America ““ and all of her consumerism ““ has got a crush on Obama.
Some time after the inaugural speech but before all the balls (go ahead and snicker), some friends of mine and I were hanging out around Bruin Walk and started a little game: Who could spot the most Obama T-shirts? Our scores were reaching the double digits as a phenomenal amount of students walked by with trendy presidential swag.
Add to this the rising career of Amber Lee Ettinger (a.k.a. the eternally “crushing” Obama Girl), a somehow familiar new Pepsi logo and a really creepy looking Obama-shaped soap-on-a-rope (no, really ““ it exists), and it really isn’t surprising that the White House is seeking legal means to limit the commercial use of the president’s image.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced that a team of lawyers will be looking for a way to “protect the presidential image” without infringing on free-speech rights.
For the first time in my adult life, I can kind of see where the president is coming from. In a post-“Dubya” world, where the Oval Office was routinely and unfairly ridiculed, a return to solemn respect makes complete sense but it could cost the president his radical “icon” status.
Matt Lauer echoed the thoughts of many when he told the president during their Super Bowl Sunday interview, “You have achieved a certain rock star status.”
In a way, that’s sort of horrific. This is a politician we’re talking about. If you want to argue he’s “change personified,” fine, but he’s still a politician ““ new and improved with a healthy dose of power (being the leader of the free world does that to a guy).
Maybe this is just the silly little small-government proponent in me coming out, but the very accurate description of “rock star status” is scarier than any middle-Americans clinging to their guns.
So really, I have the utmost respect for the White House trying to, you know, regain respect for the White House. The office of the President of the United States should be one of dignity, not of brand name commercialism.
As Stephen A. Crockett Jr., wrote on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, “Obama is a man, not a demi-god, and having his face on everything from cereal to plates is borderline weird. … Consumerism is one thing, but killing the spirit of the election and plastering the man’s face on everything from hats to thongs is overkill.”
My appreciation, however, is met with equal parts confusion. Why kill the golden goose? Politically, Barack Obama’s popularity and recognition must be a dream come true for his campaign. Advertising campaigns certainly have a chill running up their leg at the thought.
Julianna Goldman of Bloomberg wrote, “(Obama’s) campaign mantra (is) being evoked to sell assembly-required furniture in Ikea’s “˜Embrace Change’ marketing campaign, bargain airfares during Southwest Airlines Inc.’s “˜Yes You Can’ sale and “˜Yes Pecan’ ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. shops.”
These things may seem crass, but certainly not more so than Comedy Central’s “Lil’ Bush” or Bushism desk calendars. In fact, they probably do Obama the Public Figure (a self-serving politician to be distinguished from Obama the Public Servant) a whole lot of good. Please refer to the above reference of our beloved college campus crawling with young, voting, promoting Barackophiles.
But I guess there are worse things out there than Ben and Jerry’s flavors borrowing the hope and change. For example, CatholicVote.com had the “audacity” to use Obama’s face ““ and incredible success story ““ to imply that aborting baby Obama would have been a mistake in their “Imagine” TV spot.
This anti-abortion television ad, paired the president’s unlikely rise to prominence with dramatic music, in an attempt to inspire expectant mothers to choose life, even when their family situation is less than ideal, as Obama’s was.
The eerie infatuation and use of Obama’s face has to stop, especially from the pro-life crowd.
Situations such as this make me feel as though this isn’t entirely about “protecting” the tradition and decorum of the president’s office. After all, this is the very same White House that opted for Sting’s “Desert Rose” over “Hail to the Chief” at certain events.
As Goldman wrote, we have “easy access to videos and photos on the Web” and the White House is seeking control.
Ultimately, however, Mr. President needs to be careful what he wishes for. If you want to put the breaks on the publicity machine, you need to be ready for difficulty in speeding her back up again.
In the end, it’s those oh-so-fashionable Barack novelty T-shirts that are keeping his “image” cemented firmly in pop culture ““ and thus, the eyes and minds of voters.
E-mail Bowers at kbowers@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.