Well, it’s been a tough week for Obama. While most of the week was spent dodging reasonable criticisms of his association with his anti-white minister of 20 years, I want to note something else that is strange about him and his campaign: its artistic style and cultish feel. In my entire life, I’ve only seen one kind of campaign poster for president: an all-graphic red-white-and-blue portrayal of the candidate’s name.
Obama’s supporters have strangely enough made his image part of the schtick in more ways than one, viz.:
This is actually quite creepy and unusual. Nothing like it has appeared in a major political party before, at least nothing that I can remember having seen. It’s reminiscent of the huge images of The Leader in totalitarian regimes, such as in the North Korea parade below:
For Obama, this phenomenon is representative. Along with Obama’s empty and evasive rhetoric, it is a sign of the banality and superficiality of his campaign, its rootedness in image, advertising, manipulation, extensive promises, and a very thin record. It’s one more rung on America’s descent from republic into unrestrained mobocracy.
Comically (or tragically enough), the lyrics to the song Cult of Personality speak directly to Obama’s bamboozling of Americans about his real agenda–an unreformed leftist agenda, coupled with tinges of black nationalism. The popular 80s song was sung by the exposed ventriloquist act, Milli Vanelli popular crossover rock band, Living Color:
Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personalityNeon lights, a Nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your t.v.
I’m the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me
22 Mar 2008 at 10:55 pm
Obama will fix your computer – and more! Check out http://obamawill.com
22 Mar 2008 at 11:26 pm
Milli Vanilli? Not even close. Its Living Colour.
22 Mar 2008 at 11:34 pm
Another great article. About two months ago I put on an old compilation that had the song “Cult of Personality” on it. It came out in 1989, an interesting year to be in NYC. Actually though Mr. Roach it wasn’t by Milli Vanilli, it was by the all Black rock band, Living Color (with Vernon Reid on Guitar).
Anyway, when I heard it again a couple of months ago, for the first time in ages, I immediately thought of Obama, of course. But what amazed me was how nearly twenty years after that song came out, the same crowd that was rocking to that is now goose-stepping to him. It’s like one massive, and protracted age-regression. Or, as you put it, “It’s one more rung on America’s descent from republic into unrestrained mobocracy.” Great line.
But from what I gather, his campaign has yet to nosedive. I couldn’t believe Charles Murray’s response. That others would compare it to King’s famous speech or even The Gettysburg Address is of course laughable, but to be expected. The response of Charles Murray however, that has me a bit concerned.
23 Mar 2008 at 2:39 am
Clearly, this Neo-Pop Art poster, “Hope”, combines images from different periods of history. The message: Obama is an iconoclast.
The viewer’s eyes go immediately to the heavy-handed white typography. Could another takeaway be “Obama — the “great white hope”?
With the goal of increasing name recognition to compete with the Clinton brand, this marketing approach creates that “cult of personality” feel.
Contextually, this “work” is reflective of a consumer generation bred on slogans and subliminal advertising.
23 Mar 2008 at 11:40 am
Obama, motivated only by his desire to help us transcend our flaws and prejudices, suffered a devastating betrayal last week. Despite his sacrifices, the public turned against him, and by Friday, his fate looked particularly bleak. But I understand that today his numbers will be rising.
“Dreams of My Father” indeed.
23 Mar 2008 at 4:33 pm
“Along with Obama’s empty and evasive rhetoric, is a sign of the banality and superficiality of his campaign, its rootedness in image, advertising, manipulation, extensive promises, and a very thin record. It’s one more rung on America’s descent from republic into unrestrained mobocracy.”
Amen. By far one of the best written blog posts on Obama I have read. Thank you for your analysis.
23 Mar 2008 at 11:36 pm
It’s really too bad that children have to be exposed to such poor represntaives of the white race.
23 Mar 2008 at 11:43 pm
Maryblu, that was really brilliant. Could you say more?
24 Mar 2008 at 12:53 am
Interesting take. May I borrow the photographs for my own blog?
