"GO Big or GO Home"

The Constitution states that the United States president must be sworn in on January 20^th. January 20^th fell on a Sunday this year so President Obama had to give his oath that day. Why then is there such an elaborate public celebration and ceremony the day after? The saying “go big or go home” that is used a lot in American culture comes into mind. “Go big or go home” signifies that if you are doing something meaningful then you are putting everything forward and planning on bringing home the prize, if not might as well not show up. The inauguration definitely fits into this motto because the President is not merely reinstating his oath to the American public, but rather putting on a show for the entire world. The fact that he has famous artists play at his ball and inauguration is definitely so that the American public can stay interested since our society has recently revolved around reality TV shows that depict famous people’s lives. I saw many twitter feeds talking about what Beyonce and Jay-Z wore or what other celebrities were in attendance rather than focusing on what the president was talking about. Or what designer Michelle Obama and her daughters were wearing. How about we focus on what the President was saying rather then what they had on their back.

From a feminist point of view, I noticed how Obama kept saying that we all have equal opportunities in America because we focus on bettering our country and its people based on people’s skills and knowledge and not on the color of their skin, where they came from, or their income. He stated that all mankind and women kind can become anything that we want to. I had never heard the term women kind used prior to the speech so I thought it was very interesting that the President stated this. He tied in past events to current events ranging from civil rights, women’s rights, immigration rights and gay rights. It was interesting to see that a civil rights leader went up to the podium and gave a magnificent speech. The civil rights leader happened to be a woman. Also, Sotomayor became the fourth female judge and first Hispanic-American to administer the oath of office to a vice president. Another point I found interesting was the fact that the overall theme of the inauguration was “Faith in America’s Future.” CNN cameras kept glazing over happy children waving American flags because these children are our future. The President stated that we are in a better place and that it is time we focus on what is essential and that is the people of this country. If a GFN were broadcasting this I believe they would have focused more on what the President was saying and not on the “show” that was being put on.