More than 400 celebrities have appeared as witnesses in 288 congressional committee
Surprisingly, celebrity appearances in congressional committee hearings
have not received much comprehensive empirical study, despite what appears to be a growing
trend. “It’s a trend that’s gaining speed these days, as politics and popular culture intersect at
every turn. Politicians are celebrities in their own rights, and Hollywood and Washington are
connected in more ways than ever” (Neilson 1999, 21). Outside of the work of Brasher (2005),
Talbert, Jones and Baumgartner (1995), Leyden (1992), DeGregorio (1992), Del Sesto (1980)
and Truman (1951), detailed studies of congressional hearings and their role in American
government are non-existent; an under-tilled field within political science research. Strine
(2004) is the only scholar to thoroughly investigate why committees invite celebrity witnesses
and the effect celebrity witnesses have on the salience of the committee hearing. In a 2002
hearing on Parkinson’s Disease before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Senator Arlen
Specter articulated what appears to be the accepted wisdom with respect to inviting celebrity
witnesses before congressional committees. “As Senator Harkin has noted, we are especially
grateful to Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox, who, when they come here, attract a lot of
attention because there is so much admiration for what they have done. And that kind of
attention stimulates public response to our call to influence Senators to allow us to continue the
indispensable research to cure Parkinson’s and many other maladies” (Hearing Transcript, p. 3).
In June, 2002, Senator George Voinovich (R – Ohio) refused to attend the Senate’s
Environment and Public Works Clean Air Subcommittee hearing to protest the appearance of
Kevin Richardson, member of the pop music group, the Backstreet Boys. According to
Voinovich, “‘It’s just a joke to think that this witness can provide members of the United States
Senate with information on important geological and water quality issues. We’re either serious
about the issues or we are running a sideshow’”(Rulon 2002, 1). Richardson, a member of the
pop music group The Backstreet Boys, was invited to address the subcommittee by Senator Joe
Lieberman (D-Connecticut). Voinovich suggested that Richardson, an entertainer, had little to
offer the committee in terms of expertise on geology and water quality and responded by
boycotting the hearing. Senator Lieberman defended his invitation to have Kevin Richardson
testify, stating, “’Mr. Richardson is here as more than a well-known celebrity. He is
1
The list of celebrity witnesses was generated using Lexis Nexis Congressional Universe. I employed 14 keyword
terms from the entertainment industry identifying the celebrity witness (actor, actress, comedian, author, etc.). A
celebrity is someone who is a visible component of the entertainment industry.
2
Convention