{"product_id":"showbiz-politics-hollywood-in-american-political-life-9781469617916","title":"Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eConventional wisdom holds that John F. Kennedy was the first celebrity president  in no small part because of his innate television savvy. But  as Kathryn Cramer Brownell shows  Kennedy capitalized on a tradition and style rooted in California politics and the Hollywood studio system. Since the 1920s  politicians and professional showmen have developed relationships and built organizations  institutionalizing Hollywood styles  structures  and personalities in the American political process. Brownell explores how similarities developed between the operation of a studio  planning a successful electoral campaign  and ultimately running an administration. Using their business and public relations know-how  figures such as Louis B. Mayer  Bette Davis  Jack Warner  Harry Belafonte  Ronald Reagan  and members of the Rat Pack made Hollywood connections an asset in a political world being quickly transformed by the media. Brownell takes readers behind the camera to explore the negotiations and relationships that developed between key Hollywood insiders and presidential candidates from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton  analyzing how entertainment replaced party spectacle as a strategy to raise money  win votes  and secure success for all those involved. She demonstrates how Hollywood contributed to the rise of mass-mediated politics  making the twentieth century not just the age of the political consultant but also the age of showbiz politics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44935013236789,"sku":"ByrdShop_1469617919","price":242.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781469617916.jpg?v=1787609774","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/showbiz-politics-hollywood-in-american-political-life-9781469617916","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}