President Biden is meeting with the K-Pop band BTS on Tuesday, ostensibly to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes. To Cockburn, who tends to be a bit cynical, it looks more like part of a government trend to appeal to Generation Z in the most blatant way imaginable.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with bringing in celebrities to talk about serious issues (which both Obama and Trump did while in office), it seems suspiciously as if the Biden administration only invites the most popular stars in order to serve its own agenda. Normally presidential puppets would come in the form of fellow politicians, but when dealing with mass-market public figures like TikTokkers or other internet celebrities, the move comes off as shallow and deceitful.
This White House has a distinct disconnect with the youth. Biden is not “cool” like Obama was, nor is he the cultural powerhouse that Trump was. Throughout most of the past year, the Biden administration has deployed Gen Z celebrities like a modern-day Fagin from Oliver Twist, including enlisting TikTokkers to spread rumors about high gas prices, or urging TikTokkers to encourage vaccination… or anything to do with TikTokkers, really.
The administration’s desperate attempts to make Biden seem “with the times” and “hip” are part of a long-running scheme to welcome young Americans into the Democratic fold. Time will tell whether this tactic proves successful. Cockburn has a feeling that many of the people Biden is trying to appeal to already have their minds set against him.
Even though he brought Olivia Rodrigo to the briefing room, Biden has flip-flopped on important youth-oriented issues like student loan forgiveness. Add in the fact that over two-thirds of the 18-34 demographic think that Biden has not fulfilled his campaign promises, and the uphill battle he faces is conspicuous.
Instead of making life easier for the average teen or college student, Uncle Joe has done little but make life more difficult all Americans; it’s harder to pay for food, gas, or other necessities than it was under the dreaded Orange Man. Rather than enacting policies that enable young people to reach their greatest potential, the Biden administration flashes celebrities as a distraction. Biden can put a shiny necklace on an ugly toad, but underneath it’s still an ugly toad.
