An Inquest into Pop Culture in North American Politics [this is the supporting side to a two-sided opinion piece, the

other by Jennifer Marano] Teresa Burkart We have been swept up in the Obama craze. He has appeared on SNL and late night talk shows with David Letterman and Jay Leno. He has been featured in Time, People, Vanity Fair, and US Weekly magazines. He has received celebrity endorsements from Hollywood heavyweights like Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt. And most recently, in a controversial turn of events, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Charismatic and dynamic, Obama appeals to the nations desire for change and has become a celebrity both inside and outside of the political realm. However, is this type of popularity good for politicians, or does it take away their credibility? The concept of politicians as celebrities is not new. When we look back, we can see individuals such as John F. Kennedy, whose iconic speeches and quick wit still sets the standard which no subsequent president has been able to match, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who will be forever immortalized for doing a pirouette behind the back of Queen Elizabeth II. These individuals made their mark in history by stepping out of the stuffy confines of political decorum, making them more relatable to the average person and enabling them to engage with the public on a more personal level. Politicians who maintain a stiff, scripted appearance often cannot connect with their constituents to the same degree and sometimes even end up alienating them. The dynamism and unconventionality of political celebrities gives them the ability to restore faith and bring renewed vigour to ailing political systems by engaging constituents at a time when voter turnout is low and political apathy has become the general sentiment of the public. Society today tends to give more credence to celebrities in general. We idolize celebrities, while politicians have been placed on the opposite end of the spectrum and are often connoted as being corrupt, power hungry, greedy, or liars. Consequently, political celebrities maintain a unique status they have all the glamour of a celebrity and all the power and responsibility of a politician. This is referred to as the "white knight" phenomenon. In an era of extensive citizen cynicism about conventional politicians, voters often see celebrity politicians as white knights who transcend the political process because they are more independent and less confined to the norms of traditional political behaviour. This gives celebrities a kind of credibility that normal politicians do not have. The pervasive influence of the media has also gone a long way in shaping the status and image of politicians. By granting them celebrity status, the media has also provided celebrity politicians with the opportunity to reach more voters and to relate to different populations. Obamas appearances in magazines and television shows like US Weekly and Saturday Night Live during the 2008 Presidential Campaign made him more visible and relatable to the average American and they also made politics in general more accessible to the public. Politics is no longer limited to the exclusive arena of scholars and intellectuals. The melding of popular culture with politics in North America is having a significant, although not yet fully understood, effect on the political process. However, instead of having their credibility damaged, political celebrities have a greater advantage in the political realm due to their unconventional nature which gives them the ability to better relate to the average person. How their status will influence their policies has yet to be seen.