The link you suggest may have roots in places we don’t expect. Obama’s background is filled with hard-core Marxists: his mother was one, his boyhood mentor was one, he hung with them at college, his first job was among them, his professional mentors were Marxist organizers, he hobnobbed with them in Chicago politics. I’ve written about this some, and continue to look for indications of how deeply his Marxist background influences his current intentions.
I’m not sure what the mechanism would be that makes all potential ideological dictators use the same sorts of personal images for their public image, but that such a mechanism exists and produces similar results is likely. The photographs don’t prove much by themselves, but as part of the larger picture, they’re… intriguing and alarming.
24 Mar 2008 at 3:21 am
obeygiant.com, the home page of the poster maker.
24 Mar 2008 at 7:15 pm
[...] of my readers picked this up from a blog called “Man Sized Target.” The author, who calls himself Mr. Roach, observes that he’s never seen a political poster in [...]
24 Mar 2008 at 10:23 pm
What’s this? The Obama campaign is going for votes that aren’t boring old men with no concept of underground art? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE MAN THAT’S BLOWING MY MIIIIIIIIIND!
24 Mar 2008 at 10:42 pm
Dear Lord you are a great lot of muppets. A candidate is kind of banal and uncuddly like Kerry was and you piss and moan about that. This guy is charismatic so obviously he’s Chairman Mao now.
Every candidate I’ve seen (or at least their campaign) certainly offers plenty of substance and position issues it’s just that the public unerringly chooses to obsess over who’s taller and who has good hair. It’s not a failing on the part of the candidates or the campaigns, it’s a failure on the part of the people for not really caring how the country is run (with the obvious exception of moronic single-issue voters)
If anything is killing this country, it’s pundits who don’t go away after a half-hour, a.k.a. bloggers.
25 Mar 2008 at 2:08 am
Son, I am very glad that you pointed out that no American political party has ever made a campaign poster comprising of the image of the candidate and a vague uplifting message. My memory is failing me at my old age and this interweb thing is confusing, so it’s comforting to know that these posters are fake:
http://www.sd40mngop.org/poster.jpg
http://www.fetchnflip.com/A%20RONALD%20REAGAN%20GEORGE%20BUSH%201980%20CAMPAIGN%20POSTER.JPG
http://www.fetchnflip.com/A%20RONALD%20REGAN%20LETS%20MAKE%20AMERICA%20GREAT%20PRESIDENT.JPG
25 Mar 2008 at 2:13 am
Raymond, that is helpful. They all seems less creepy, and I don’t remember them at the time. They lack the creepy neo-communist look, but thanks nonetheless.
25 Mar 2008 at 4:55 am
[...] record. It’s one more rung on America’s descent from republic into unrestrained mobocracy. — Obamamania @ Man-Sized [...]
25 Mar 2008 at 6:30 am
To meek:
Honestly, I don’t think he’s charismatic. But even if he were, that would be reason enough to ignore him. That’s not to say that his supporters (seems more appropriate to call them “fans”) aren’t responding to him because they think he has it. No doubt.
Regardless, I think we had enough charismatic figures in the 20th century. The collective death toll they left was, well, pretty impressive.
Plus, as that century, and the charismatic characters in it proved, charisma is about putting personalities before principles. The reason behind that of course is to conceal the fact that the principles that are there aren’t very substantial or solid. That’s why they always come out in platitudes or sound-bites, or the constantly reiterated slogan.
I also think it’s funny that you compliment him for his charisma, which is all about the surface, and then chastize the public for being too superficial.
You need to really work on seperating your thoughts from your feelings so that you begin to think a bit more about what you say. That way you can avoid sticking your foot in your mouth. But if you can’t help yourself, by all means, keep coming back. I’m sure someone here would be happy to put you in your place, again.
25 Mar 2008 at 6:10 pm
Mr. Roach, you have quite a way with words. If I am elected, I want to appoint you as my Minister of Propoganda. Please consider that when you head to the polls. I thank you for your support!