In reading the Ad Age Daily email newsletter today, there are two articles right next to each other that stirred some thought about the issues President Obama may face in the coming months and years. First was an article entitled "Obama Trumps Gump" which outlines how the President now tops the list in terms of the most influential celebrities - knocking Tom Hanks off his perch. The second, entitled "Recession-Ravaged Retailers Leave Celebrity Brands Stranded" is mostly about the slew of apparel retailer failures and the subsequent effects on the recent explosion of celebrity named brands - from clothing to perfume.
It got me thinking though, how good of a thing is it that Obama is seen as a celebrity? Of course, it was great in terms of mobilizing key voter segments and getting him elected. But in the long run, the problem is that celebrity, by nature, is fleeting. It revolves and thrives on drama and conflict. It breeds factions, passionate followers AND disbelievers, and invites a level of scrutiny that goes well beyond the political and into the personal - things like fashion and health and relationships, etc...
This post is not political in any way - just looking at the concept of celebrity. Say what you will about George Bush, but no one ever cared what suit he was wearing or what dress his wife was wearing to a ball; no one wanted to see pictures of him in a bathing suit; no one thought about hanging out with him on the red carpet.
The other thing about celebrity is that is can be distracting. I'm sure it takes a lot of energy to keep up the profile that places you in celebrity A-list.
But, most important, when the rubber hits the road, when people are losing jobs, when they don't have money to support their families, they tend to start caring a whole lot less about celebrity. In fact, they may even turn their frustration towards those they've held up on the pedestal and adored. When that happens, celebrity brands of jeans and shirts and perfume don't do as well - people want value and substance and they aren't willing to overlook previously forgiven flaws or imperfections for the sake of celebrity.
I'm not saying that Obama has displayed specific flaws or imperfections, I'm just saying that, in these times, it is going to be incredibly important for him to not get caught up in the celebrity game. He can't be making jokes about Jessica Simpson and the news about her weight getting in the way of his magazine cover. He can't say things like "I screwed up" - language you would expect to hear from a hipster. A President needs to be above things like magazine covers and his language should be more refined and leader-like than "I screwed up" (options might be "I erred" or "I have made a mistake", you get the idea). Can you imagine if George W. Bush had said something like that (forget about the implications in terms of his political policies, I'm just focusing on the actual three words, which if he had spoken them would have brought on a barage of dumb fraternity guy jokes...In fact, his father was called out for shocking people when he used the same slang during a speech on a college campus).
It is possible to maintain your celebrity without drifting into the world of Entourage. Just look at the guy Obama displaced from the top of the celebrity list - Tom Hanks. Here's a guy who seems to be as straight laced and drama free of any celebrity out there. He's cool and respected without being flashy. And he is a rarity in the world of celebrity - one that lasts. Lots of lessons for Obama from Gump if you ask me...which, of course, you didn't...
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