Jesse Ventura™ and the Brave New World of Politainer Politics

"We shocked the world." So stated former pro wrestler, action film movie actor, and AM radio talk show host Jesse Ventura in November, 1998, as the election results revealed that he had been elected governor of Minnesota (Schultz, "Kenny Meets" xi). The example of celebrity-turned-politician Jesse Ventura is but one clear indication of how the media, politics, and popular culture are becoming increasingly intertwined in our lives, and in the lives of politicians. Here, an individual named James Janos rose to fame as a popular, cult-like, outlandish personality in the televised world of wrestling with the assumed persona Jesse Ventura. From there, he appeared in several films popular with teenagers and college students; then he moved on to be a controversial host of several AM radio talk shows in Minnesota. As a host, he was known for his brash, hard-talking, "take no prisoners" views that often criticized the political establishment. Jesse carried that persona over into his surprise run for governor, using it as a way to distinguish himself from the political establishment and to demonstrate that, if elected, he would be a different kind of governor. And elected he was. Using his media image in televised debates, and even in commercials that featured "Jesse Ventura action figures," Jesse Ventura did shock the world. Since his election he has become an international celebrity, merging his role as governor with that of professional wrestler into a unique figure in American politics. Since taking office, Ventura has continued to capitalize on his fame, selling his action figures and other merchandise bearing his name and returning to the wrestling ring to referee a 1999 World Wrestling Federation "Summer Slam" event. The media popular culture icon's personality and his role as governor have become indistinguishable. What Jesse Ventura has taught us all, besides the level of his marketing genius, is the incredible potential to reach the public (read: voters) through entertainment venues. Jesse's power and value as a politician come not just from his use of a particular venue. Because Jesse is a politician who is also an entertainer, he has become what other politicians, thus far, will never be-a politainer. This article explains what it means to be a politainer, why the time is right for the politainer in our society, and what the implications of politainment are. Emergence of the Politainer Jesse Ventura emerged from a long line of predecessors who are celebrities (actors, newscasters, and athletes) turned politicians: Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono, Clint Eastwood, Jack Kemp, Bill Bradley, and Fred Grandy (Love Boat's "Gopher"), to name just a few. While following in the footsteps of such notable politicians who have traded in their celebrity for political power, Jesse is forging his own distinct political pathe-one that others are sure to follow. He takes the trend of entertainer turned politician one step further because he is more than just a celebrity turned politician; he is simultaneously an entertainer and a politician; he is, in other words, a politainer. Jesse's path has been marked by many firsts for an American politician: action figures modeled after his television persona; a not for-profit company ("Ventura for Minnesota, Inc.") that sells official, licensed Jesse Ventura paraphernalia, along with a trademarked name; a tell-all autobiography published in his first few months as Governor of Minnesota; a second book published (and aggressively promoted and publicized) just over a year later; an appearance on the soap opera The Young and the Restless; an appearance as the referee in a World Wrestling Federation match; and a weekly Minnesota radio show. His meteoric rise into the statewide, and now the national, political scene has been incredibly instructive for those who follow and study politics. It is from Jesse's colorful activities that we can deduce the characteristics of a politainer. …