A political campaign is an organized effort that is aimed at promoting candidates running for public office, influencing voters' choices, and raising money. Campaigns are run through various mediums such as TV commercials, billboards, social media posts, emails, phone calls, mailers, and in-person campaigning. In recent years, the manipulation of body images has become increasingly common during political campaigns to evoke desire, trust, and moral disgust among voters. This essay will explore how political campaigns manipulate body image standards to sway voters' opinions and preferences.
Political campaigns have used body image to promote certain candidates while degrading others based on their physical appearance.
During the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump mocked his opponent Hilary Clinton for her looks, calling her "fat" and "unattractive." He also made derogatory remarks about other female politicians like Carly Fiorina and Megyn Kelly who were running for different offices. By doing this, he tried to portray himself as a better alternative to these women and gain sympathy from male voters. On the other hand, Barack Obama was portrayed as a strong and masculine leader by emphasizing his muscular physique and athleticism. Similarly, Joe Biden highlighted his youthfulness and vigor compared to Donald Trump's age. These body image comparisons were designed to create favorable impressions of some candidates over others.
Political campaigns have used body image to create sexual tension between candidates and voters. The use of attractive models or celebrities in adverts is intended to appeal to voters' senses and arouse their interest. Celebrity endorsements are common in politics because they can influence voter turnout and voting behavior. In addition, female politicians have been subjected to unwanted touching, kissing, and groping when meeting supporters. This form of manipulation creates a sense of intimacy and trust between the candidate and voter, which can be exploited for political gain.
Bernie Sanders has been known for hugging supporters on the campaign trail while Hillary Clinton had to deal with allegations of sexual harassment during her presidential run.
Body image standards are used to promote certain ideologies during campaigns. Political campaigns often use images that associate specific physical attributes with particular beliefs or values.
Right-wing conservatives tend to focus on traditional family values such as marriage, religion, and patriotism. Therefore, they depict family-oriented individuals who adhere to these principles through images of large families, church attendance, and military service. On the other hand, progressives emphasize individual liberty, tolerance, and acceptance. They feature people from diverse backgrounds engaging in activities such as marching for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and women's reproductive health. By doing this, both sides try to make voters feel comfortable with their preferred views by showing them people they can relate to physically.
Political campaigns manipulate body image to evoke desire, trust, and moral disgust among voters. Candidates use attractiveness, youthfulness, strength, and family values to create favorable impressions of themselves and demean those who do not meet these standards.
Political campaigns rely on celebrity endorsements and intimate interactions to influence voting behavior.
Body image is used to promote specific ideologies based on individual values and lifestyles. These manipulations have a significant impact on elections outcomes because they affect how voters perceive candidates' competencies, integrity, and character.
In what ways do political campaigns manipulate body image standards to evoke desire, trust, or moral disgust in the electorate?
Campaigns may exploit images of idealized bodies to create a sense of desire among voters by portraying politicians as physically fit, attractive, and successful. Such depictions can be used to appeal to voter's emotional state and motivate them to support the candidate. On the other hand, candidates with unconventional appearance may evoke feelings of trustworthiness and authenticity in voters who appreciate their honesty and transparency.