General “Political Catfish” Smith

As social media becomes a larger and larger platform for communication, it also comes with a newly created language used on media, and even in face-to-face interactions. This language is more than just acronyms used to describe emotions or reactions like LOL (laugh out loud) or OMG (oh my gosh/god). Social media has evolved into its own dialect with adjectives, nouns, verbs, and figures of speech that are used far beyond commenting on a post or video; they are used in everyday interactions. From this 21st-century phenomenon, terms can be heavily connected to early literature. One term in particular created by the movement of interpersonal platforms is the term catfishing. Brevet Brigadier General John A. B. C. Smith In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Man That Was Used Up” is exemplary of what catfishing entails. Poe creates the general’s fabricated celebrity facade and political cult following through his physical appearance while maintaining gothic themes of abjection through a coined term I call political catfishing.

Political catfishing has been utilized throughout history countless times, found in numerous countries, and has achieved copious success. Being able to recognize how this modern term can be coined before the languages and dialects of social media were even invented proves that though the ideals of societal beauty changed, the idea of pretty privilege has not. Yet, the ways people can augment their appearance to please society have evolved significantly. What never changes, however, is it is almost always used to win or acquire fame, popularity, or a position of power; yet, the real identity of the individual always hides behind the makeup, screen, or surgery.

I have decided to use the August 1939 version of this short story because it was the first edition to be published in a magazine, Burton’s General Magazine. Being the first edition being released to the public and this commentary being about the public perception of political leaders, this edition was the first to be evaluated by the public eye, just as I am evaluating how political leaders bring in followers due to their pleasing looks.

Links

The Gothic: https://pressbooks.uiowa.edu/poetales/chapter/katherine-bonny-introduction/

Primary text: Edgar Allan Poe, “The Man that was Used Up” (text-02B), Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. V, no. 2, August 1839, pp. 66-70

Where primary text was found: Poe , Edgar A. “The Man That Was Used Up .” Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore – Works – Tales – The Man That Was Used Up (Text-02b), The Edgar Allan Poe Society Of Baltimore , 17 Aug. 2017, www.eapoe.org/works/tales/mnusda.htm.