What is it about?
This paper compares and contrasts the campaigns of Jesse Ventura (1999) and Donald Trump (2016) and examines how the particular 'low culture' entertainment genres within which they each developed their celebrity personas gifted them anti-establishment image as 'no bullshit' straight-talkers, which marked them as outsider candidates for an electorate alienated from mainstream politics.
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Why is it important?
The analysis demonstrates the need to pay attention to the specific cultural background of celebrity politicians to understand their potential campaigning tactics and performances. It also helps explain why other politicians are unable to perform in the same manner and appear authentic.
Perspectives
I hope that you find this article thought-provoking, but also entertaining to read. These are two larger than life characters, different to most politicians (celebrity or otherwise) and the similarities between their rhetoric, physicality, and style is was extremely enjoyable to study, compare and contrast.
Dr. David S. Moon
University of Bath
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The role of cultural production in celebrity politics: Comparing the campaigns of Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura (1999) and Donald Trump (2016), Politics, July 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0263395719862446.
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