Claim 1: The Presidents' ability to balance "being men of the people" (immersed in pop culture) and "men of higher understanding" plays a large part in how successful his terms in office are viewed (II).
This balance is discussed throughout the entire book, in nearly every chapter. Troy argues that the presidents have had differing levels of success with this balance, and that it was Abraham Lincoln who did the best job at the "marriage" between the two (II). It was very interesting to see how this challenge has been present since the very first presidents, a time that is not often associated with pop culture. Troy does a good job discussing specific examples that illuminate this challenge, such as how "Tyler could quote Othello in a political speech because even his most simply educated countrymen were taught Shakespeare" (24). It is stressed that the early presidents read A LOT, but they specifically chose in their speeches to reference works that the common man would understand.
Troy does a good job of weaving this thread throughout the book to keep it in the reader's mind and see how the presidents compared to each other on this matter. I was left wondering, however, why this balance is so important to the people. In his discussion of Obama, the reader sees how successful he has been in implementing social media like Twitter into his term. If the people like to be able to relate to the president, why do they also wish for him to be 'something more'? Troy warns that presidents might now be focused too much on "images"(235). While the people are responding positively to these images, they clearly still expect more out of the presidency than a pretty face--why?
Claim 2: Presidents both shape and are shaped by pop culture.
Troy describes how pop culture and the technologies they're showcased through reveal a lot about our country and its people. FDR is one example given on how presidents are 'shapers'--when the new technology of radio was busting on the scene it was FDR who used a new rhetoric to turn the radio into the powerful tool it became in politics. But the presidents are also shaped like the rest of American citizens, such as how Obama watches Mad Men.
Jan A.G.M.'s chapter "Social Structure" refers to this as a "mutual shaping process"(156). Indeed, Troy does a good job demonstrating this two way street. But again, I was left wondering what the people feel about this duality. When they hear that their president watches Mad Men, do they like it because they watch it also, or do they worry what effect such a show might have on his policies?
Claim 3: Obama is the culmination of this 200 year old balancing act.
Troy's organization of starting and ending the book with Obama provided a feeling of having come full circle. And truly, Obama has had more pop culture technologies available to him than ever before, which is having a large effect on how his presidency works and looks. But after reading this book, I was left feeling like Troy might have focused on Obama too much. In nearly all of the book reviews and interviews, the 'Obama knows who Snookie is' example was mentioned. I was also left feeling that this book, with so much focus on the current president, will soon be outdated--in just a few years when we have a new president.
Also, it felt like the book might have been wrapped up a little too nicely. I was reminded of the concept of techno-fundamentalism presented in many of my course readings for LIS201, which encompasses people's naive and overly-optimistic view that technology is the best answer and solution. It is true that Obama has utilized new technologies like social media to help win his campaigns and connect with the people. But is this really the best thing for the presidency? What are the effects? Troy starts to hint at this when he states that comedian Will Durst felt he couldn't question or make fun of Obama because "the halo [caused by his social media interactions] was too bright"(230). While this idea is somewhat frightening, I wanted a more in depth look at both positive and negative effects of the president's use of technology.
Overall:
Troy presents this book in language that is very accessible, and includes a myriad of funny and revealing presidential anecdotes that will interest the average American citizen. At the same time, this book is not merely 'fluff,' but actually provides a look into an important aspect of our presidency. Now fully entered into the 21st century, it is important for everyone to consider and question the impact of technology and the pop culture presented through it on our world.
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