As I write, MSNBC and CNN are all a-flutter with their continuing coverage of Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. They’ve covered the president-elect’s whistle stop train tour as he made his way from Delaware to Washington DC. I watched it off and on for several hours, and frankly, it became redundant. It was like watching the Super Bowl pre-game show or one of the interminable red carpet warm-ups for the movie and TV awards programs flooding the airwaves these days. These are nice and all, in a fawning all over ourselves sort of way. They give us ample time to collect up our chips, dips, and assorted beverages before settling into our comfy sofas for the main event.

I’m ready for the main event already. There are only so many chips, dips, and adult beverages one can consume between the warm-up and the main event. Today, as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America, we’ll say our farewells, fond and otherwise, to Dubbya, and finally stop referring to Barack as President-elect Obama. We’ll breathe a collective sigh of relief, even as we look with some trepidation to the future. It’s not that we fear the change that has finally come; it’s the glut of souvenirs from third parties that will send our heads swirling.

Don’t get me wrong. I have my own little collection of Obama memorabilia (campaign buttons I acquired during the journey, my “Yes We Did” poster from MoveOn, an article I wrote nearly a year ago supporting him); little items I treasure from the campaign itself. I’m equally proud that I don’t own any of those so-called limited edition Franklin Mint Obama gold coins, and I haven’t bought any of those “Special Edition” news magazines commemorating Obama’s election. Nor do I recommend anybody rushing out to buy the various cable news channel DVDs that are already available for pre-order.

I will recommend one DVD, however: President Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey is to be released today. As souvenirs go, it’s about as good as it gets. As you might expect, it’s a bit on the sentimental side and lacks a lot of depth, but as a straightforward biography it contains several nuggets that have hitherto gone unnoticed in the whirlwind of the 2008 campaign.

Article Author: Ray Ellis

Ray Ellis is a freelance writer who has been dissecting pop culture and its effect on how we view ourselves for over twenty years, ruffling feathers and dragging unsuspecting pedestrians along for the ride whenever possible.

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