Barack Obama fever has certainly infected this nation. Even before our new President was sworn in, the charisma bug was affecting people from all walks of life. As the glassy-eyed electorate looked up to their messianic figure for those always alluded to yet vacuous ideas of change and hope, it was clear that this virulent fever is based more on raw emotions than sound politics. Many of these mystified citizens are caught in a star-struck stupor rather than an engaging consideration of policy. Looking at Obama’s portrayal in popular media and merchandising, it’s all too clear that our president has already been deified.
If you ever had any doubts about the demigod qualities of Obama, just check some recent covers of magazines like Time, Newsweek, or Rolling Stone. In these you may catch a glimpse of Obama’s halo. The literal disc of light that adorned the president bespoke his then coming ascension to the highest throne in the free world. Actually, these not-so-subtle glorifications betray the prejudices of many of our media outlets.
Additional troubling images come from the familiar and highly stylized “HOPE” and “CHANGE” portraits of Obama featuring a muted red and blue color palette. Every time I see these, I can’t shake recollections of the propaganda images of pariahs like Che Guevara and Lenin. Of course, I am not comparing them with our president.
These kinds of pictures say more about the campaign and the followers of Obama than the man himself. They harken back to a blind and emotional support that I find a little unsettling. It should surprise no one to find out that the artist responsible for the iconic image is the same one responsible for enigmatic “OBEY” graphics.
The difference between the two is that one is a joke while the other helped elect our president. Both attempt to evoke emotion with little discernible substance to back them up.
The imagery and the adulation it has received is enough to creep me out a little. Remember that all of this was produced before the man even signed one bill or made one executive decision. Maybe I haven’t been alive long enough to remember a time when a politician was so revered, but I still find it disconcerting that this reverence is so strong as to warrant multiple sets of commemorative coins, throw blankets, and jigsaw puzzles with the man’s face on them. There’s even a Chia Obama bust. He’s a politician, not a plant-sprouting idol to tote around our living rooms, “green” though he may be.
I tend to question the level-headed, decision-making abilities of a voter seen practically convulsing, tears streaming, in a fit of adulation for any politician. And I find it worrisome that a figurehead in the government is the object of such a fanatic display. I was always taught to be especially suspicious of the government—to treat politicians with an especially strong but fair critical eye. The creation of the aforementioned icons, coupled with the hysterics of many Obama proponents, shows that many people lack this healthy suspicion. The electorate is one of the checks and balances that makes our system of government great, but the check will not function if skepticism is frittered away.
The point I’m trying to make here isn’t that Obama isn’t someone to inspire hope or command our respect, nor I am making judgments about his abilities. I simply think the kind of celebrity worship that creates bleary-eyed citizens cuddling with Obama blankets crosses a line into the area of the American psyche in which an active public servant should never reside.
I hope that those infected with Obama fever can put away their Barack Brand shampoo and put their hopes and dreams into their own hands. He can’t solve everyone’s problems—hair-related or otherwise. The U.S. president should be someone to criticize and respect, not something you rinse out of your hair every morning.
