Donald Trump has shifted the political landscape towards celebrities in politics. While we have had moments in history where celebrity and politics have overlapped, such as Ronald Reagan being an actor himself. The level of celebrity involvement in many political campaigns has noticeably increased voter interest in the campaigns. Who would have imagined that Michael Jackson or Madonna could have been involved in the political campaign of their times? In 2008, we saw Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Joe Biden echoed by her fan base, which led to speculations about her influence on the election outcomes. On October 22nd, 2024, at the Harris campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, Eminem introduced President Barack Obama to the stage after a brief speech of his own. In the video document, Eminem entered the stage at 1:48:23 after being introduced by Elissa Slotkin, A Democratic candidate running for Senate reelection in a swing state. Ms. Slotkin introduces Eminem as someone who has brought attention to Detroit and has shown the whole world what Detroit can do. Eminem walks out to his song ‘Not Afraid” and succinctly delivers his message, encouraging people to go out and vote. He introduced President Obama to the stage, who then proceeded to elaborate on his adoration for Eminem and quoted lyrics from “Lose Yourself.” This presence and reciprocal admiration between President Barack Obama and Eminem, two men of different races, is a timely and emotional appeal intended to prompt men to overcome their misogyny and persuade those who may not be inclined to vote for a black woman as President of the United States.
Eminem sits at the intersection of black and white culture in American society and has ascended to be known unarguably as one of the greatest rappers alive. He is known for his unpredictable, controversial, personal rhetoric that is often centered around the plight of the underdog. As a master of storytelling, he has the capacity to bring people into his point of view. While some of the other musical artists on the Harris 2024 campaign trail rallies performed or gave speeches, Eminem, known for speaking his mind, delivered a direct, simple message urging the audience to use their voice and vote. By approaching the stage to his song lyrics, “I’m not afraid, to take a stand. Everybody, come take my hand. We’ll walk this road together through the storm. Whatever weather, cold or warm. Just letting you know that you’re not alone....” He immediately brought the entire viewing and listening audience along with his fan base on his journey, as he so often does. He then advocated for freedom of speech to be protected as his reason for supporting the Harris campaign. “I also think that people shouldn't be afraid to express their opinions, and I don‘t think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution or what people would do if you made your opinion known.” Eminem's unique ability to capture his listening audience – usually the marginalized white and black population has the effect of humanizing Kamala Harris to an audience she may not have connected with during her brief campaign. This was an intentional tactic for Eminem's message to resonate with his audience and mobilize his fan base in service of the Harris Campaign. Complimenting Eminem’s capacity for crossing boundaries was Barack Obama’s presence, who, as the first black president, was able to move millions of white Americans to vote for him.
Since he departed from office, President Obama has attained his celebrity status. He also holds a place at the intersection of race and culture in America; overcoming major social obstacles, winning the votes of a majority white population, to occupying the highest political office in the USA. He is a gifted and inspirational orator whose slogan “Yes we can” set the tone for the Harris slogan “We are not going back” to become the first woman to be elected as the President of the United States. Obama opened his speech in Detroit by stating his admiration for Eminem and proceeded to rap lyrics to the Eminem's Grammy-winning song “Lose Yourself.”
The lyrics in “Lose Yourself” echo the sentiment about seizing opportunities despite self-doubt. His song communicates the urgency of the time and perseverance needed for success. In rapping Eminem's song, he recontextualizes it from a rap battle to a political call for immediate action. “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. There’s vomit on his sweater already: Mom's spaghetti. He’s nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready....” The palpable anxiety in these lyrics is meant to communicate the unique opportunity at stake that needs to be acknowledged. The well-known lyrics of the chorus ask the voters to seize the day, be selfless, and notice the significance of the moment in the hopes that this would translate into his fan base participating in the election of the first black woman as President of the United States of America. President Barack Obama was trying to reach the population of everyday working citizens. He was acknowledging their humanity and ambition in the face of uncertainty. He went on in his speech to denounce the division being sown by the opposing Trump campaign at 1:59:00. He was painting broad strokes with his words, speaking to ninety-nine percent of the population. “Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided, between us and them....” President Obama planted an opposing message of unity in his audience's psyche. He, like Eminem, was leveraging his influence and asking the audience to walk with him on the journey to vote in service of the Harris campaign.
The presence of President Barack Obama and Eminem together on stage, the first black man to be elected as President of the US and the first white rapper to transcend to the highest level within a black male-dominated genre, was profound. Eminem is known for his irreverent, misogynistic lyrics and strained relationship with the women in his life, juxtaposed with President Obama's squeaky-clean catalog. Their presence together in “The Motor City,” the birthplace of the modern automobile, will speak directly to the demographic of men in Detroit and the United States who may have reservations about voting for a woman. As the birthplace of the Auto industry, Detroit is a city earmarked for economic development by the creation of jobs through the opening of factories. Opening factories and keeping them open will create jobs and acknowledge the number one issue on the ballot: Economic growth. Obama referred to Detroit as a “beautiful city” and compared it to what Trump said about Detroit, referring to Detroit as a failure and a mess. Eminem opened his speech by stating how much Detroit meant to him. Obama and Eminem's messages were aligned to instill pride in the city of Detroit that would hopefully translate to pride in oneself. By evoking the emotion of pride, one feels motivated to act, achieve, and feel powerful and good about oneself. They were trying to counteract the anxious feeling that was running concurrently throughout the city and country. Eminem is somewhat of a recluse who considered himself an underground artist even after his albums went platinum. He has well-known anti-establishment views; his presence alone at a political rally would ring bells among his large fan base and consequently pique their interest in the Harris campaign. Obama on the campaign trail in the service of the Harris campaign supplies credence and familiarity to registered voters who had less than one hundred days to get to know Kamala Harris and her policies. Obama's presence brings traction and is a powerful endorsement for Kamala Harris to her unknown electorate. Having this moment in Detroit, a city emblematic of American industry, stands for the prospects of economic mobility that every marginalized group of people aspires to. The reciprocal endorsement of Obama and Eminem is an attempt to get the attention of male voters, both black and white, political and apolitical, in America.
Many acts have joined the Harris campaign to use their star power and motivate their fan base in a brief time to go to the polls. Leo Tolstoy once proclaimed, “Music is the shorthand of emotion.” Eminem's and Obama’s fans often transfer their own feelings and fears onto these two distinguished men to make sense of their own lives. This collaboration was a credible, opportune sentimental attempt by the Harris Campaign to gain votes. This specific rally was strategic, and I believe resulted in the successful election of Democrat Elisa Slotkin winning her critical Senate seat despite the loss of the presidential bid. Ten days after the election on November 15th, 2024, the Associated Press announced one thousand layoffs from the General Motors factory, which has the largest working population close to Detroit. This proved that the campaign had the right motivations and played all their cards. In the end, misogyny and racism won; however, the Harris campaign delivered the best attempt at securing the presidency within a three-month campaign.
