President Obama, An Unusual Pop-Culture Phenom

It is not unprecedented in American history for a President to be the individual around which we rally. From the times of our forefathers, Americans have always looked for one to rise above the rest to ensure the future and protect the inalienable rights and ideology for which this nation stands. In recent past, FDR, JFK, and even, Regan come to mind as great men in whom we placed a unified faith to move the United States forward. Among the vast commonalities prevailing among these men, the political truths are the most important – these men became part of the national obsession in times of great strife and need. The Depression, Civil Rights Activism, the Cold War, and several wars necessitated the coming together of our society, and these men led the way.

However, the advent of multimedia pop-culture and 24hr. news television make President Obama the exception to this rule. Unlike these other men, he is not a tried politician. Nor is he an exceptional executive – we just don’t know! Still, he has become the fixation of a nation in need. Obamania is in full force and, even Lennon – who so legendarily states he was bigger than Jesus – would say Obama is bigger than the Beatles. This has me thinking: why? And, is this a good thing?

The short answer: yes. But, we need to get through “why?” first.

If you’ve watched any of the inauguration coverage, you’ve certainly noticed two things in great repetition: 1.) the exaggeration coverage of everything Obama, down to the clothes each family member is wearing and 2.) the new Pepsi “refresh” commercial. This commercial got me thinking:

The full length version above is a funny yet poignant recap of U.S. since the 1920s. When we hit the ’60s, The Who’s “My Generation” starts to play. If anyone watched the recent Kennedy Center honors in which then-President Bush recognized The Who’s contribution to American culture, the following will sound familiar: “My Generation” was written by Pete Townsend when he was a young man in the early ’60s, and the track imbues the sense of revolution that would come in that decade through embodiment of the angst of the young members of society. Soon after, The Who would become part of the explosive English Invasion of Rock and Roll, ushering in a new age of social expression with the advent of pop-culture. With the TV, came the historic Beatles’s Sullivan performance and the Townsend guitar smash – the first, an exemplification of the innocence that was lost by the second. “My Generation” was born. The leaders were the likes of The Who, The Stones, and The Beatles, all of whom took up the mantle of the fallen President, JFK.

I must confess to a bit of ignorance herein.  The primary problem is my age as I did not live through these times; rather, my understanding of the period of change that was the 1960s comes from books, music, and documentaries.  This, above all else, is tantamount to how America changed in the ’60s.  The prevalence of TV and the availability of connectivity forever changed our way of life.  In the same decade in which Ed Sullivan so famously brought about the Invasion, America was exposed to footage of the moon landing and of the bodies of dead soldiers returning from Viet Nam.  The message of Peace and Love coming from pop-culture superseded whatever arose from politics, even if LBJ accomplished the most handed Presidential election ever.  When Lennon claimed he was bigger than Jesus, perhaps he was right.

Fast forward to 2004.  The world is in turmoil.  America is involved in two wars, with countless on the horizon given the current political attitude.  The economy seems strong, but on the verge of faltering. People are suspicious and nervous, cynical of the government.  A paradigm shift is desired; yet, another close election is at hand and will be just as controversial as that of four years previous.  But something did change that year.  An unknown politician from Chicago took the stage at the 2004 DNC and awed the crowd, stealing the show from Presidential nominee John Kerry.  Of course, having more charisma than John Kerry is no difficult task – my lamp is a better conversation partner.  Still, the response for then, Senate-candidate Obama is remarkable.

Yes, Obama was not even in office when he delivered that address.  His opinion was officially irrelevant.  He lacked any record.  Hell, he could have said whatever he wanted about the legacy of his beliefs – there was absolutely no record to substantiate anything he said.  But, people believed him and loved him.  The DNC chairman single-handedly picked the next President of the United States at that very moment.

In less than a year in the Senate, questions already arose about Obama’s Presidential candidacy and political aspirations.  He was poised for attack and the road seemed easy.  But, why?  It’s simple: he got bigger than Jesus!  Obama became the new cultural icon.  CNN is now the new MTV.  Hell, MTV has the same coverage as CNN.  Pop-culture and political culture collided in a way like never before, surpassing even the obsession of JFK from the early 1960s.  NO ONE has filled the void in pop-culture for years.  Who stands as our cultural icons? Britney Spears? Oprah? George Clooney?  Tom Hanks?  While Britney is a joke and sick obsession of the media, she can barely lead her own career, let alone be a role model for anyone.  The latter three have tried and failed, frankly.

Oprah has the money to do anything, but men don’t take her seriously and plenty of women don’t trust her (sure, I’m generalizing, but I’m not overtly attempting for sexism). Hanks has quietly remained in the background of pop-culture, losing sway due to some poor professional choices.  Clooney is suddenly a cultural icon, but remains simply “cool” rather than influential – his only attempt, during an Oscar acceptance speech, resulted in harsh criticism down to an entire South Park episode pointing to the absurd pompousness of his commentary.  Others are out there: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bono, even Bill Gates and Al Gore have tried.  But no one withstands ridicule and has amassed the following of many and the iconic status of the likes of Townsend, Lennon, and Dylan.

Until now: Obama has.  He is both the pop-culture icon and the poltical future of the nation.  I can’t explain how, but this is what he has become.  He’s cooler than Daltry and smarter than Townsend.  In watching that commericial, one cannot help but notice how the generational refresh that Pepsi mentions – which is supposed to elaborate on the new can design – is embodied by our new leader.  Just today, Obama made big news about keeping his BlackBerry, prompting the likes of CNN and G4 TV to call him the most wired President ever – even Wired magazine is dedicating an issue to Mr. Obama.  Sure, it’s a profitable craze right now.  But, so were those stars back in the day.  Those rock stars embodied the will of the common folk since the talking heads in Washington were so disconnected.  Dylan and Lennon held rallies and interviews wherever possible, even holding anti-war concerts.  Ever see an Obama campaign rally?  Interviews on The Daily Show or even The O’Reilly Factor?

Obama is “the guy” not because he a great, credible leader.  Not because he is an astute politician (though, he’s really the best, slimeiest of them all).  Not because he’s black – though, the significance of his race is extraordinary, but beyond the scope of this entry.  Rather, Obama is charismatic, cool, hip, and funny, all in one; he managed to fill a void in pop-culture that so many longed to have occupied, while also embodying the political aspirations of the nation.  It’s easy to see how he ascended so quickly: we lazy Americans could fixate on a pop-culture icon that is connected, accessible, inspirational, and, frankly, the only positive influence one can find in American culture.

But, is it a good thing?  Should one leader amass such a following, so much power?  I was there an Inauguration and – forgive me for the crude comparison – it reminded me of the stock footage of Hitler rallies, where everyone cheered along and new the lines to repeat (Yes, we can!).  To be fair, Obama is no Hitler…

Thought are appreciated below.  This will be concluded on Tuesday, so check back in!