Politics as Media Spectacle - Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor Essay

Politics as Media Spectacle - Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of calciumArnold Schwarzeneggers California recall election gubernatorial victory demonstrates theincreasing collapse of the boundaries between entertainment and politics in an era of mediaspectacle. Over the past decades, major struggles around politics, race, gender, and sexuality drop endureed out in the media. In the 1990s, the O.J. Simpson trial, the Clinton sex scandals, andthe proliferation of tabloid news media made serious political issues and conflicts the stuff ofpopular entertainment and culture. Moreover, presidential politics on the level of campaigns and governing have also exhibiteda growing politics of the image and spectacle. In our media-saturated society, politiciansbecome celebrities who fine pedigree their image through daily photo opportunities, spin outtheir pith of the day, and, like celebrities, employ image management firms to makesure that their slaying is playing well with the public. In an era of media politics, celebrities can become politicians and pile on increasinglypolitical personas. Hollywood stars of film and television were salient(ip) opponents of theBush administrations 2003 Iraq war, while teams of celebrities were employed by both(prenominal)sides in the California recall election. Arnold Schwarzenegger had a familiar role to play in the California recall election scenario.The people were angry at higher taxes, energy costs, and what appeared to be a deterioratingeconomy and were looking for a savior. Arnold presented himself as the hero on the whitehorse who would ride into California and solve the problems. His Rescue California ... ... how themedia present his policies, actions, and colorful past. Schwarzenegger has allegedly compensableover a million dollars to purchase the original and outtakes from his 1976 film proceed Hungrythat allegedly has him singing Springtime for Hitler and prancing about in national socialist regaliaand poses, and there are Nazi poses of Schwarzenegger floating through the Internet. In anera of political spectacle, image is all and negative images can let on critical views ofpoliticians and their policies as George W. Bush is learning from images of daily carnageand havoc in Iraq that put in question his foreign policy decisions. Schwarzenegger excessivelywill become an important part of the spectacle of contemporary politics and what role heplays will be determined by his policies and politics, the media, and how a explosive andfickle public perceives him.