Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" campaign captured a nation. No one can predict the political change that President-Elect Obama will bring, nor which campaign promises he will be able to keep, and the ones that will be lost in the transition to office.

Yet he has set forth a patriotic pride and spirit in the country that we all hope will last forever. Not since September 11th has the country seemed so united, although this new pride and hope in America is different. We seem to be united together for peace, for love and for true change in how the world perceives us, rather than united in hate against others.



John McCain attacked Obama during the campaign, calling him a celebrity. And he has become one in some sense. People want to be like him, they want to wear his picture on a t-shirt, they want their dogs to have pet bowls showing support for Obama, they want to listen to his Facebook music.


A reporter interviewing Barack Obama supporters in Harlem after the election was shocked at some of the responses. An interview with a young African-American in response to a question about what advantages the new president would bring to him, responded that Obama winning the election only made things worse for him, because now there was a higher standard for an African-American male.

On MTV, Obama proudly stated that, "Brothers should pull up their pants. A lot of people may not want to see your underwear. I’m one of them.” Our new president wants to bring about change, and he knows he can not do it alone.

And from the looks of things, he will not have to.

The world sees America through it's movies, fashion, celebrities and our lifestyles that include plasma televisions and iphones. Barack Obama wants us to be more than that. He hopes for a country of pride and of values brought forth from a "do unto others" lifestyle.

Even Hollywood is listening. Kevin Siege of Marvel Studios said recently that ''The idea of change and hope has permeated the country, regardless of politics, and that includes Hollywood.  Discussions in all our development meetings include the zeitgeist and how it's changed in the last two weeks. Things are being adjusted.''



Screenwriter John August is cautiously optimistic. ''There probably will be an echo effect as a popular president interacts with popular things. For example, if Obama starts wearing cardigans, you won't be able to keep them on the shelves.''


Barack Obama is our new pop culture icon.  He is our new president. His political change may be on the way, but his influence on popular culture has already arrived.

If he starts wearing turtlenecks, we are in a world of trouble.