To: Celebs; Love, The White House

By

 

By: Reanna Phillips

There are a great many things to say about the phenomenon that is Presidents inviting celebrities to the White House, but among those is the rising question of why. In recent years we have seen people like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, and even Olivia Rodrigo- a now 7-time grammy winner- visit the White House, and a great deal of why we know this is because they were sure to get the photos to prove it.

Surely, there can be little that an eighteen-year-old actress and singer can offer in the most powerful office in our country. Yet, her visit did prove eventful, as she even gave a speech to encourage what she called “youth vaccines”. While she by no means has the scientific credibility as someone like Dr. Fauci might, her right to do so comes from her celebrity. In my understanding of C. Wright Mills, this is what he would refer to as a coordination of power among the elites in a time of crisis- as an international pandemic certainly qualifies.

Pictures like this, of course, are meant to be youthful and inviting. While it makes Biden look as though he has all the suave of Regina George’s mom, his attitude and her attire bring a happy medium of politics to children- her fans- who otherwise, could likely not care less. Her invitation to the White House had little to do with any psychological or moral high ground and everything to do with the celebrity she has built for herself amongst her young and impressionable fans.


Sources:

Daniela Avila October 27, 2021 05:50 PM. “Olivia Rodrigo Says Biden 'Gave Her' Ray-Bans, 

m&Ms and a Shoehorn during White House Visit.” PEOPLE.com, 

https://people.com/music/olivia-rodrigo-reveals-details-white-house-visit/.

Mills, C. Wright. The Power Elite. 1975.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chains of Power and Presidential Portraits

By
Image
  A presidential portrait is a tradition which solidifies a president's position in history as a person but also a symbol of America and democracy. Because of the exceptional symbolic weight of a presidential portrait it is a good image to analyze when considering power, particularly the concept of the King's two bodies. In interpreting the above portrait I will use Reed's definition of interpretation, "...Understanding the relationship between means, ends, and projects possessed by actors and used to direct their actions is interpretation" (Reed 2017:92). Unlike many other portraits which show a president staring into the distance, Obama's portrait shows him making direct eye-contact with the viewer. The portrait is life sized which adds to the feeling that the viewer is engaged in a conversation which Obama is listening to. Obama leaning forward slightly with his legs in an open stance suggests he is open to listening. By connecting with the view
Read more

US-China Hostility and National Civil Solidarity

By
Image
     The image above accompanies a piece in the Global Times titled, "US irrational hostility toward China a coldly rational ploy". Accordingly, the image depicts a charged face-off of between a bald eagle and panda bear, meant to represent the United States and China respectively. The eagle's brow is sharply furrowed, pupil directed menacingly at its opponent. Its beak is set in a grimace, harsh lines contributing to its severe disposition. Across the border, the normally docile image of a panda is perverted with the black spot over its eye distorted to resemble a knitted brow. The edge of its mouth is drawn down in an angry frown as it glares at the eagle. The two animals are set against a backdrop of the American and Chinese flags, the two countries literally competing for space within the frame. A sharp diagonal line cuts through the tension, separating the two opposing sides. In this struggle, the red, white, and blue of the American flag appear to overpower the red
Read more

Jesus for President? Civil Religion in American Politics

By
       https://images.app.goo.gl/fPSPyuM49wqkXw279   This image depicts a political rally where a large crowd of people are gathered together outside. Three of them are  holding American flags, two of which are raised in the air and one where only the top corner is visible. One person holds a large white sign with "JESUS" written on it in big red letters. The numbers 201 are visible in dark blue, with the last number being obscured. The faces of most of the people are very blurred, but their hats, coats, glasses and hooded jackets are visible. One person's eyes are looking directly at the camera, and they are wearing glasses and a baseball cap, but the second half of their face is obscured.  A tree is visible beside the crowd of people but it is out of focus. This image depicts a rally where American Christianity is being represented as a political identity through the lens of civil religion and religious nationalism.    In Robert N. Bellah's essay "Civil Religio
Read more