Why is it important for Hollywood celebrities to come out against Trump?

"This video of celebs pleading with the Electoral College is why Hillary Clinton lost," the newspaper's website proclaimed

Actors Martin Sheen and Debra Messing are joined by a host of other celebrities - including musician Moby - to ask Republican electors to not cast their vote for President-elect Donald Trump on 19 December.

In theory, the Electoral College could do this: It would take 37 Republican electors to vote for someone other than Mr Trump - thereby taking the party under the 270-vote threshold necessary for victory - to technically block his path to the White House.

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It is the latest stance taken by celebrities against Mr Trump's impending leadership. Others have been less direct - designers refusing to dress future First Lady Melania Trump, or rejecting offers to sing at the inauguration.

"You stick to pretending to be somebody else," wrote one. "Nobody gives the rear end of a rodent what you and your pampered friends think."

They had all been vociferous campaigners for Mrs Clinton, as had Beyonce, whose plea to fans to vote for Mrs Clinton has had 2.4 million views to date.

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The argument put forward in the Unite for America clip is simple - Mr Trump is not fit to be president of the United States, and therefore members of the Electoral College should block his entry to the White House.

Mrs Clinton did have a lot of celebrity supporters - on election night, actress Lena Dunham, singer Lady Gaga and comedian Amy Schumer were all in New York to support the Democrat they hoped would become the first female US leader.

And despite the odd tweet praising them for being a "glimmer of hope in an era of hopelessness", even fellow liberals have questioned the point of such a video.

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Meanwhile, a meme mused whether celebrities were more upset about the election result, of "finding out people don't give a **** about their opinions".

Another tweeted: "Y'all prove one thing. being a so-called educated intellectual doesn't mean you have common sense."

Oprah Winfrey may be credited with playing a major role in Barack Obama's 2008 election, but a quick glance at the response on Twitter to the Unite for America video shows there is no appetite for the 1% to lecture the majority on how they should vote.

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In comparison, Mr Trump failed to attract any huge stars to support his campaign.

Mr Trump, the celebrities continue, is not "highly qualified for the job" - and therefore the electors could, and should, prevent him from taking office.

Indeed, a study of possible voters in Ohio by professors Melissa Miller and David Jackson, both of Bowling Green State University, found that celebrity endorsements are potentially the opposite of helpful.

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Celebrity power

But in reality, how much does any of this matter - and how effective is such a direct plea to a group of Republicans?

So with a backlash against celebrities, it seems highly unlikely their doom-laden words will sway Republican electors on Sunday.

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What's more, this election has taken a swipe at the so-called liberal elite - and nowhere is the elite more liberal than in Hollywood.

There is, of course, one huge irony in all of this: Mr Trump has, arguably, only been elected to the highest office in the land because he is a celebrity.

In stark contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama, only one A-list celebrity - has publicly endorsed Mr Trump since his election.

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"Our founding fathers built the Electoral College to safeguard the American people from the dangers of a demagogue and to ensure that the presidency only goes to someone who is, to an eminent degree, endowed with the requisite qualifications," Sheen explains in the video.

Writing in Mr Jackson revealed: "None of the celebrities [given as possible endorsers in the study] showed a net positive effect, and four of them showed double-digit net negative effects."

Yet Mr Trump won - suggesting celebrity endorsements do not have huge sway over voters.

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