Celebrity Culture
Celebrities play an important part in elections. How celebrities view or endorse certain political figures can have a strong impact on votes and overall outcome of the election. While the 2015 Canadian election was not as marred by the constant input of the Hollywood elite when compared to the American election, it did not stop many (mostly foreign) celebrities from endorsing Canadian candidates. This is especially interesting, since the Canadian Elections Act states that "No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting or vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate".
In the absolute strongest example of celebrity involvement, British comedian John Oliver uses a moose, a zamboni, and Canadian icon Mike Myers to get his anti-Harper message across.
Canadian hockey hero Wayne Gretzky openly endorsed Stephen Harper during the election, despite his inability to vote as an expatriate. As a non-resident of Canada, Gretzky was subject the same legal ramifications as other non-resident celebrities.
Days before the election, Monty Python star John Cleese politely asks Canadian voters to put another Trudeau on Parliament Hill.
Sarah Silverman, American actress and comedian, urges Canadian voters to support NDP leader Tom Mulcair and his stances on women's rights. She also showed an understanding of the actual electoral process by promoting Vancouver-Granville riding MP Mira Oreck.
Liberal candidate Justin Trudeau was often portrayed as a type of celebrity, both by his own party, as well the Conservative opposition. While the Liberal party focused on Trudeau's ability to draw people in and make them care about politics, Conservatives painted him as more of a vapid celeb with a good hairstyle.
