The Great Man Theory of Celebrity Politics
January 4, 2023
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11:54Now PlayingThe Great Man Theory of Celebrity Politics
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as posted by the channelThe promise and the peril of investing hope in “Kanye. Elon. Trump.” Sign up for the newsletter
Last October, the GOP House Judiciary Committee published a tweet with a simple message: “Kanye. Elon. Trump.” The tweet drew immediate ridicule and was eventually deleted, but it’s worth revisiting because of what it reveals about the state of modern conservative politics.
Since Trump, many conservatives have embraced what we might call the “great man theory of celebrity politics.” They have argued that conservatives that dissident elites such as Kanye West, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump have the charisma, wealth, and cult of personality that is necessary to disrupt left-wing cultural and institutional hegemony.
In my latest video essay, I explore the promise and the peril of this approach—and what it means for the future of conservative politics.
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