The Power Elite: Andrew Cuomo and the Meatball of the Family

“[Prestige] depends,” Mills writes, “...upon access to the publicity machines that are now a central and normal feature of all the big institutions of modern America” (Mills 1956:10). This screencap shows this assertion in action; Andrew Cuomo here not only gets to engage in primetime television, but can do so in a lighthearted manner with his brother Chris, someone he has strong social ties with.

Mills discusses three major keys to understanding this group, the first being their psychological similarity and social overlap (Mills 1956:19). Of course, not only do the Cuomos come from the same background, but their father was himself the governor of New York before Andrew was, solidifying their cultural kinship. 

Secondly, Mills identifies the magnitude and overlap of the hierarchies of these institutions with the power and overlap of those who are at the top of these institutions (Mills 1956:19). Certainly, there is great overlap between the institutions of media and government; the media largely relies on political events for content, and politicians use the media as a platform to garner support. It follows then that the elite among these institutions would form a sort of symbiotic relationship. Clearly, this banter between the brothers helps them both; Chris attracts viewers, and Andrew gets to boost his PR.

Lastly, Mills identifies that lifestyle and structural unity do not entirely account for the unity of the power elite; they also explicitly coordinate with one another, “in informal as well as in more formal ways” (Mills 1956:19). Clearly, formal and explicit coordination was needed not only for the interview itself, but for the subject matter; this is evidenced by the clip of Chris which was presumably provided to the media team before the interview started. Additionally, we also know that Chris Cuomo, using both physical and cultural capital that stemmed from his position as an anchor, informally aided his brother in the face of sexual assault allegations. 

While it may be argued that their brotherhood explains some aspects of their unity, the functional dimension of Mills’ thesis remains; two people, both in positions of power in their respective institutions, are unified through lifestyle similarity, structural coincidence, and conscious participation.

Works Cited

C. Wright Mills. 1956. The Power Elite. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

CNN. 2021. Andrew Cuomo to Chris: You’re the Meatball of the Family.

Link if you want to watch:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/03/31/chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-cooking-moms-tomato-sauce-sot-cpt-vpx.cnn