Hollywood’s Influence on Masculine Presidential Image

The President of the United States is the most honored title in the world. American war movies smear outbreaks of chaotic panic with people darting through the streets shouting for help. In such turmoil, terrified citizens look to their leader, their savor, their President. In these movies the President is usually a strapping male hero, a silver fox that is confident and inspiring. In these moments of mayhem he draws Americans together and performs an awe-inspiring speech that somehow the entire country can hear. This remarkable speech motivates citizens to keep their chin up and work together to have a successful future. The movie The American President portrays this masculine image of a no nonsense president that not only defends his honor but the honor of a young woman as well. This film demonstrates the popular culture painting of the ultra masculine presidential image that is a powerful protector and never displays weakness, but yet a hopeless romantic who treats every woman like a princess.

The American President is a romantic comedy that stars Michael Douglas as the popular, attractive, and intelligent President Andrew Shepard who is still morning the death of his wife to cancer. During his reelection campaign Shepard encounters the fiery, sexy lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening, and strikes a deal to support her environmental bill only if she finds ten more votes for his anti-crime legislation. In their dramatic meeting sparks fly like fireworks and President develops feelings for Wade. He attempts to keep his actions professional but he invites her to a state dinner at the White House and begins to fall in love with her. As the campaign season takes off Shepard’s opponent Bob Rumson stumbles upon their forbidden relationship and begins to reveal Sydney’s secret past in order to question incumbent, Shepard’s, character. The President gets labeled a “wussy” for not responding to these relentless attacks and Wade loses her job as a lobbyist. The most famous scene in the movie takes place when the President’s press secretary is answering questions from the media and one sassy reporter inquires if the president will ever respond to Senator Rumson accusations, suddenly Andrew Shepard burst into the newsroom followed by a train of stunned looking people and shouted “Yes he will!” He immediately commands the reporters’ attention and starts aggressively speaking. He begins by defending his title as President and his character as a man, “I can tell you without hesitation that being president of The United States is entirely about character.” While the stunted journalists gaze unblinkingly up to him his face softens for a moment while he threatens if, “you want a character debate Bob then you better stick with me, because Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league “ Finally he stands up tall, looks directly in the camera at the audience and announces, “you want to talk about character and American values that’s fine, just tell me where and when and I’ll show up. This is a time for serious people Bob and your fifteen minutes is up. My name is Andrew Shepard and I am The President!”

Andrew Shepard is the ultimate masculine illusion of the presidential image. He is smart, humble, strong, handsome, and respectful. He selflessly fights for what is best for his country and is always honest with his continents. Shepard never lets others influence his decisions or opinions; he is the boss, end of discussion. When he kicked down the door into the White House newsroom he proved to his audience that he will decide when to respond and doesn’t need anyone to advise him on what to say, he always knows what to say. Shepard embodies the prefect president, one that we can always respect but at the same time be his friend or maybe even his lover. He stands up for the woman he loves and represents a protector, almost daring Rumson the mess with her. Any woman would be lucky to have a powerful, passionate man like him. Andrew Shepard also confirms that being The President of The United States is not a job for the faint of heart, it calls for “serious people that make serious decisions.” Shepard exemplifies every character trait that our society values in a President.

Films like The American President reinforce outdated, extremely traditional images of a presidential figure. We as a culture constantly have this ideal icon of what a president should be, how he ought to appear physically and how he should act emotionally. This hyper-masculine representation is detrimental to the political growth of our society and frankly incredibly unrealistic. It completely extinguishes women leaders by implying that women need production and that they would never be tough enough to command a nation like Andrew Shepard. In the motion picture Air Force One Glenn Close serves as the female Vice President when terrorist hijacks the President’s plane, during the crisis she does not take control, she gives no inspiring speech, and she is a mess. These types of movie roles deceive the American public into believing that popular political gender stereotypes are reality. Due to these one-sided media roles American modern political culture is less likely to elect a woman into office, and if a female candidate produced any aggressive or authoritative behavior she was be label “crazy” or “bitchy” not unlike Hillary Clinton. In American political history citizens have usually elected an alpha male leader that supported many masculine political platforms like military strength or that contained hostile wartime agendas. We as a society have learned to conform to the idea that men are better leaders because they are stronger and more assertive do to characters roles like Andrew Shepard.

The American President also shows a very interesting side of American political culture and the sexualization of the presidential illustration. Andrew Shepard is a very attractive man that is also powerful, he knows what he wants and defends the people he cares about. In the movie he falls in love with a beautiful woman and respects her even if her past is not so innocent. Andrew Shepard is any woman’s dream. In American political society presidents have worked to make their image more sexual toward women, with the thought that if a woman finds them charming and becomes attracted to them, then they will vote for that candidate. Serotypes of women voters include that fact that they vote based on physically attraction toward presidential candidates. Women are socially taught to view presidential hopefuls as assertive powerful men that they can always count on. Women’s role in voting has been a rollercoaster of culture ideals and radical feminist proposals, and with popular culture defining political gender roles for women how will man denominated political culture ever take this female demographic seriously? In the future our society ought to move towards morphing women into a significant political unit not only as candidates but as voters as well.

Influences like movie characters are becoming all too real in our countries political society. Roles like Andrew Shepard instill values in our modern political system that we should have outgrown many decades ago. Americans are still centered on this idea of a perfectly persistent, masculine president. Our reflection of this overly masculine image unfortunately does not usually lead to an Andrew Shepard president or an incredibly selfless leader. Women’s media roles as leaders also convince men and other women that the immense pressure or the authority of sitting in the Oval Office would be too strenuous for a woman to cope with. It implies that women are too weak to lead. If our society continues this twisted popular image of what a leader is suppose to be, we will overlook various unbelievably talented presidents, that may have the most powerful tactic of all, individuality.