Before Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African-American President of the United States, television and film presented that possibility to the country. Barack Obama’s election as Commander-in-Chief marks a turning point in American history. Hollywood, though, has shown that one day, someone who was of African-American descent could in fact be the leader of the free world.
The Fox television drama “24” has had two African-American actors play the role of president. The television presents one crisis per season that agent Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, must fight. Each episode represents one hour in a day.
For the first five seasons of the series, Dennis Haysbert played Democratic President David Palmer. In season five, President Palmer was killed by a sniper while working on his memoir. Haybert’s portrayal of an African-American president had such an impact that the actor even felt that his portrayal helped Americans become comfortable with the idea. Political commentators even referred to Obama’s election on November 4, 2008 as the “Palmer Effect” in contrast to the Bradley Effect.
In season six of “24,” David Palmer’s brother, Wayne, was sworn in as President of the United States of America. Before becoming president, he was a part of his brother’s trusted inner circle. Like his brother, he dies in office. He suddenly faints and has a coma, possibly of a cerebral hemorrhage. However, this president fades away during the rest of the season.
Before “24” showcased two African-American presidents, Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman played President Tom Beck in the disaster flick Deep Impact. In this movie, an asteroid comes hurdling toward the Earth. As with most disaster films, there are family conflicts and unexpected heroism among the characters. One of the pivotal scenes in the movie shows President Beck giving a speech to the survivors of the disaster. Morgan Freeman, a man with eloquent verbal skills, illustrates cool confidence during a time of disaster. Deep Impact’s Tom Beck was the first high profile depiction of an African-American president.
In a humorous adaptation of an African-American president, Chris Rock played presidential candidate Mays Gilliam in Head of State. In the film, he runs against sitting Vice President Brian Lewis, played by Nick Searcy. In a humorous way, Head of State brought up the issue of the Bradley Effect. Mays learns that the reason they chose him as a presidential candidate is to ensure that the opposing candidate would win. However, tables turn in the film when Mays talks about issues and gains popularity.
When Morgan Freeman played an African-American president in 1998, it was at a time when that idea was starting to seem reasonable. In a world where Hollywood often fictionalizes ideal worlds, their portrayals of African-American presidents could have been ways to test the pulse of the people. If the public could accept an African-American president on film, maybe they could accept one in real life. However, only time will tell if Barack Obama will live up to the Hollywood images.
Source:
http://www.imdb.com
