US pop culture a diplomatic tool

The two-term election of Barack Obama, the first African-American US president, has been widely hailed as a popular cultural rather than a political development in the United States. The mainstream mass media in the US have made full use of this development to push their public diplomacy goals, that is, to promote the idea that the US is a land where dreams are realized through personal efforts.

Obama's political success mirrors an important theme, that of American pop culture - self-made heroes' success stories, which have long replenished the American dream. Obama's success has greatly enhanced the US' image in Africa, something its official diplomacy had failed to do. This is a classic case of a personal success enhancing a country's global image because of its cultural connotations.

The case has found reflection in a US State Department report, Cultural Diplomacy: the Linchpin of Public Diplomacy. The report says that "cultural diplomacy is the linchpin of public diplomacy, because it is through cultural activities that a nation's idea of itself is best represented". Indeed, history is likely to record that the US' cultural riches played no smaller a role than its military might in shaping its international leadership, including the "war on terror".

The values embedded in our artistic and intellectual traditions form the bulwark against the forces of darkness. The core idea of the design and implementation of US public diplomacy is to use cultural diplomacy, exemplified by Hollywood movies, NBA games, Disneyland characters and jazz music, as the best weapon for its success.

Not surprisingly, Obama's personal success has added a "feather" to the US' cultural cap, consolidating the country's image as a land of opportunity and free choice as reflected in its pop culture. American pop culture is not only a form of entertainment. It also has, to a certain extent, played the role of public diplomacy by espousing some of the key ideas and ideals that influence people's attitude and behavior through such performing arts as movies and pop songs.

Throughout human civilization, ideas have played a key role in defining and even deciding the turn of events. The US' history shows "the ideals of the Founding Fathers, enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers and the Bill of Rights, take on new life in the vibrant traditions of American art, dance, film, jazz and literature, which continue to inspire people the world over despite our political differences".