Popular Culture in Thai Politics: Shortcuts for Rational Voting

Waraporn Chatratichart

Abstract

Political campaigns have attempted to connect the electorate, especially the first-time voters, with politicians and their parties by converging politics with entertainment culture. This leads to the focus on an individual political actor and the rise of celebrity politicians and emotion in politics. Various academics argue that it is inappropriate to judge candidates by their personality and the use of popular culture to package politics has contaminated politics.

This paper, however, postulates that pop culture and emotionalisation help the electorate, especially the first-time voters to make the electoral decision. The convergence of politics and entertainment culture, as well as celebrity politics connects the electorate to the political area, allowing the voters to know a politician as a person. The emotional connection between politician and voters are likely to engage in the central route of persuasion by carefully considering politician’s policies. For some voters, the emotionalisation may acts simply as information shortcuts among voters with a low level of both cognitive ability and motivation. It is argued that voters have the right to vote for political actors with whom they feel a personal or political affiliation.

Short bio

Waraporn Chatratichart received her first degree in public relations from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a master degree in communication from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. After working for 8 years in both PR industry and academic, she continued her doctoral study and awarded the PhD in 2010 from the Media School, Bournemouth University, England. Her PhD topic is “Attitudes towards Political Leaders amongst Young People in Thailand and their Influence on Electoral Choices”.

Currently, she is an assistant professor at Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Her research interests extend to various disciplines including political communications and marketing, campaigning, image management, brand communication, and corporate communications.

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