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DavidJ.JacksonandRobertMominee1
BowlingGreenStateUniversity,BowlingGreen,Ohio,USA
CULTURE,SOCIALIZATION,ANDPOLICY
Tisresearchcontributestoourunderstandingoftheincreasingmixtureofentertainmentand
politicsbyexaminingtheimpactofthepoliticalstatementsmadebycelebritiesontheopinionsof
youthsintheUnitedStates.Specifically,weexamineOscarnightspeecheswithpoliticalcontent.
Employingapost-testonlyexperimentaldesign,wecomparetheattitudesongaymarriageofthree
separatesamplesofBowlingGreenStateUniversitystudents:thoseexposedtonomediacoverage
ofProposition8,spassage;thoseexposedtoCBSNewscoverage;and,nally,thoseexposedtoSean
Penn,sblisteringattackonsupportersofProp8andendorsementofsame-sexmarriageinhisspeech
claimingtheOscarforBestActorforhisportrayalofHarveyMilk.YoungpeopleexposedtotheCBS
NewsvideoexplainingCalifornia,sProposition8weremovedtowardincreasedsupportforgaymar-
riage.SeanPenn,sspeechappearedtohavelittleefect,however.Tisisbecausethemethodemployed
doessimulatetheactualTVwatchingexperiencequitewell.Youngconservativeswhoopposegay
marriageelectednottowatchPenn,sspeech,therebyseverelylimitingtheactor,sinfluence.
Samesexmarriage,slegalstatushasplayedasignificantroleinAmericanpoliticsfor
sometime,butespeciallyoverthepastdecade.In1996PresidentClintonsignedinto
lawtheDefenseofMarriageAct,whichhadpassedbothhousesofCongresswith
overwhelmingmajorities.Telawpermittedstatesnottorecognizesamesexmarriages
performedinotherstatesasvalid(inpotentialconflictwithArticleIV,s“fullfaithand
credit”clause).Telawalsoforbadethefederalgovernmentfromrecognizingsame
sexmarriages,eveniftheywererecognizedbyindividualstates.
In2004,votersin11statesdecidedonballotinitiativesbanningsamesexmarriage,
andallvotedinfavor:Arkansas,Georgia,Kentucky,Michigan,Mississippi,Montana,
NorthDakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,OregonandUtah.PresidentBushcarriednineof
thesestatesinhisreelectioncampaign,withMichiganandOregonastheexceptions.
SomeliberalsandDemocratsarguedthattheseballotinitiativeswereusedcynically
byRepublicanstodrawsocialconservativestothepollstovoteforRepublicansup
anddowntheticket.PresidentBushwonreelectionwithjust286electoralvotesin
2004,only16morethantheminimumrequiredforamajority,withmanystateshotly
contested.Forexample,allofOhio,s20electoralvoteswereawardedtoPresidentBush
bya51–49margin(only118,599votesoutof5,627,545separatedthetwocandidates).
ConservativesandRepublicansdeniedthelef,saccusationsthattheyusedsamesex
1Authors,namesarelistedalphabetically,andeachcontributedequallytothechapter.