After hours of breathless speculation, deleted tweets and one very incorrect TMZ report, Beyoncé did not show up at the Democratic National Convention last night. It was a disappointing, if entirely predictable, outcome. And many, many other stars did grace the convention stage.
Both Republican and Democratic convention organizers worked hard to secure headline-making names to drum up attention, followed hopefully by votes and possibly donations. But even without Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, it was clear that only one party truly understood the assignment.
Even without Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, it was clear that only one party truly understood the assignment.
At the DNC, Democrats used celebrities across all four days to promote the specific policies of the party, and to connect each celebrity’s brand with their brand. On Thursday night, the convention featured Pink, a singer who has used her music to fight for LGBTQ+ equality long before it became fashionable, and The Chicks, who boldly risked their careers in country music to speak out against right-wing militarism.
Comedian D.L. Hughley, known for his clever commentary on race, took the stage to hilariously call out Trump’s race-baiting politics. Common and John Legend, both known for music that advocates and celebrates the quest for racial justice, took the stage earlier in the week. And Oprah Winfrey, an iconic figure who famously overcame the obstacles of race, class and gender to become a billionaire cultural behemoth, endorsed Harris’ historic quest to do the same. Trailblazing director Spike Lee watched from the crowd as barrier-breaking actresses Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington and Mindy Kaling helped host. And heard throughout was the official campaign song, Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” the rare instance of a singer and song matching the message and meaning of a political campaign.
Contrast this with the strange Republican mélange of Kid Rock, Amber Rose, Russell Brand, reality star Savannah Chrisley, UFC head honcho Dana White and Hulk Hogan that assembled a few short weeks ago in Milwaukee. These celebrities didn’t reinforce any message or create any vibe. They certainly didn’t connect to any policy. Some seemed to contradict the actual policies of the reality TV candidate they were allegedly endorsing, leading to such outlandish moments as Amber Rose saying Trump is “all love.” Rose probably should have watched more of the actual RNC speakers, who spent much of the convention advocating for bigotry and hate.








