Constructing Clinton : Hyperreality and Presidential Image-Making in Postmodern Politics

Bill Clinton is the embodiment and epitome of American politics in the postmodern, mediated age. Clinton's abel marshaling of images, which allowed him to retain popularity and position when faced with compelling obstacles, marks him as the preeminent figure in a fluid and fluctuating era of image-politics. Constructing Clinton: Hyper-reality & Presidential Image-Making in Postmodern Politics pays particular attention to the colelction fo desparate, sometimes connected, often random images that crate a site of politcal meaning we know as "Bill Clinton, former president of the United States." Through analyses of unique image texts--including The Man from Hope, The War Room, Primary Colors, MTV's Biorhythms, and PBS' The American President--Constructiing Clinton focuses on teh image of Bill Clinton as it was defined by and trapped in teh hyperreality so characteristic of contemporary presidential politics.

Shawn J. Parry-Giles is Assistant Professor of Communication, Affiliate Assistant Professor of Women's Studies, and Director of the Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership at the University of Maryland. Trevor Parry-Giles is Assistant Professor of Communication and Affiliate Faculty Member with the Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership at the University of Maryland