Meta Concepts

Matt Bialick
Patricia Andrews
Media, Politics & Society
9/16/10


The video I chose was a video I found about celebrities loving Obama. I found this particularly interesting because it did not discuss anything important for a President. I dislike how celebrities always voice their view in political matters, and get involved, yet they are not qualified. This video shows Hollywood stars saying, "I'm voting for Obama". These videos and celebrity support are the meta concept of hype. Instead of dealing with substantive coverage, they use hoopla. This is used to help the people attempt to connect with the person being promoted. If the celebrity agrees with someone, the public wants to agree too. This video shows people laughing, smiling and having a good time, Obama seems friendly, and kind. I really dislike celebrities voicing political and important views, because I see people are actually influenced. I hear people repeating what they heard from Angelina Jolie, or George Clooney. Why should we trust actors, of all people. This video has pretty much all the most popular celebrities. A range, from Tom Hanks, who pretty much no one dislikes, to Chris Rock, introducing Obama followed by a relaxed handshake. A video like has people relate to the comedy, making Obama look like a relaxed, cool guy. I think people don't spend time to think about, is what I want from a President, a cool guy that celebrities support? Or, something which may be more important, like his qualifications, view on economy, healthcare, defense, and education plans. The reason why hoopla and hype are used so often, is because it works. Many people rather vote for someone they want to hang out with, vs. someone who will be a good President.