Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life

Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life
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Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life
The role of Hollywood in American politics started to take form in the early 1920s when one of the movie moguls, Louis B. Mayer, used his studio and connections to people in the showbiz industry in California to gather support for a presidential candidate through the Republican Party. This marked one of the major turning points in America’s political landscape. As noted by Brownell, Mayer created national publicity for the Republican Party through “meetings and photography” with prominent figures in Los Angeles. Mayer was able to use his influence to convince powerful people in Hollywood to rally their support for the presidential candidate. One of the people in showbiz that he was able to influence was his colleague, William Randolph. This marked the beginning of what is currently being experienced in politics where key entertainment figures in Hollywood rally their support behind political candidates. Mayer’s involvement in politics through his influential role in the showbiz industry was driven by his need to belong and feel accepted in the country. He was a Jewish immigrant from Russia who came to America with nothing but his name, and his need for acceptance in a foreign country enabled him to rise in status, especially within the Republican Party. Through this turning point, the elections in America became about who in the showbiz industry was supporting which candidate. Brownell reveals that other figures in the showbiz industry, such as Jack Warner, followed the footsteps of Mayer and was able to gather votes for a Democratic candidate four years after Mayer’s work. This has influenced the current political state in America, as more candidates use the support of people in the entertainment industry to connect with voters.[Kathryn Brownell, Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life, (Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2014), 12.] [Ibid, 12.] [Ibid. 12.] [Ibid, 14.]
Another key turning point came after Roosevelt won the election in the early 1930s, following the support of Warner who used his influence in the industry to garner votes for the Democratic candidate. The Roosevelt administration planned a New Deal where Hollywood and politics intersected in delivering information to the American Public. People in the entertainment industry were invited to President Roosevelt’s inauguration as a show of support. This turning point was informed by the realization that Roosevelt’s administration could benefit from the publicity created by Hollywood and the possibility of using Hollywood as an outlet in which the president could reach his electorate. Hollywood also saw this as an opportunity to validate itself in the country and gain the respect it deserved.The Roosevelt administration influenced the future of election in America as the entertainment industry was henceforth used as an outlet for political ideologies.[Ibid, 22.] [Ibid, 23.]
The election campaigns in the early 1950s that were led by supporters of Dwight D. Eisenhower in the entertainment industry also increased Ho...