Once upon a time in
America, it was believed that the President of the United States should have
the gravitas and proper sense of
priorities to distance himself from the triviality of showbiz. Then along came
television, and Nixon poked
fun at himself on Laugh-In, Clinton played blues sax on The Arsenio Hall Show, and Obama slow-jammed the news
with Jimmy Fallon. Now anyone who aspires to occupy the White House is expected to show that he or she is just
as comfortable hanging with celebs as mingling with heads of state. Welcome to
the era of the pop culture presidency.
In his recent book Celebrity
in Chief: A History of the Presidents and the Culture of Stardom, presidential historian Kenneth T. Walsh argues
that celebrity is an indispensable part of the modern presidency, and that
presidents who handle celebrity better are more successful. While what
constitutes “successful” is arguable, it’s true that a comfortable engagement
with pop culture has become an important selling point for presidential
candidates.
Walsh’s book was reviewed recently by Tevi Troy, who traced the
interaction (or lack thereof) between our presidents and the pop culture of
their time in his own book on the topic, What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama
Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House. Pop culture
is the most influential arena, Troy notes, in which to connect with the
American people – especially the
politically coveted younger generations – and for capturing their
imaginations. For example,
The most astute presidents of the
cinematic era, such as Clinton and Reagan, have understood that movies tell
stories about themselves and about the country that can reach voters with no
interest in political speeches but who hold great interest in what is taking
place on the silver screen.
There is an obvious political advantage for
the President or candidate who not only has his finger on the pulse of the
culture, but who can manipulate it through the gravitational pull of his own
charm and charisma.
Troy believes that presidents who distance
themselves from pop culture and focus on reading can show a seriousness of
purpose that some voters appreciate. But the truth is that Americans have a
healthy suspicion of bookish intellectuals as leaders – and rightly so.
Leadership is primarily about vision and charisma, not intellect. Through our
history it’s been more important to Americans for our presidents to have
the common touch than to be well-read or well-educated, and today that means a
president who understands pop culture.
And no president
understands it like Barack Obama, a man “shaped by popular culture more
thoroughly than any other president in our history,” says Troy. Obama has won
two elections in no small measure because of his shrewd understanding of, and
what Walsh calls “his constant and unusual” engagement with, pop culture. He
chats on late night talk shows, hangs with Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and jets out to Hollywood periodically for
fundraisers. He has successfully
appropriated the hipness of movie stars and rappers, and raised the bar of presidential cool to heights Bill Clinton could
only dream of.
Is that a problem, you might ask? What’s
wrong with a President who “gets” young people, who is relatable and cool? In
an era in which singer Bono is out there doing the work of a world leader
himself, why install some boring old fart in the White House who probably
doesn’t even listen to U2?
The harm is not in having a President with
personality and a sense of humor, and it’s perfectly understandable that he or
she would take advantage of the platforms pop culture offers to reach voters,
including the vast swath of the American public that might not otherwise pay
attention to politics.
The danger is that a President who takes time
out to trade comic barbs with Zack Galifianakis on Funny or Die, or be interviewed by a YouTube star best-known for bathing in Fruit Loops, not
only diminishes the dignity of the Presidency but unwisely gives both our
allies and our enemies the impression that the American people and the Leader
of the Free World are fundamentally unserious.
The danger comes when voters are seduced into
the orbit of a leader or candidate not because of his or her character and
positions on the issues, but because of a shallow aura of cool.
The danger comes when a President becomes a
personality more outsized than the office of the Presidency itself, when he or
she not only hangs with celebs, but becomes one.
We live in dangerous times. Nothing would
make them worse quite like an American President empowered not by the trust and
respect of what Jefferson called an informed electorate, but by a corrupting cult
of celebrity.
From Acculturated, 7/20/15
