Stephen Colbert for President!

Comedy Central television host, Stephen Colbert has a satirical news show entitled The Colbert Report. The series has become one of Comedy Central’s high-rated television shows. The show’s popularity has undoubtedly led to Colbert’s off-screen popularity. Colbert’s celebrity status had many fans suggesting a political career path for him. This widespread notion had him suggesting to his fans in January of 2012 “that he should hop [into] the race” where a “write-in bid in South Carolina… would almost certainly create some media excitement… but probably less electoral excitement.” This very occurrence, a television host possibly running for a political office, would closely identify and help describe the ideals and theories of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu.

Bourdieu’s four sociological concepts of capital would heavily come into play here; economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital.

The simplest form of capital, by way of definition, is economic capital for it is sheerly an individual’s possessed or controlled material resources. Stephen Colbert undeniably had the economic capital to get densely involved in politics during last year’s primaries. Colbert attained this particular form of capital by way of his booming comedy career.

Cultural capital is defined as a measure of nonmaterial goods such as educational credentials, types of knowledge and expertise, verbal skills, and aesthetic preferences that be converted into economic capital. Stephen Colbert is an entertaining television host, to make a subjective observation, thus he encompasses the ‘verbal skills’ as well as the political ‘knowledge and expertise’ needed to amuse the Comedy Central viewers. Colbert’s audience may be unaware of his ‘educational credentials,’ but he happens to have a Communications degree from Northwestern University.

While attending Northwestern University, Colbert preformed at a popular comedy club in Chicago, Illinois called The Second City with the likes of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of social capital would come into play here as it is defined as the networks of contacts and acquaintances that can be used to secure or advance one’s position. Comedians Carrell and Fey are two big names in the comedy industry and are positive enhancements to Colbert’s social capital.

Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological concept of symbolic capital can be identified with Stephen Colbert in the sense that he began his comedy career in 1984. Symbolic capital is defined as particular prestige, honor, reputation, or charisma. Being that Colbert has been active since ’84, it can be said that his reputation has been withheld as he continues to host television shows for Comedy Central’s network.

Now that Colbert’s possible political career has been analyzed using sociologist Bourdieu’s concepts, let’s get him on that ballot!