Key Takeaways:
– NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer tried to boost his reputation as a Bruce Springsteen fan in his governor campaign.
– His Spotify Wrapped screenshot raised suspicions due to discrepancies noticed by shrewd internet users.
– Gottheimer later admitted to the fabrication, attributing it to sharing his account with his kids.
– Despite the controversy, he insists on being a Springsteen fan.
Music and Politics Merge in New Jersey
Residing in Bruce Springsteen’s home state, Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic representative of New Jersey, tried to boost his governor campaign by projecting himself as a fan of the rock legend. In an attempt to connect with his potential voters and Springsteen fans alike, Gottheimer shared a screenshot of what he claimed was his Spotify Wrapped 2024.
However, eagle-eyed internet users spotted discrepancies in the post, leading to Gottheimer’s backtrack.
Gottheimer’s Spotify Wrapped Controversy
The Spotify Wrapped list is widely popular among music lovers. It’s an annual summary of each user’s top songs and musicians. It’s a fun way of closing out the year and seeing one’s musical journey. Gottheimer posted his purported list featuring five Springsteen tracks: ‘Thunder Road,’ ‘Because the Night,’ ‘Glory Days,’ ‘Badlands,’ and ‘The Rising.’ He proudly added that his first concert was a Springsteen performance at Meadowlands.
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? Well, not everyone was convinced. The savviest of the internet community quickly noticed certain abnormalities, such as font differences and an incorrect letter ‘g’ in ‘Songs.’
The Admission of Fabrication
Put on the spot by these observances, Gottheimer came clean about the list, admitting that it was fabricated. However, he was quick to assert his fan status.
“This would be my Spotify Wrapped if I didn’t share my account with my 12-and 15-year-old kids,” he said. “While it’s Springsteen all day for me — don’t get me wrong, I still love listening to Taylor Swift!”
Springsteen & New Jersey
Born and raised in New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen or ‘The Boss’ as fans lovingly call him, is a statewide icon. His birthday is even celebrated as Bruce Springsteen Day in the state. The music legend is just as politically active, performing at several campaign events as a surrogate.
With the retirement of Gov. Phil Murphy, the Democratic primaries for the 2025 race are expected to be crowded. Gottheimer would face competition from several prominent figures, including fellow Rep. Mikie Sherrill, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, and a number of mayors, notably Steven Fulop, Ras Baraka, and Sean Spiller.
Despite this Spotify wrapped mishap, Gottheimer remains steadfast in his Springsteen fandom. Whether that could win him the Governor’s seat, only time will tell. But as this scenario has unpacked, authenticity and transparency hold a heavy weight, even when it comes to music preferences.
In the world of politics and campaigning, leverage can come in diverse forms, from political alliances and popular policies, down to shared musical taste. After all, maximizing one’s appeal to voters often makes or breaks the campaign. However, skirting around the truth in even seemingly insignificant matters can lead to scrutiny and criticism, as Rep. Gottheimer discovered.
The overall lesson from this hiccup? In politics, as in much else in life, it’s better to be genuine, especially when the internet is involved. After all, the world wide web never forgets.