Celebrity As a Postmodern Phenomenon, Ethical Crisis for Democracy, and Media Nightmare

Abstract

❏ In the postmodern world, the value of knowledge itself is questioned, and by extension those who claim to be authorities on that knowledge. As a result, Arnold Schwarzenegger as action hero is just as credible as Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor, thus redefining the meaning of an informed citizen. If Arnold Schwarzenegger can rescue entire planets, then why can voters not assume that he will be able to save California? The blame for this theoretical shift belongs not with the broader entertainment industry, but instead with the news industry itself. Such celebrities-in-politics issues are not limited to California or even the United States. This article explores the difficulties of obtaining a consensus on the central interpretation of credibility and truth in a postmodern society. In political news, the California governor’s race is temporarily thrown into disarray when residents of the other 49 states file a class-action lawsuit demanding the right to vote in the recall election, on the grounds that “it’s on TV all the time.” —Barry, 2003