Celebrity-In-Chief : How Show Business Took over the White House

by Schroeder, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780813341378
• ISBN10: 081334137X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-02-04
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

U.S. presidents and Hollywood have had a mutual admiration society that extends far back into history. InCelebrity-in-Chief, journalist Alan Schroeder contends that each camp has influenced the other-particularly over the past century-creating a president who no longer stands apart upon a remote civic pedestal, isolated from Hollywood and pop culture. Instead, the powerful forces of the American celebrity circus drag him into the tent and ask him to put on a show. The job of president has always been politically demanding, but now there is another requirement: to exude star quality. In the parlance of Hollywood, he must "fill the frame." Drawing upon a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about some of the most celebrated individuals in American history, Schroeder shows how a succession of presidents since Woodrow Wilson has put on a show with mixed results. Whether it was Bill Clinton playing sax on TV talk shows or George W. Bush'sTop Gunstunt aboard an aircraft carrier,Celebrity-in-Chiefentertainingly and convincingly shows that the result is a wholesale demystification of the office-and that this marriage of pop culture and the presidency will continue to fascinate and endure.

Author Biography

Alan Schroeder is an associate professor in the School of Journalism at Northestern University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Showbiz Presidency	p. 1
Gilt by Association: How Entertainers Are Good for Presidents	p. 7
Attack of the Cat Woman: How Entertainers Are Bad for Presidents	p. 31
Hope Springs Eternal: How Presidents Are Good for Entertainers	p. 63
Glad to Be Unhappy: How Presidents Are Bad for Entertainers	p. 87
Running Time: Entertainers on the Campaign Trail	p. 115
America's Toughest Gig: Performing for the President	p. 139
Groupies, Aficionados, and Philistines: Presidents as Fans	p. 169
"Happy Birthday, Mr. President": Entertainers as Friends and Lovers	p. 191
Secrets of the Stars: Entertainers as Professional Associates	p. 219
Leading Ladies, Supporting Cast: First Families in the Showbiz Presidency	p. 241
Is Everybody Happy? Presidents as Entertainers	p. 265
"I'm Gerald Ford, and You're Not": Presidents as Entertainment	p. 283
Conclusion: The Common Vocabulary of Presidents and Entertainers	p. 299
Notes	p. 305
Selected Bibliography	p. 325
Acknowledgments	p. 333
Index	p. 335
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.