Showbiz Politics
eBook - ePub

Showbiz Politics

Hollywood in American Political Life

  1. 328 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Showbiz Politics

Hollywood in American Political Life

About this book

Conventional wisdom holds that John F. Kennedy was the first celebrity president, in no small part because of his innate television savvy. But, as Kathryn Cramer Brownell shows, Kennedy capitalized on a tradition and style rooted in California politics and the Hollywood studio system. Since the 1920s, politicians and professional showmen have developed relationships and built organizations, institutionalizing Hollywood styles, structures, and personalities in the American political process. Brownell explores how similarities developed between the operation of a studio, planning a successful electoral campaign, and ultimately running an administration. Using their business and public relations know-how, figures such as Louis B. Mayer, Bette Davis, Jack Warner, Harry Belafonte, Ronald Reagan, and members of the Rat Pack made Hollywood connections an asset in a political world being quickly transformed by the media. Brownell takes readers behind the camera to explore the negotiations and relationships that developed between key Hollywood insiders and presidential candidates from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton, analyzing how entertainment replaced party spectacle as a strategy to raise money, win votes, and secure success for all those involved. She demonstrates how Hollywood contributed to the rise of mass-mediated politics, making the twentieth century not just the age of the political consultant but also the age of showbiz politics.

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Yes, you can access Showbiz Politics by Kathryn Cramer Brownell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Film & Video. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Showbiz Politics
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Illustrations
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Abbreviations
  9. Introduction: Put on a Show!
  10. Chapter One: California-Made Spectacles
  11. Chapter Two: The Hollywood Dream Machine Goes to War
  12. Chapter Three: The Glittering Robes of Entertainment
  13. Chapter Four: Defending the American Way of Life
  14. Chapter Five: Building a Star System in Politics
  15. Chapter Six: Asserting the Sixth Estate
  16. Chapter Seven: The Razzle Dazzle Strategy
  17. Conclusion: The Washington Dream Machine
  18. Notes
  19. Bibliography
  20. Index