Monday, November 24, 2008
Barack Obama: US President or A-List Celebrity?
What is currently the hottest ticket in the United States? No, it’s not to the latest Hannah Montana concert, but to the Inauguration ceremony. Multiple newspapers have reported that since Barack Obama was elected, demands for the tickets available to the public have soared. Furthermore, policies have even been implemented to crack down on websites attempting to sell imaginary tickets for thousands of dollars.
As soon as I had read an article about the demand for tickets, I immediately associated it with the type of media attention an “A-list celebrity” or performer would receive. Although I can’t confirm if ticket scalping did or did not exist with President George W. Bush’s inauguration, I have a feeling that it would not have been at the same level. There also have been other incidences throughout Obama’s campaign that have depicted him as a celebrity such as the paparazzi photos of the President Elect going to the gym or with his family on his day-off, and the hype surrounding his relationship with other celebrities like Oprah. It makes me wonder how the media will respond to Obama during his term and how it will impact the public’s perspective of him. In terms of the inauguration, does the public really want to attend the inauguration for political reasons, or do they want a really good story to tell their grandchildren? Moreover, are people actually taking more of an interest in politics or has the media’s portrayal of Barack Obama turned him into a fad?
As soon as I had read an article about the demand for tickets, I immediately associated it with the type of media attention an “A-list celebrity” or performer would receive. Although I can’t confirm if ticket scalping did or did not exist with President George W. Bush’s inauguration, I have a feeling that it would not have been at the same level. There also have been other incidences throughout Obama’s campaign that have depicted him as a celebrity such as the paparazzi photos of the President Elect going to the gym or with his family on his day-off, and the hype surrounding his relationship with other celebrities like Oprah. It makes me wonder how the media will respond to Obama during his term and how it will impact the public’s perspective of him. In terms of the inauguration, does the public really want to attend the inauguration for political reasons, or do they want a really good story to tell their grandchildren? Moreover, are people actually taking more of an interest in politics or has the media’s portrayal of Barack Obama turned him into a fad?
# posted by Alessandra @ 9:29 AM 
