Politicians and Celebrities and Politicians as Celebrities

Old maids, spinsters, and crazy cat ladies alike can now shed their stigma - they're the hottest new voting bloc this election, with the potential to emerge as the 'Democrats' Evangelicals'" - at least until they're dumped after the election (they're used to it). Then, some other marginally marginal group will emerge, like the gays. Or something.

Courting unmarried women (ha ha. ha.), campaigns frequently use celebrity endorsements to influence voting habits. Oprah now endorses Obama; the Edwards campaign is "sending its own celebrities in search of female voters," as if they didn't already notice his million-watt smile.

Swoon.


Democrats, meet your biggest supporter. Pretend those cats are Republicans, and she's throwing them right back at those red states.

Will using celebrities to campaign for politicians by association make celebrities the new politicians? Is there even a line between politics and celebrity? Arnold governates, Fred Thompson bores the audience to tears both on and off Law and Order, Stephen Colbert tries to run on both tickets in South Carolina. The same was true decades ago: JFK and Bobby were both celebrities in their own right.

The use of celebrities begs the question - why are celebrities more trustworthy than our peers? We've never met these people, and more than likely we have nothing in common with them. Really, just how big is the $20,000-a-month coke habit constituency anyway? Why does what they say matter?

There is also a tendency to believe that women subscribe more to celebrity culture. Look in any beauty parlor and you will find stacks of Us Weekly or Star. Does this mean women are more susceptible to media messages or that somehow women are less intelligent?

I would like to think not. I would also like to urge people, regardless of gender, to listen not to The Clooney or Oprah but to their own opinions about a candidate's policy.

That is, of course, if they have time to think after they're done in the kitchen.