Stars and artists comment on the US election

An illustration shows the two presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden waiting for the results, clearly uninterested in having anything to do with one another.

The picture is the summary of German illustrator Bernd Pohlenz's initial reaction to the yet-undecided US election: the rift between the two candidates represents a divide that spreads across the entire nation. Pohlenz based his caricature on Edward Hopper's 1926 painting Sunday. Hopper, who has often depicted the emptiness of modern life, is considered a chronicler of life in the US.

It's no secret that the US is deeply divided along race, class and gender lines, and the topic of the coronavirus pandemic is yet another point where opinions vary. Many in the US want to get the pandemic under control and call for stricter measures, while others deny it and spread conspiracy theories. In addition, racist violence has unsettled many voters in recent weeks and months.

No winner yet

While democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden urged the public to wait for the results, as votes are still being tallied as of Wednesday afternoon in Europe, President Trump gave up the wait-and-see attitude and presented himself to the public as the winner before all votes were counted.

Trump may claim to have won, but, as actress Alyssa Milano tweets, "Any politician can say what they want to say, but it's the will of the voters that decides the election."

Numerous celebrities have reacted with indignation to Trump's premature declaration of victory and his announcement to end the vote count early. "We need to wait for millions of mail votes to be counted," demanded Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. After all, democracy is based on the right to vote and every vote counts.

Actress Bette Midler and the comedian and presenter James Cordon reacted similarly.
 
Many musicians have refused to perform for Trump since he has been in office. Stars like the Rolling Stones, as well as the heirs of Tom Petty sent cease and desist letters to Trump’s campaign team to make sure their music would not be used in his election campaign.

Yet, not everyone in Hollywood is a Trump hater: On Tuesday night, actress Kirstie Alley tweeted her excitement. "I hope to wake up with a new president named Donald. Take the wheel!" 
 
Some stars prefer to trust only themselves. Rapper Kanye West's run for president was widely covered by the media although he only got 0.5% of the vote based on early returns in the states where he was eligible.

On Tuesday, he announced on Twitter that he had voted for the first time — and for himself, by writing his name on the ballot in Wyoming. Meanwhile, his wife, model, actress, and influencer Kim Kardashian, retweeted tweets from Biden's potential Vice President, Kamala Harris.

 
Beyoncé also made her political preferences public, sharing on Instagram a picture of herself wearing a Biden-Harris mask on Tuesday, and urging people in the state of Texas to vote.

Coronavirus, the arts and the election

As far as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are concerned, people working in the arts, such as musicians and event organizers, are heavily affected because they are unable to perform publicly — or only to a limited extent.

The American conductor and Berliner-by-choice Garrett Keast also looks to the US election with this concern. Dedicated to performing American classical music repertoire in Europe, he maintains strong connections with the US and hopes the arts scene can find a way to thrive despite the pandemic, he told DW. 

While pointing out that one has to speak cautiously about politics in the arts realm in the US as to not offend anyone, he thinks the results of the 2020 election matter to the arts field. "I do think that a Biden presidency would be stronger for the arts. His careful, smart approach would help the economy."
 
But no matter who comes to power, Keast won't let his optimism be taken away: "I don't think this nationalism, and these xenophobic attitudes will go on forever," he said, adding that it was an ugly moment for America, and Trump was not showing the country at its best: "I think he brings out a lot of our worst tendencies. But I do remain optimistic about the future for our people and our country.”

Waiting with humor

It may still take a while until the last votes, especially those cast by mail, are counted. The internet abounds with comical videos of people waiting for the results after casting their ballot, be it counting sheep, watching a pet drinking water — whatever it takes to pass the time. 

US-born entertainer Gayles Tufts, who became a German citizen following Donald Trump's election in 2016, told DW that many of her friends are already contacting her to find out if she has a free bedroom for them to escape the country. "Because of the lockdown I can't play in the theater at the moment, so I could just open a B&B for disgruntled Americans!" she joked.

Singer Pink retweeted a video in which the viewer suggests baking bread to pass the time. After all, this isn't the first difficult period in which Americans have voted — there have been wars and depressions, and now a pandemic. "That's right, we did our part. #EveryVoteCounts & it's time to wait for democracy to deliver," Pink writes. Along with many other artists, the singer had participated in the call to vote under the hashtag: #EveryVoteCounts.

 

Concern for democracy

But behind the humor is a genuine concern for society, for values of compassion, tolerance and, ultimately, concern for the democratic process itself.  

Author and illustrator Nora Krug looked into her family's stance towards the Nazi regime for her award-winning graphic novel, Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home.

Her research has helped her understand what is currently happening in the United States: "I definitely think there are a lot of parallels: the attempt of marginalizing groups, minorities, and the way the language is used by the president to evoke violence — I think that's very familiar to people who've studied the Nazi regime," she told DW. "But I think it's also important to know the differences. It would be too quick to come to the conclusion that Donald Trump is the new Adolf Hitler."

Nevertheless, even though many Americans are considering leaving the country, the New York-based author is not planning on moving back to Germany: "I'm a strong believer in staying around when things are tricky... I think it's important to stay exactly when these kind of things happen to try to do everything you can to prevent things from getting worse," said Krug.
 
On October 28, musician Bruce Springsteen shared a six-minute video in which he talked about the state of the country. "Where is this country going? Where did all of the fun, the joy and the expressions of love and happiness go?" He pointed out that it has been lost under the Trump administration, and also called for an end to it through the election.

 
Similarly dreary, writer T.C. Boyle commented on election night with pictures of his fireplace and the ominous-looking moon: "I feel as bleak and cored out as some long-dead creature washed ashore from an ancient sea," he wrote. He's not sure if he should crack open a bottle of champagne sitting on ice. "The champagne remains on ice. Do I pour it down the drain? Is my country committing suicide?"

 
In the run-up to the election, many well-known American authors joined the group Writers Against Trump. Co-founder Paul Auster sees the beginning of the "end of a democracy as we knew it." His wife, author Siri Hustvedt, says in the DW film Deeply Divided: America Before the Election: "I think we run the risk of losing our democratic republic." On November 5, some of the group's authors will take part in an online debate commenting on the events.

 

This article was translated from German by Sarah Hucal