Schwarzenegger syndrome : politics and celebrity in the age of contempt
(Book)

A witty travelogue through the intersection of celebrity culture with American political life, this book lays bare the dark implications of Schwarzenegger's rise to power in the Golden State. From the California recall circus, in which over one hundred candidates vied to replace a supposedly inept governor, Schwarzenegger emerged triumphant. How did this onetime bodybuilding champion, with no political experience and a string of mediocre action movies to his name, come to take over the world's fifth-largest economy? Journalist and novelist Indiana makes the case that this tale is a product of a media-soaked culture, in which image matters more than substance. With so many candidates in the race, Schwarzenegger 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.--From publisher description.