King and Country
Throughout the recent days, we have witnessed a historical event in the United States. The Inauguration of Mr. Barack Obama as president is undoubtedly a profound step in the American ideology of freedom. However, we must also understand the myth-making capability that this election has entailed.
The Fairey image of Barack Obama has become an icon around America. The image is posted on billboards, t-shirts, hats, and even coffee mugs. The image has been so profound that it has forgone the traditional definition of “brand-old message art” and has created a myth about Barack Obama himself.
The Fairey image has come to represent many of the ideals Americans hold dear. Through this representation, the image has become a symbol among many. This symbol however, may not necessarily be an accurate description of the man it portrays. An example of this would be the image of Abraham Lincoln. This is a symbol that no longer represents Abraham Lincoln as the man he was, but for the ideals he stood for. We see the image of Abraham Lincoln and we are undoubtedly conjuring images of Gettysburg battlefields, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the cry of “sic simper tyrannis” in Ford’s theatre. We do not consider the man Lincoln was behind the scenes. Similarly, the Fairey image has accomplished this end. We look at this picture of Barack Obama and we see the ideals we believe he stands for. We see the hope for the future and a bright light in the darkness.
Although I do not doubt Mr. Obama’s intentions in the least, I am simply arguing that we are looking at the ideals of the man, rather than the man himself. We see our ideals of what is right and good in America without seeing the childhood, private life, or dreams of Mr. Obama. Through this we have created the Fairey image, and in fact Mr. Obama himself, into a symbol that we use to represent what we believe is right.
This symbol has been very powerful. During the inauguration you would be hard-pressed to find anyone not wearing the Fairey image, or a knockoff of the image. You could purchase Obama t-shirts, hats, gloves, and even bookmarks to demonstrate your belief in what this image stands for. During that day I recall images of fragile old ladies waving American flags and wearing Obama jackets, of teenagers loudly chanting “no more Bush” in a uniform of the red, white, and blue Obama image, and of small children attempting to make their voices heard over the deafening crowd while wearing Obama mittens and scarves. People were willing to line up in hordes to purchase overpriced, useless merchandise that in no way actually represents the man that Barack Obama actually is.
Although Mr. Obama is just a man, we have built him up into a saint, a savior, and a hero. Even though he is just the same as everyone else, we see him as an icon that keeps on beaming. We see him as an infallible leader of the people. I actually feel some sympathy for the man, as now he is under a lot of pressure to not mess up. It would seem that Mr. Obama, or his image rather, has such an unrivaled support of the people that he has already made himself into an item for the history books.
The title I chose for this paper is “King and Country.” I chose this because the image of Obama, represents more than just himself as an individual. He represents one of the most powerful leaders in recent times, a testament to the progress we have made since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech, and a profound uniting figure for this country. It would seem that Inauguration day contained the same fervor and relevance as Dr. King’s speech did forty years ago. The raucous cries from the crowd and chanting of “yes we can” surely startles images of that day in August. We cannot help but recognize the similarities of Mr. Obama to other historical figures. We have put him up on a column and we expect nothing but the very best from this man. Overall, it would seem that the image of Mr. Obama has more power and courage than any living man could ever hope to possess.
