Politics- love it or hate it, you either get it or you don’t. Politics play a role in all of our lives because each day, we are affected by the decisions made at large. Looking back at the last election, compared to those before, I noticed a difference. It seemed like EVERYONE was getting involved, more than likely because America was in desperate need for change. Last year, the University of Maryland campus was alive with political uproar. I recall the first visit Obama made to the campus and thought back to the crazy traffic and students and faculty in a frenzy. I also recall all of the Obama gear being sold everywhere, even 7-11. It really dawned on me when noticing the tabloids when I was standing in line at the grocery store, the usual celebrity photo on the covers were replaced by political figures. Something was different about this election. Obama was literally made into a celebrity. He and his family was getting just about as much publicity as Britney when she shaved her head.
The bottom line is that pop culture is all about politics. Carla Freccero says, “an obvious reason for studying popular culture is to politically literate, to understand what issues are at stake when political leaders an others condemn or praise its representations.” Its interesting to me that the person who would potentially be the one condemning or praising American pop culture was actually a main guy in the news. This was a merging of politics and popular culture, and it very much worked in Obama’s favor. He didn’t need to worry about getting peoples attention- he already had it. Who’s to say this celebritizing of political figures will not continue after this election? Personally, I see this as a learning experience for future political leaders. If you want America’s approval, first get their attention.
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