The national political stage is now increasingly dominated by the presence of figures from the entertainment world. This phenomenon no longer merely places celebrities as vote-getters during elections, but involves them directly in government structures and circles of power elites, equipped with facilities equivalent to state officials.
This situation has drawn public attention, particularly regarding the transparency of wealth and the legitimacy of the offices they hold. The public questions the dual roles played by these figures, who continue to control their entertainment business empires while holding strategic public office, creating a sharp intersection between personal interests and state policy.
This intersection of entertainment, business, and politics aligns with Jeffrey Winters' thesis on oligarchy. In his book, Winters asserts that oligarchy does not disappear even within a democratic system; rather, it tends to merge to secure wealth through political access. This demonstrates that democracy is actually vulnerable to manipulation by those with a high concentration of material resources.
Echoing this, political scientists Richard Robison and Vedi Hadiz also emphasize the reorganization of power in the post-New Order era. Democratic institutions often become tools for certain groups to reorganize their interests. The phenomenon of celebrities entering the government bureaucracy is merely the latest manifestation of an old pattern in which capital and access to power intertwine for the sake of group interests rather than the public good.
