Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Mediacracy
I do not know how everyone feels about fake words, but I feel that Mediacracy is a word that webster must accept. Definition: a government where the looks and media coverage dominate over values and ideals. This is the most revealing thing I have read so far in Amusing Ourselves to Death. The whole section about how Taft wouldn’t have won in today’s day and age of television and how Nixon was sabotaged by his makeup men was eye-opening, and thought-provoking. I had to think about this most recent election. Would Obama won if he was crossed-eyed and bald, would FDR have won if his disability had been broadcasted to the world, especially if a station, if it was in today’s age, ran a 2 hour special just on his disability? I doubt either would have even got close to the oval office. FDR led us out of the Great Depression and I doubt him having or not having a disability had a great deal to do with it. Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger win the California election? Was it his high esteemed values or his looks? I think he won because 99% his looks and 1% his ideals and positions on certain issues. What do you think?
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I think that what Joseph has stated makes sense. The media has so much power nowdays. The media can alter so many decisions by what they broadcast, it is unbelievable. No, i dont think Obama would've won if he was cross eyed and bald. He might not have won if he wasn't going to be the first "black" president. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't belong near political office. Arnold being in office has to do with that very, very powerful media.
ReplyDeleteThe media does control just about everything. People have become tuned to schedule their day around, getting into car accidents speeding because of a new Tv episode. Once the people found out there was a chance for the first black president, he almost didn't need a campaign. It got to the point where you were considered a racist if you didn't. Most people didn't even know the policies, just the color. It can almost be paralled with walkouts that occured a few years ago, many left but few know the reasons why.
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ReplyDeleteArnold Schwarzenegger won the Californian election because everyone knew his name and he was the best of the candidates. I'm not saying Arnold is the best person ever to be the governor of a state. I'm just saying that Arnold was better than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteArnold's looks could not have won him the election. This is because looks do not give political knowledge. The way someone addresses issues during a speech may help, but Arnold has been in America since the late sixties or early seventies and his accent is still quite heavy. So, Arnold did not win because he was good-looking, or a good public speaker, or a good political leader; but because everyone else was so much more worse than Arnold.
I also think Arnold Schwarzenegger won the California Governor election because everyone knew his name, and also because he was so well-known from the media in his days as an actor and a bodybuilder. Although this helped him in the election, he also had good ideals and a semi-strong political platform. An example of a candidate that received votes for his looks and fame and not his political ideals was Gary Coleman. He wasn't serious about running, but still received votes from his fans because he was well-known.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Obama would have still won the election if he was cross-eyed and bald, and I also believe that FDR would have won the election if his disability was broadcasted. These two remarkable leaders because they are strong speakers, political leaders, and people believe in them to solve problems. Obama's color may have aided him a little, but people voted for him because they had hope that he would be a great President. In FDR's case, people across the country already knew he was disabled, but that didn't stop them to vote for him. FDR led us through hard times and was a strong leader, and that has nothing to do with his disability.
As far as looks in the election department I'm not sure if it exsists. When I first heard the thought of a black president I was sure it wouln't happen, but here we are today with African American president Obama. Arnold most likely won because of his name, ture. I believe that people see the problems he has created and regret the decision although we can't say another canidate would not have done the same. We are human, the most of us get caught up on images, but it doesn't control the world, it only gives excuses that people ride.
ReplyDeleteFor you who respond to this thread, I'd like to know if you can list 3 of thier policies (without the help of the internet). I know I can't, yet I still see these previously politicians in a positive light, and none of the previous comments have listed any of the politicians policies whether they like them or not.
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