Yesterday I saw a couple stories about how Obama's viewership was down, and since they didn't include the cablers, I dismissed them. Now I find this, and I really like his take on it. Talk about taking on tasks no other President has had...
The fact is, Obama's ratings remain staggeringly high for any President jabbering about health care reform and bank bailouts -- in a time slot usually reserved for American Idol, no less. As the THR.com story mentions, Obama's March 22 interview on 60 Minutes pulled more than 17 million viewers, making it the fourth most watched show of the week, while his historic March 19 appearance on The Tonight Show (the first time a sitting President has done a late-night chat program) was seen in at least 8.9 million homes.
But never mind how you slant the numbers; what's interesting here is that Obama's ratings are being scrutinized in the Hollywood trades at all, right alongside those for shows like Dancing With the Stars and The Biggest Loser. The President has become such a gigantic, looming presence in the pop culture—even appearing on ESPN to share his bracket picks for the NCAA tournament—he's now as big a showbiz figure as Simon Cowell. Normal presidents get evaluated by polls and approval ratings. This one has moved up to a much higher plane—he's being judged by Nielsen shares.
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