May the force be with you

Watching "A Face in the Crowd" was not only very entertaining, but brought the forefront many issues which we have discussed throughout the semester.

The first thing that I would like to highlight is the important role that the media plays in shaping a candidate's narrative (which I discussed here and here) and in making the candidate more accessible and "likeable." Although the film was made 51 years ago, the members of Senator Worthington Fuller's (played by Marshall Neilan) presidential campaign understood that the media, and specifically a strong and likeable television host like Larry Rhodes (Played by Andy Griffith), could help shape the senator's image and highly impact his election results. Fuller's advisers bring Rhodes to one of their gatherings and ask for his opinion on how he can help the senator's campaign:
As many have already pointed out (see the youtube title for this clip), this seems to be exactly what the Obama campaign tried, and succeed at doing. They were able to shape a narrative around Obama (see the professor's post) and use the media to gain exposure and likeability for then Senator Obama.

Later in the film, Rhodes brings Senator Fuller on to his show, and uses his popularity to gain exposure for the senator. In addition, since we know that Rhodes has been consulting for the Fuller campaign, we see that he asks questions about the real issues involved in the election, but does so in a way to make the senator still seem appealing and likeable.

Next, I would like to discuss how Rhodes, and of course Marcia Jeffries (played by Patricia Neal) understood that the American people would be drawn to a strong TV personality and would even support his political ideas and beliefs.
Consider the following quote from the film:

Rhodes: This whole country's just like my flock of sheep!
Jeffries: Sheep?
Rhodes: Rednecks, crackers, hillbillies, hausfraus, shut-ins, pea-pickers - everybody that's got to jump when somebody else blows the whistle. They don't know it yet, but they're all gonna be 'Fighters for Fuller'. They're mine! I own 'em! They think like I do. Only they're even more stupid than I am, so I gotta think for 'em. Marcia, you just wait and see. I'm gonna be the power behind the president - and you'll be the power behind me!

It is clear that Rhodes understands that he has the American people at his fingertips ("sheep") and through his words and influence can get the Senator into the White House.

Have things really changed? I would theorize that they really haven't and looking at the professor's recent post, it seems that the connection between the media and high-powered government officials is much closer and tighter then I had thought, and we had assumed all semester.

Next, I must highlight what I think is the most telling and important quote from the film. Rhodes emphatically states:

"I'm not just an entertainer. I'm an influence, a wielder of opinion, a force... a force!"

If he viewed himself as "a force" 51 years ago, what can we say about the media of the modern day...maybe Strong Nuclear force (don't worry I found this on google not my own head).

While it might seem like I am exaggerating, after a semester of looking at the media's influence on everything from what we eat and wear to who we vote for, their power cannot be underestimated.




Last, what makes this more astounding is that it brings to the forefront the idea that you don't really need much experience of political knowledge to be a successful political analyst of talk show host (See my favorite example-hint look left)




All in all, "A Face in the Crowd" is two solid hours of black and white entertainment, which highlights some of the powerful, and I would add disturbing, effects of the media on the public (most of which we have highlighted and discussed throughout the semester).