One of the candidates running for alderman of the 20th ward in Chicago, Il. is a rapper by the name of Che “Rhymefest” Smith who is running against a former cop named Ald. Willie Cochran. 'Rythmfest' is publicizing himself through the media and as rapper and is trying to get his publicity by the fact that he won a Grammy for writing Kanye West song Jesus's Walk's and that is a great reason to vote for him. He is portraying himself as a celebrity. Celebrities and politicians are on different calibers.
In this article it talks about- how being a celebrity is not the credentials that are necessary in politics. Media and how you present yourself are so important for candidates but fame through entertainment is not the type of media that should be portrayed positively in an ideal politician.
As it says in this article:
"The candidate called for more attention on the lack of jobs and other ills facing the hardscrabble ward, all while his Grammy Award was displayed on a nearby table.
Cochran, meanwhile, said Smith's celebrity has allowed the challenger to avoid tough questions about his ability to govern.
"Of course, he's a great performer onstage, but that doesn't translate into public policy," he said.
He has high ratings in the polls and is very charistmatic but has no history at all in politics and only has a Grammy on his credentials- is this what media is portyaing as important attributes you want in a politician?
I think society needs to reevaluate.
It's interesting because there are several actors who are or were in politics: Reagan, Schwarzenegger etc. I also just saw this small article in the NYtimes a couple days ago, and I totally forgot the man's name and what country he's running for office in...but he's also an actor! And one of the men he is running against is the publisher of a popular gossip magazine.
ReplyDeleteI guess you've got to hope they have some qualifications other than Grammys, but it just goes to show how much acting is involved in politics! Or at least how important communication is...
In the 2008 and 2010 Congressional elections for the 10th District of NY, Congressman Ed Towns was opposed by a man named Kevin Powell, who's claims to fame were not politically related, but were rather that he was on season one of MTV's The Real World, and he wrote a book, "Confessions of a Recovering Misogynist." Now, I'm no expert but I'm not so sure that those are really the qualifications for a politician I'd hope for but these days...
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