Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!

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By James Skipper

Celebrity culture has done nothing but grow since the 20th century, and has become particularly dominant in every-day life since the dawn of social media. Footballers are near messiahs, reality television is a boundless institution, and Justin Bieber has 5 million more Twitter followers than Barack Obama. The inescapable infatuation with celebrities has created a parallel universe of sorts, where the glitzy lifestyles of such individuals has become an aspirational benchmark, their online omnipresence stimulating constant comparison among young people.

Recent studies have concluded that the image-centric nature of social media has contributed to growing levels of stress and anxiety, particularly among young women who feel pressure to conform with a ‘selfie society’, that seemingly places image above substance. This mindset has also permeated the political sphere, where politicians are regularly scrutinised on their public appearance. For example, on her recent trip to Bangalore, Theresa May’s choice of traditional sari and ‘unsightly bunions’ became the subject of an article by the Daily Mail – apparently creating a more newsworthy angle than her negotiations about Britain and India’s future relationship. It could be argued that reportage of this kind detracts from real issues, perpetuates the culture of instant judgement, and further distances people from reality. Nowadays, celebrity sells.

Donald Trump has been a celebrity in America for a long time. A prolific businessman – for a host of unflattering reasons as well as his real estate and leisure exploits – his fame emerged in the 1980s after his notoriety in property development lead to a succession of television appearances, proving him to be a vigorous personality. Since then, Trump has made multiple cameos, playing mainly the role of himself (not the broadest of acting portfolios) in titles such as Ghosts Can’t Do It (1989), Home Alone 2 (1992) and Zoolander (2001).

The business magnate really became in a household name in 2004, starring and co-producing business reality show, The Apprentice, which preceded The Celebrity Apprentice, launched in 2007 – the same year in which he appeared in WrestleMania 23. Of course, Trump is not the first on-screen star to occupy top political roles in the US: Arnold Schwarzenegger held the California governorship for some years, and Ronald Reagan appeared in over 50 films before serving two terms as President between 1981 and 1989. Trump’s resounding celebrity status was present right up until he announced he would be running for President in June 2015, from which point he continued to engage in popular mainstream entertainment shows such as Comedy Central’s Roast and Saturday Night Live, where he infamously appeared in a parody of Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ which quickly became a viral hit.

Trump’s position of fame in the mainstream celebrity world undoubtedly gave him a platform to launch a campaign that reached far and wide across America, attracting much media attention from the offset. Perhaps it was this unique standing, combined with his drastic policies and promise of socio-political upheaval that resonated with so many people, and was a welcome contrast to the bland normality of American politics.

Trump’s campaign exacerbated the divisive rhetoric that has been widespread, if in a more diluted form, across Europe. In the western world, communities that feel disenfranchised or left behind by the government have gravitated towards immigration and globalisation as a simple answer to problems, rather than scrutinising the political and economic systems that are meant to be supporting them. By tapping in to this entrenched finger-pointing mentality in the most radical possible way, Trump invigorated feelings of distrust towards certain cultural groups, using them as a springboard to orate a promise of momentous change. The fact that his flagrant claims were for the most part completely unsubstantiated – something you would naturally assume to be a problem for most politicians – appeared not to affect his support. Was it then, the concoction of existing racial tensions, an apparent distrust of the current political system and Trump’s accomplished celebrity image that gave him legitimacy in the minds of so many Americans?

It should be observed that popular culture, in which Donald Trump was wholly engrained, carries a significant amount of weight in the motion of political debate, hence why Hillary Clinton called upon superstar couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z to endorse her in the final throws of the campaign. This presents opportunities in that it is possible to reach the masses and involve people who may otherwise feel detached from the political process, but populism should promote, not dictate politics.

Of course, there are endless other factors that influenced the election result, and Hillary was by no means the most credible candidate the US has ever seen. However, Trump is not a politician – which may have been the attraction for many voters – but serious questions about civic awareness and education need to be raised when contorted celebrity culture becomes so influential in serious political landscapes. One thing that Trump’s victory has done, is solidify the fact that traditional politics are failing to appeal to ‘ordinary’ people. Hopefully, this will make political establishments across the globe rethink the way they connect with the general public in a way that doesn’t trivialise politics, but encourages people to seriously interact with policy. Surely, that starts with education?