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| Today, The Pavlovic. "Read: Democratic Debate Transcript, March 15, 2020 ::." Read: Democratic Debate Transcript, March 15, 2020 :: The Pavlovic Today. https://www.thepavlovictoday.com/read-democratic-debate-transcript-march-15-2020/. |
Welcome back! In this final edition of Blogging Berden I will be discussing the 11th and final democratic debate which took place at CNN studio in Washington without any audience. This was done in order to reduce unnecessary risk of transmission of the coronavirus.
How the coronavirus affected cultural performances Mise- en- scene.
John Mast in his work, The Performative Presidency, introduces two elements of performance known as cultural performance and mise-en-scene. Cultural performance can be described as being, “the material environments from which actors project their meanings. The material objects that surround the actor, from the stage and setting to props and costumes, all contribute to the meanings a performance will project” (Mast 2012). An example of this can be seen across all debates through the use of suits and pins which each candidate wears in order to look more presidential. On the other hand Mast describes mise-en-scene as being,” the ‘spatial and temporal choreography’ or dramatic components to the political performance.” (Mast 2012). What this entails is that there are certain ways in which a political performance can be portrayed in order to get a certain reaction out of the audience. A common example of this is how the candidates all come out at the beginning of the debate shaking hands. However, due to the coronavirus spreading across the U.S. there was an utter lack of them within this debate. The coronavirus got rid of the crowds along with the need to appeal to an audience which made for a much more relaxed environment compared to the previous debates.
More of a discussion than a debate! Iconic images trying to shine through during hard times.
During the debate there were no handshakes and no candidates came out running saying hi. The camera simply pans to the two candidates remaining (Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders) and the debate begins. In this debate there was no yelling and no spectacle. There were just two men talking sternly at each other about how to best deal with the coronavirus. In the past I talked about how powerful an audience can be in order to expand your base. Here, the lack of one made it very hard for both candidates to really get their message across. In all of the prior debates Biden and Sanders used the audience and the choreographed nature of the debates to their advantage. In the 11th debate with no real way to convey their message with pathos they both seemed very dry in a way which to me almost hurts their iconic image. To refer to Barry Schwartz, a Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College, wrote in his piece, “Iconography and Collective Memory: Lincoln's Image in the American Mind,” regarding the importance of understanding the power of image and Iconic statues and figures, that the “collective memory that centers on the active construction and interpretation of common constructive and interpretive activity-generalizable from the present case-is undertaken by those who care more about the past than do others, wish to accurately represent it, and are offended by what they take as its distortion. Some commemorative matters, like the present one, mobilize relatively few.” (Schwartz 1991). As I said before Schwartz conveys that there are multiple lenses even with a collective consciousness and depending on our lens we may interpret things differently. However, with no audience in a way voters on the fence will have a harder time knowing how to feel because in a way both Biden and Sanders used the audiences’ cheers within the debate in order to show that their plans are the best for democratic voters. With no real easy lens to look through many on the fence voters are at a loss.
What this all means for my analysis of Bernie’s fall.
At this stage in the race Biden was ahead of Sanders by over 100 delegates and in order to have a fighting chance Sanders really needed this debate to go in his favor. However, with the lack of any sort of mise-en-scene, Sanders had a hard time conveying his iconic message as there were no cheers to back him and the only other voice in the room (Biden’s) constantly undermined Sanders views on healthcare and how he would deal with the pandemic as a whole. Sanders needed to get rid of the image that he and his supporters had gained over the course of the last two debates and simply the irregular nature and lack of formality really worked against him.
Beyond blogging Berden what this all kind of meant to me…..
I feel like we’ve gone on such a long journey with blogging Berden. Even though it’s only been a month it’s sad to see that it’s the end of the road. But I have definitely learned a lot from this experience. I have learned that actors play a key role in forming an iconic image. I have also learned how a candidate's audience and the overall systems of collective representation can mess with or even tarnish a politicians' Iconic image. Even now as I look at the role of cultural productions and mise- en- scene, it’s clear to see that studios like CNN and ABC also play a key role in sustaining and even empowering a politicians’ iconic image by giving them a platform which many voters trust in order to promote themselves.
I have learned a lot about the performative nature of politicians. I have also learned that a politician's job is never over. They must always keep up their iconic image and they must always work to find ways to make themselves heard. In a way we are all actors working to gain the trust and love of our peers and we are constantly seeking the validation of others through awards and positions. In a way I feel like we do this in our lives to make ourselves feel like “special cases” but we are really not. We all come and go and that’s just life. We look for some sort of meaning through others by supporting candidates that we feel have our best interest at heart but it’s just scary to know that in the end people are just people and one day it’s going to be our time. I guess in a way that’s why people say that you should treat every day as a blessing. Because the best way to enjoy life is to be the best person you can be and that’s by performing and trying to find what really is your best self. The performance of life is fascinating, but when you draw back the curtain what do you see? The world is going through a time where I feel performance has truly taken a back seat. That we are at a time where acting really does nothing and we are all forced to sit at home and feel time pass.
I am not sure where I am going with this but I am glad I am here at this moment. I want to thank you all for being here on this journey with me and again I hope life hasn’t been too rough during these trying times. This is a very sad end for Blogging Berden but I am glad I got to be here for the ride. See you next time folks…… wherever that may be! :)
Citations
Mast, Jason L. 2012. The Performative Presidency Crisis and Resurrection during the Clinton
Years. Cambridge, Ma: Cambridge University Press.
Schwartz, Barry. "Iconography and Collective Memory: Lincoln's Image in the American Mind." The Sociological Quarterly 32, no. 3 (1991): 301-19. doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.1991.tb00161.x.
Today, The Pavlovic. "Read: Democratic Debate Transcript, March 15, 2020 ::." Read: Democratic Debate Transcript, March 15, 2020 :: The Pavlovic Today. https://www.thepavlovictoday.com/read-democratic-debate-transcript-march-15-2020/.
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