seperation of celebrity and state

We're now coming to the end of Obama's inauguration week, and I must admit, I'm left with mixed feelings. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that the candidate that I have long supported and happily cast my vote for twice has finally reached the highest position of power in the country. I'm perhaps even more excited that the worst U.S. president of my lifetime, a man who has helped lead this country to the brink of collapse, is now out of a job and relatively powerless. The thrilled looks on the faces of all of the people gathered in Washington DC for the big event are also not lost on me, particularly the expressions of optimism and relief apparent in my black countrymen and women who were able to witness this historic victory for not only people of their particular racial background, but for all Americans who have felt to some extent excluded from our political establishment due to their race, gender, class, sexual preference, or political affiliations. Believe me, the magnitude of this event is not lost on me.

What kind of bothers me, though, is the way in which all of this has been framed. The whole event, particularly the post-inauguration balls, did not have the feel of a political event. Rather, it felt like a made-for-TV spectacle. It was like a combination of the Oscars, the Grammys, the VMA's, and the finale of American Idol, complete with Obama providing celebrity commentary on the events from backstage. He came off looking less like our new president and more like a special correspondent for Access Hollywood.

This in itself is not necessarily a problem. After all, it's no secret that his rapid rise to prominence was fueled in part by the fact that all us youngsters thought that he was far more hip than we ever imagined a politician could ever be. After all, in our lifetimes the epitome of presidential cool was watching Bill Clinton blow his sax with a smug, self-satisfied look on his bloated face. We had heard rumors of John and Jackie Kennedy's more suave and sophisticated cool, but most of the actual footage we had seen was of a more serious, political nature. Those were different times. Nowadays Obama can be cool whenever it pleases him, and it's assured that there will always be someone around ready to put it to tape.

As I said, so far all of this has not been a problem, but what happens further down the line, when Obama must be called upon to be less of a celebrity and more of a president, when he must prove himself not to merely be as glamorous as George Clooney, but to be a substantive leader in times of national trouble like the eloquent and stylish but less glamorous FDR? Can he rise to the occasion? I think he can. The real question, however, is will we make it easy for him?

Perhaps my point can best be made by relating my experience at the supermarket checkout the other day. While I was waiting in line, I glanced at the cover of one of the more reputable tabloid rags-I believe it was Star-and I saw on there a headline suggesting that Barak and Michelle's marriage is not as perfect as it seems. Really Star? You're going there? I mean, first of all no marriage is photo-op perfect all the time. Regardless of the nature of their problems, it's not exactly news that they have some. I'm sure the Bushes had more than there share as well, but how often did you see Laura Bush's name mentioned on the cover of anything? Even the cantankerous Bush twins received relatively delicate handling in the media despite all of their blatant indiscretions. That's because the Bush's were never really viewed as celebrities in that sense.

Obama, on the other hand, seems to already be following down the path that Clinton has paved whether he chose to or not. Clinton was the first true tabloid president, but he brought it upon himself. He created a scandal that seemed more in keeping with the antics of the decadent Hollywood elite than that of a president. He even managed to put JFK's probable dalliances with Marilyn Monroe to shame. In short, Clinton practically asked to become tabloid fodder. Obama, to our knowledge, has not sunk to that level yet. Hillary Clinton managed to shake off her family's personal baggage through the sheer force of her own professionalism and determination. Until the day comes that Obama uses a cigar to pleasure an intern in the Oval Office, I hope we can all give him the opportunity to do the same. After all, we could really use a leader who is free to do his job without having to crawl through the dirt that is caked over our celebrity-obsessed culture.