any chance this move could backfire on us?
Sara Haile-Mariam, Campus Progress

Sara,
I think there’s a lot of potential for backfire here.  First and foremost Justin Bieber is Canadian.  The future of the American economy affects him only as far as our ability to buy CDs and go to concerts.  Even that only as far as you believe he has a long career in front of him.  He could end up washed up in five years like 95% of teen idols in the history of the world.  Then he’ll be in some gigantic house in Canada appearing on “Where Are They Now?” specials and laughing at our politics while enjoying his free healthcare.  He’ll also probably have gotten plenty fat on Tim Horton’s by then.

You also might be concerned with demographics.  You’re a progressive organization but Bieber-fever seems like more of a red state movement.  Maybe I’ve got it wrong because of my complete lack of interest in Mr. Bieber but I would bet his fandom is higher in red areas.  I say this because growing up in New York City very few of my contemporaries bit hard for the boy bands of our day.  If this somehow works you might see higher turnout for people voting against your candidates.  That would be stupid like getting Ludacris to do a verse on a bubblegum pop track.

Moreover is this really the kind of message you want to send?  That people who won’t take an interest in the future of their own children and grandchildren should vote because of some slick dancing kid with an auto tune setup?  Parents should feel more connected to this kid than their own daughters?  Or sons with particularly bad taste?  Or their weird creepy adult children of either gender?  People should vote every chance they get.  That’s pretty much the main perk of a democracy.  They should do it because it matters.  It matters for everybody all the time.  The idea that the results of this midterm election won’t affect people over a certain age is a completely ridiculous one.  I know your group is youth-focused but for the love of God stop wasting your time on this.  Get on college campuses and explain to kids that they can vote in the district their school is in.  Or get them absentee ballots.  Get them volunteering for get out the vote drives.  Stop appealing to the bizarre hypothetical interests of a teenage millionaire and do some actual political work.