Reagan and the Rock: Finding Meaning in Service, Not Celebrity

When the Army announced early this year that it would pursue a relationship with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to boost recruiting numbers, I was skeptical. My skepticism did not arise from suspicion of Johnson’s motives (although the $11 million price tag for his services was motive enough), nor did I fault the Army for using all the means at its disposal to avoid missing its recruiting goals yet again.

My concern stemmed from the fact that this move was at odds with a sentiment often attributed to President Ronald Reagan, that many “people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran does not have that problem.” Whether or not he said those exact words, Reagan certainly believed “that military service in the Armed Forces of the United States is a profound form of service to all humankind.” In the Johnson recruiting case, which Morning Brew dubbed Operation The Rock, I observed a disconnect between Reagan’s understanding and the recruiting campaign’s fixation on celebrity.

The message that the Army seemed to be sending wasn’t that of Reagan, which was that no matter who you are, where you’re from, or how many fans you have, you can do something meaningful with your life through military service. Even though he rose to fame as a Hollywood actor, Reagan was clear that you didn’t have to be a celebrity to matter. For him, the act of donning the uniform to support and defend the Constitution of the United States was honorable and worthwhile, regardless of one’s popularity.