Ce*leb"ri*ty\, n.; pl. Celebrities. [L. celebritas: cf. F. c['e]l['e]brit['e].]
1. Celebration; solemnization. [Obs.]
The celebrity of the marriage. --Bacon.
2. The state or condition of being celebrated; fame; renown; as, the celebrity of Washington.
An event of great celebrity in the history of astronomy. --Whewell.
3. A person of distinction or renown; -- usually in the plural; as, he is one of the celebrities of the place.
c.1380, "solemn rite or ceremony," from O.Fr. celebrité, from L. celibritatem (nom. celebritas) "multitude, fame," from celeber "frequented, populous." Meaning "condition of being famous" is from 1600; that of "famous person" is from 1849
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The world has taken to “celebrating” Obama. For some reason, McCain seems to think this is a bad thing. McCain believes that by equating Obama with Britney Spears he is making some kind of a negative statement about the way in which the world (particularly its “kids”) are viewing Barack Obama. But perhaps he has missed the point. The fact that we, the people, are turning an intelligent man; a brilliant orator that seems to be evolving into a unifying presence and leader not only for America but for the world; as well as someone who, up until now brandishes an untarnished record is, I’d say, a good thing. The fact that “kids” are placing Obama’s name above the ranks of troubled singers like Spears or Winehouse in daily conversation is a hopeful sign. It is also a signal towards the world America’s youth wants to live in.
That’s my general idea – a positive one about the seemingly negative celebrity advertisement McCain ran on Obama in recent days -- but, just for fun, let’s throw in a quote that complicates things a little:
“We choose presidents, but we do not choose them on the basis of their experience or even their political views. We choose them based on how well they tap into our basic beliefs, how expressive they are of our own deepest national mythologies.”
This is a quote by Russell Banks recently in his own published oration on America called Dreaming up America. It is also a statement that seems to envelop all the criticisms as well as positive compliments that have been said and given to Obama regarding his candidacy for president of the United States. First, he was not experienced enough and now he was too “presidential” – a “celebrity.”
Strangely, Banks’ quote is also a quote that seems to envelop the reasons America voted for Bush. Americans chose George W because he joined with the Christian Right to tap into the dream and mythology of “American Values.” America chose him not so much because he was experienced, but rather they chose him because of a certain “charm” (one which I never found, but which most of America seemed to have clicked with). And yet, this was a “charm” that was also capable of leading us straight into a war most of America is now against. Moreover, Obama’s “charm” is also somehow experience-less and he’s tapping into an American Mythology -- an older, more basic American Mythology – that we are “all created equal” and that we all have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The truth is that we have no idea what Obama will do when he takes office, if he manages to take office. I am not clairvoyant and cannot tell yet whether the man will “charm” us into ill as W did…but I, along with America’s “kids” remain hopeful. And I think that to celebrate, for now, this man; to “frequent” and repeat and make “populous” his message is not a bad thing. A couple of months ago when I visited Nigeria, I saw that Nigerians held in great esteem Wole Soyinka – that they made of celebrity of him. And I thought: wow, if only Americans would make a celebrity out of a writer like that, instead of out of Madonnas. But isn’t that just what we are doing? In fact, what McCain might be admitting to is that he is too much of an “oldster” to understand America, America’s “kids” and, hence, America’s future – children of the Baby boomers, Gen X and Yers, and whatever comers there are next into the fold.
The world has taken to “celebrating” Obama. For some reason, McCain seems to think this is a bad thing. McCain believes that by equating Obama with Britney Spears he is making some kind of a negative statement about the way in which the world (particularly its “kids”) are viewing Barack Obama. But perhaps he has missed the point. The fact that we, the people, are turning an intelligent man; a brilliant orator that seems to be evolving into a unifying presence and leader not only for America but for the world; as well as someone who, up until now brandishes an untarnished record is, I’d say, a good thing. The fact that “kids” are placing Obama’s name above the ranks of troubled singers like Spears or Winehouse in daily conversation is a hopeful sign. It is also a signal towards the world America’s youth wants to live in.
That’s my general idea – a positive one about the seemingly negative celebrity advertisement McCain ran on Obama in recent days -- but, just for fun, let’s throw in a quote that complicates things a little:
“We choose presidents, but we do not choose them on the basis of their experience or even their political views. We choose them based on how well they tap into our basic beliefs, how expressive they are of our own deepest national mythologies.”
This is a quote by Russell Banks recently in his own published oration on America called Dreaming up America. It is also a statement that seems to envelop all the criticisms as well as positive compliments that have been said and given to Obama regarding his candidacy for president of the United States. First, he was not experienced enough and now he was too “presidential” – a “celebrity.”
Strangely, Banks’ quote is also a quote that seems to envelop the reasons America voted for Bush. Americans chose George W because he joined with the Christian Right to tap into the dream and mythology of “American Values.” America chose him not so much because he was experienced, but rather they chose him because of a certain “charm” (one which I never found, but which most of America seemed to have clicked with). And yet, this was a “charm” that was also capable of leading us straight into a war most of America is now against. Moreover, Obama’s “charm” is also somehow experience-less and he’s tapping into an American Mythology -- an older, more basic American Mythology – that we are “all created equal” and that we all have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The truth is that we have no idea what Obama will do when he takes office, if he manages to take office. I am not clairvoyant and cannot tell yet whether the man will “charm” us into ill as W did…but I, along with America’s “kids” remain hopeful. And I think that to celebrate, for now, this man; to “frequent” and repeat and make “populous” his message is not a bad thing. A couple of months ago when I visited Nigeria, I saw that Nigerians held in great esteem Wole Soyinka – that they made of celebrity of him. And I thought: wow, if only Americans would make a celebrity out of a writer like that, instead of out of Madonnas. But isn’t that just what we are doing? In fact, what McCain might be admitting to is that he is too much of an “oldster” to understand America, America’s “kids” and, hence, America’s future – children of the Baby boomers, Gen X and Yers, and whatever comers there are next into the fold.
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