OBAMA: the most memeable politician of our age. Those against a Donald Trump presidency are not lukewarm about it. There’s no “better luck next time” from the anti-Trump side, no “you win some, you lose some.” There’s rage.
This rage and a sitting president who knew a photo opp when he saw one, created a perfect cascade of airbrushed internet memes, videos and photo galleries shared millions of times. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. This week I’ve shared on Facebook a video entitled: “President Obama has always been obsessed with Michelle.” It shows the two of them as a couple during their time in the White House.
There’s the First Couple on a talk show sofa. Obama: “I like lavishing her with all kinds of attention when she deserves it. And she always deserves it.” There they are on the Kiss Cam at the baseball and clowning around at a press conference. “You look so good.” “You look good too, baby.”
There’s no rational thought behind sharing these posts. It’s just, “Oh, so nice. How nice.” That’s as intellectually rigorous as it gets.
Last week Obama surprised vice-president Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour. It was flawless television. Obama called Biden “my brother”. Biden said to Obama: “As long as there’s a breath in me, I’ll be there for you.” Obama was emotional. Biden required a handkerchief for his tears.
The danger of all this is a gentle social media-led brainwashing where we forget that Obama might have had any flaws and we drift off into a mist of nostalgia where everything was perfect and nothing will be as wonderful again. It’s a dent to hope, that, and foolish.
As he hung the Presidential Medal around Biden’s neck, the story broke that Obama had abruptly repealed “wet foot, dry foot” policy, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of Cubans to come to the US without a visa. You didn’t see that all over Twitter.
But to return to the memes: the one thing we can be utterly sentimental about, is how rare it is to see a famous man in such a position of power be so openly emotional without shame or cynicism.
How rare it is to see an example of tactile, emotionally open male friendship.
It is what makes Obama so social media friendly - we wish we had a man who looked at us like that. We wish we had a friend who was as utterly devoted.
Obama has repeatedly cried while public speaking, such as during his announcement on gun control while referencing the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. His crying only adds to the sense of his intellectual power, that he is so engaged with the issue he is emotionally moved, rather than a sign of weakness.
So, politics aside, part of Obama’s legacy, I hope, is a message that male emotion is ok. That shedding a tear over something as grave as the deaths of children or as mushy as the thought of your daughters going off to college is ok.
When the message is that boys don’t cry, that message makes men afraid to seek help for mental health or emotional problems. Because they don’t seek help, suicide becomes, as it is, the main cause of death for men under 50.
Uncritically accepting filtered and edited Obama memes is a foolish way to proceed but the Biden/Obama bromance is a role model for our times. As is a tearful president who adores his wife.
I’ll missing clicking like on that.
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