A sea of people,
many of them starting their journey as early as 4 in the
morning, spilled into the National Mall from directions
north, south, east and west to watch Barack Obama
become the 44th President of the United States. But
over an hour before the President raised his right
hand, those from America’s other power base -- the
entertainment industry -- moved into place to catch
their piece of history. Advocate.com was up front and
center to capture some of the biggest names in the business
as they claimed their front-row seats to the swearing
in.
Beyoncé and
Jay-Z mingled with Sean "Diddy" Combs. Oprah swept in
with her service detail to cries from the crowd. And
Caroline Kennedy, the perfect blend of star power and
politics, chatted graciously with passersby.
Make no mistake,
though -- Barack Obama has quickly moved beyond
political stardom to becoming a full-fledged commodity. Even
as some street vendors sold legitimate souvenirs like
Obama pins, magnets, T-shirts and even hand puppets,
others simply attached his name to whatever they were
peddling.
“Getch
your Obama water and nuts here,” shouted one man.
Water and nuts? And apparently D.C. yoga studios
are now capitalizing on Barack’s Obamaessance,
as evidenced by the Ohm-bama poster at the end of this
photo collage (yes, seeing is believing).
Barack,
apparently, is a one-man commercial phenom -- selling like
hotcakes even as the rest of the nation’s business
withers on the vine. And today, millions of people
watched with wonder, hoped beyond reason, and said a
little prayer that the new commander-in-chief could sell
America on itself again.
Beyoncé Knowles
Sean "Diddy" Combs