Introduction
A Barbados-born U.S. music icon and beauty entrepreneur who is a non-citizen resident of the United States, Rihanna recently created a firestorm in social media as she sneaked into the polls to vote in the U.S. presidential election while using a U.S. passport of her son; however, she was ineligible for voting in the said election. She framed her responses to the backlash around the fact that political polarization and controversy surrounding voting rights, illegal voting claims, and the legacy of the January 6 Capitol riot still linger.
The Background of Rihanna’s Joke and First Post
On Election Day 2024, Rihanna published an Instagram video with a caption stating that she would be using her son’s U.S. passport to vote, telling her fans to vote too since she wasn’t. Her video, titled “POV: me trying to sneak into the polls with my son’s passport #votecauseicant,” went viral overnight. She posted not only references to women’s reproductive rights but also alluded to “Tan Suit Season,” a play off Barack Obama’s notoriously criticized beige suit incident. In her own playful take on that matter, Rihanna had been voicing her opinion regarding such pivotal political issues within the United States without actually casting any ballots.
Public Reactions: Divided Opinions
The post divided most in their perceptions, as it has many fans who admire the humor and feminism appreciation through the post. According to them, it is creative, but to encourage voters as well as talk about politics among them. Most critics of VP Kamala Harris, whom many feel Rihanna supports, have deemed the post inappropriate. Some said her joke about “illegal voting” was feeding into anxieties and allegations of voter fraud that have marred recent U.S. elections, especially among Trump supporters.
This was rebuked by a user who claimed, “This is why we need to make America great again.” Rihanna responded by mentioning the Capitol’s insurrection. She jokingly replied, “Lol! When y’all stop burning ballot boxes, come check me,” countering this user’s argument for the past violence and election distrust that some groups propagated.
The January 6 Reference and Celebrity Responsibility in Politics
She said the most repeated answer was a clapback at where someone thought of her being a musician who should just “stay in the music.” Here’s Rihanna clapping back with this: “Where were you on Jan 6, sis? Stick to your discounted crotch,” a frankness that will remind one of the ramifications of the riot at the Capitol and the contrast in her lighthearted posting. This sharp retort suggested that Rihanna was vexed with a case of hypocrisy where those critics are the ones pointing fingers about “voter fraud” without mentioning how things had unraveled at an event that occurred on January 6 as some demonstrators tried to thwart the democratic course of events.
The involvement of celebrities in the discourse on politics is something whose time has come according to the position taken by Rihanna. This is because most feel that although they hold a lot of influence, they lack the background knowledge in governance and policy. However, people feel that Rihanna and all those like her are on the right side of life to comment on issues about their community, especially by using these forums to make a fight for social justice.
Reactions Across Social Media and Commentary on Voting Rights
A joke by Rihanna threw voter’s rights into very critical issues of voting privilege. Users told her she needed to get two citizenships to start voting, but a number of her responses conveyed no interest in the proposed idea. Responses were full of pride for heritage, stating things such as, “I LOVE my Bajan passport! I came here to work and pay taxes! You are welcome. This answer highlighted her role as an advocate for the U.S. without her desire to become a U.S. citizen just to vote.
Other commenters advocated for higher bars for immigration and voting as preconditions of franchise access. Another commenter claimed that noncitizens should refrain from all U.S. politics, to which Rihanna quickly replied. Her rejoinders only served to fix the impression that action on core issues like women’s rights is detached from citizenship. That is, by pointing to her own noncitizen status in her replies, Rihanna seemed to be playing a subversive move against common sense about who should appropriate civic discourse.
Critique of Celebrities’ Role in Election Discourse
RiRi’s reactions bring forth into the discussion the question that has long lingered about how celebrities add flavor to the public discourse of politics. Criticisms maintain that celebrity endorsements and participation would demean an issue, reducing it to media hype. For instance, a joke was made regarding Rihanna’s issue, and its reaction as well as further reaction from other persons were held to discuss whether or not non-citizens in public personalities contribute to public discussions in any nation. According to the critics of Rihanna, however, “her views simply reflect the messiness and internationalist character of current political activism.”
Conclusion: Rihanna’s Social Media as a Catalyst for Wider Conversations
Initially a jest intended to encourage people to go vote, Rihanna’s comments on citizenship, social justice, and political participation in fact became a comment about the very same matters of which she joked. Here are some quick retorts where, especially with her January 6 allusions, a public personality may joke as a way to comment upon issues that are heavily dug in politically. In the final analysis, Rihanna’s acts point toward the role that social media plays in opening up dialogues beyond formal boundaries that allow non-citizens and others outside of the U.S. to express themselves in a way that reflects the world of today.
