Growing economic inequality, corporate influence in politics, an eroding
middle class. Many Americans leave it to politicians and the media to
debate these topics in the public sphere. Yet other seemingly ordinary
Americans have decided to enter the conversation of wealth in America by
donning ball gowns, tiaras, tuxedos, and top hats and taking on the
imagined roles of wealthy, powerful, and completely fictional
characters. Why? In No Billionaire Left Behind, Angelique Haugerud,
who embedded herself within the "Billionaires" and was granted the name
"Ivana Itall," explores the inner workings of these faux billionaires
and mines the depths of democracy's relationship to political humor,
satire, and irony.
No Billionaire Left Behind is a compelling investigation into how
satirical activists tackle two of the most contentious topics in
contemporary American political culture: the increasingly profound
division of wealth in America, and the role of big money in electoral
politics. Anthropologist and author Angelique Haugerud deftly charts the
evolution of a group named the Billionaires--a prominent network of
satirists and activists who make a mockery of wealth in America--along
with other satirical groups and figures to puzzle out their impact on
politics and public opinion. In the spirit of popular programs like The
Colbert Report and The Daily Show, the Billionaires demonstrate a
sophisticated knowledge of economics and public affairs through the lens
of satire and humor. Through participant observation, interviews, and
archival research, Haugerud provides the first ethnographic study of the
power and limitations of this evolving form of political organizing in
this witty exploration of one group's efforts to raise hope and inspire
action in America's current political climate.
