PopPoliCulture

The convergence of popular culture and politics seemed inevitable as politicians are now categorized as celebrities. When Bill Clinton was running for president in 1992 he was featured on a tonight show playing a jazz saxophone and answering the question of whether he wore boxers or briefs (he wears briefs, by the way). That put him in the same television screen as Arsenio Hall and in the magazines with movie stars. Politics became popular culture. This can be seen both positively and negatively. Since popular culture is just that, popular, it can make anything categorized in it fashionable and widespread. After the 2000 election, and especially the 2004 upset, I found myself impassioned for politics. As I toured colleges my senior year of high school I was told that political science was recently one of the most popular majors. With the increased publicity of Capitol Hill more people became interested and began to participate, thus broadening the range of people who were elected to office, producing better representation. Though increased media can be positive, it can also have damaging effects on personal lives. For example, we’ll go back to President Clinton. His sex scandal was a long and drawn out process that was highly publicized, and that is the first thing you think of when he comes up in conversation. Not his foreign policy, not his domestic provisions that aided the U.S. economy, but his nights of adulterated passion. Now, compare this will John F. Kennedy’s alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe. It was barely make public and Kennedy’s legacy is lead by his politics, not his penis. I’m not saying that I condone Clinton’s actions, because deceiving both your country and your family is a terrible action that he’ll never fully be forgiven for. But, what legislation didn’t get passed in Congress or the UN because of his personal life? Media now mixes business with pleasure. Can this mix remain democratic? What is the line between free speech and private information? Celebrities (real ones, that is) have an immense power in contemporary politics. They may have logos to share, but they are relying on pathos to persuade their audience to agree with the right candidate, the right legislation, the right cause. But, do celebrities make political videos to boost their own images or to increase the popularity of the person they support? I prefer to be trusting rather than skeptical, so I’ll side with them using their power of persuasion. I just hope this doesn’t lead me into a political war under false pretenses. Democracy can be sustained throughout popular culture as long as we the public can distinguish between what is in style and what is actual reality.