Reality TV has long been viewed as something of a binary alternative to “reality,” and the genre itself is seen as not merely apolitical, but sort of anti-political, an option consciously chosen to avoid the bummer aspects of “real life.”
On Monday – one day ahead of Election Day – we covered some reality TV star endorsements for both candidates.
In that coverage, we quoted Bravo exec Andy Cohen’s remarks to that effect back in May:
“We try to steer clear of politics because people hate that. They come to us for an escape. We have Housewives in red states and blue states.
“And a lot of blue-state fans get really riled up over Housewives who are Trump supporters. But you know, get over it, this is America.”
In recent weeks, however, the inescapable general election of 2024 has snaked its tentacles into literally every aspect of American life, including the reality television world, as the United States faces its third consecutive “most consequential election of our lifetimes.”
We’ve also talked about 2016, the first United States general election to be described as “the Reality TV Election,” and how 2024 looks exactly like a second or third season.
As for Andy, he didn’t exactly “steer clear” of political opinions on Election Day — while he didn’t outright endorse any candidate, he did retweet a fellow user’s tweet about the January 6th Capitol insurrection:
Atop a photograph of the United States Capitol under siege, the tweet read: “Until the day I die I will never understand why [former President Donald Trump] was even still allowed to run after this.”
It’s not just Bravolebrities (although several have spoken out) — stars and fans from myriad franchises are encouraging others to vote, sharing memes, and generally weighing in on the 2024 Election.
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Somewhat surprisingly, the titular “moms” of Dance Moms, their daughters, and Abby Lee Miller have been extremely vocal on Election Day — although there’s a schism among the cast.
As seen above, Dance Moms’ Christi Lukasiak (Chloe’s mother) shared a carousel of cast photographs on Instagram, posing alongside Melissa Gisoni (mother to Maddie and Mackenzie), and Holly Hatcher-Frazier (Nia’s mother).
It was only “somewhat surprising” because Abby Lee Miller’s dance school was headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – a major “swing state” – and the women were clearly in attendance at Kamala Harris’ Election Eve rally in Philadelphia.
Speaking of Abby Lee Miller, her August tweet expressing excitement at her voice being featured in a Kamala HQ post was shared on Reddit’s r/dancemoms on Election Day.
Abby Lee’s tweet was bittersweet, as she noted she can no longer vote – likely due to her felony conviction in 2016 – and she joked that the election outcome wasn’t her fault:
“OMG OMG my voice made it to KamalaHQ 😱 Remember, I can’t vote, *I hate to use the word can’t!* so whatever happens? IT WASN’T ME!”
Much like her mother Melissa, Maddie shared an Instagram Story voicing her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, a known reality TV fan.
Maddie’s Story quoted former First Lady Michelle Obama:
Her Instagram plea resonated with Dance Moms fans who watched the girls grow up on the show.
One viewer commented:
“I really love seeing how vocal some of the girls and the moms have been this time around. It honestly makes me sad that we have to fight so loudly and beg so hard like this but still.
“I love seeing them find their voices and use their platforms for good and also just seeing them stand up for themselves and for democracy as women.”
Although the majority of the Dance Moms cast – from the moms to the girls and even Abby Lee Miller – supported or appeared to support Kamala Harris, one of the moms broke ranks:
Kira Girard, mother of Kalani, posted the above image with former President Trump, and was later seen speaking on stage at a Trump rally.
Instagram power user and former American Idol contestant Todrick Hall left a conflicted comment on Kira’s post, writing:
“I wish you didn’t support this man. It makes my heart hurt. History will not look back on this picture fondly.
“Love you but I truly dislike this so so so so much.”
Kira wasn’t the only reality TV star slash Trump supporter — America’s Next Top Model personality Adrienne Curry angrily unfollowed a cat meme page over its support of Kamala Harris.
Over on Bravo, Vanderpump Rules star Kristin Doute shared that she voted for Harris, and Real Housewives Of Orange County star Tamra Judge pulled the lever for the Vice President, too.
Then there’s Lisa Rinna, known to Bravo fans simply as “Rinna,” and she recently expressed her support for Kamala Harris through the medium of dance.
On Election Day, Rinna shared another dance video alongside husband Harry Hamlin, who appeared to be watering plants as his wife gyrated — before he gave in and danced, too:
Finally, Dancing With The Stars fans got in on the action, too.
DWTS viewers had to surrender their time slot on Election Day, but they’re okay with it, and one shared a meme on r/dancingwiththestars:
Alongside the post, the person who shared it quipped: “All jokes aside, if you’re from the US, don’t forget to exercise your rights today or else [Carrie Ann Inaba] will give you a 9🇺🇸[.]”
