{"product_id":"schwarzenegger-syndrome-politics-and-celebrity-in-the-age-of-contempt-9781565849518","title":"Schwarzenegger Syndrome: Politics and Celebrity in the Age of Contempt","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the California recall circus, in which Gary Coleman, Larry Flynt, and Arianna Huffington vied with over one hundred other candidates to replace a supposedly inept governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger emerged triumphant. How did this onetime bodybuilding champion and gay pinup, with no political experience and a string of mediocre action movies to his name, come to take over the world's fifth-largest economy?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Schwarzenegger Syndrome\u003c\/i\u003e, celebrated journalist and novelist Gary Indiana makes the case that this tale is a product of a mediasoaked culture in which image matters more than substance. The recall process, a parody of direct democracy, gave Schwarzenegger the chance of a lifetime. With so many candidates in the race, he certainly wasn't the most qualified, the most articulate, or the most credible--but he was the most famous. And for the majority of Californians, that was enough. A witty and biting travelogue through the intersection of celebrity culture with American political life, \u003ci\u003eThe Schwarzenegger Syndrome\u003c\/i\u003e lays bare the dark implications of Schwarzenegger's rise to power in the Golden State.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGary Indiana, whose essays have appeared in the \u003ci\u003eVillage Voice\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eLondon Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, is the author of six novels and several nonfiction books. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"New Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50855505658130,"sku":"9781565849518","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5831272e-47ad-4721-90fb-f936f77d8884.jpg?v=1737482260","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/schwarzenegger-syndrome-politics-and-celebrity-in-the-age-of-contempt-9781565849518","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}