Celebs side off on #indyref

In the run-up to the September 18 Scottish referendum, celebrities the likes of David Beckham, Sean Connery and J.K. Rowling are weighing in on Scottish independence. And it's no tabloid matter. Where the political campaigners failed to get the discussion rolling, the stars seem to have succeeded - at least in attracting attention to the issue.

Soccer star David Beckham and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood have become the latest to voice their views on Scottish independence.

"What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together," the former England captain appealed to his Scottish fans. While Beckham kicked his support behind the #BetterTogether team, punk fashion designer Westwood donned the #VoteYes colors for her fashion show on Sunday.

"We just hope that Scotland can be a model for future hope and development where we have a people's democracy instead of only everything for profit and for business and for destruction," the designer told the media after the show with the clearly visible blue "Yes" buttons.

Blockbuster campaign

Early in the campaign, the yes camp received celebrity support from James Bond star Sean Connery. The referendum, he said, "is rooted in inclusiveness, equality and that core democratic value that the people of Scotland are the best guardians of their own future."

Appealing to the youth vote, Indy rock group Franz Ferdinand packed in the crowds for the #VoteYesConcert on September 14.

Last month a list of more than 200 celebrities signed a letter urging Scotland to stay in the union, including former Beatle Paul McCartney, actress Judi Dench and physicist Stephen Hawking.

J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame posted a letter on her website outlining to her fans why she supports the #BetterTogetherCampaign.

"I have come to the conclusion that while independence might give us opportunities - any change brings opportunities - it also carries serious risks," she explained, adding that she has contributed financially to the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK.

Emotional debate

With just days before the historic vote, Irish rocker Bob Geldof made a passionate appeal to Scots to stay in the UK. "Scotland is a feeling; the UK is an idea," the Live Aid fund-raiser said in a rally to some 2,000 Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square. Imploring Scotland to remain in the union, Geldof described the UK as "one of the greatest ideas ever invented for the modern age."

Among the audience was Sean Jones, who recorded Geldof’s emotional appeal for the Better Together campaign and uploaded it to YouTube. Shortly after posting the link to his Twitter account, @seanjones11bkw was bombarded with angry responses from the pro-independence camp.

Comic relief

If celebrities aren't enough, cartoon figures are now adding their views to the debate. Willie, the school janitor from the TV series Simpsons throws his comedic weight behind independence. "Scotland is the home to two-thirds of Europe’s oil reserves," a kilt-clad Willie says in a video released by Fox. "Notice how in no country rich in oil does a man wear pants. We also make a fine damn whisky. And we spell whisky right, too!"

Whom are they convincing?

Celebrities trumpeting their views on independence has not gone down well with all Scottish voters. Just like the failed attempt to appeal to the female vote with a YouTube video, big-name endorsements on either side of the campaign could in the end alienate people.

Twitter user Andy Arthur, himself a self-proclaimed "Blower of the #YES trumpet," sounded off his frustration: "This isn't about some kind of celebrity parade - it's about your country's future."

In response to the Better Together rally in London on September 15, Twitter user Andrew Young @Hullbhoy echoed the sentiments of many in Scotland: “Super rich out of touch celebrities gather in Trafalgar Square London to lecture Scots on how to vote in #indyref. You can feel the sincerity.”