The media offers women several kinds of public figures. There are public figures we can idealize and who may represent aspirational goals, and there are public figures with whom we can identify and who reflect experiences of our own lives.

Both figures hold immense appeal, but the appeal is based on different qualities. Idealized individuals often combine professional success with personal beauty, including thin or athletic physiques. These individuals do not resemble us, and we hold them in high regard because they possess desirable qualities most of us don't. Olympic athletes, actors and actresses, and fashion models are examples of idealized public figures.

In contrast, ideal qualities are not required for public figures with whom we identify. In fact, appearing perfect can work against popular appeal because we identify with people when they remind us of ourselves. They share our struggles and look like us - even if they aren't actually like us (after all, most of us never obtain national or international recognition). Oprah Winfrey, radio talk show hosts, and successful politicians represent exemplars of this second group of public figures. They often provide inspiration because they have come from the ranks of everyday people, and their appeal is closely tied to their ability to connect with ordinary people.

At some level, the recent ads characterizing Barack Obama as a celebrity are an attempt to cast him as an idealized figure rather than a person with whom we can identify. Because we don't identify with those we idealize, we don't expect them to be able to identify with us. Thus, although we may adore our celebrities, we don't necessarily trust them to understand our daily struggles and develop effective plans to help us with problems they don't have.

So, what happens when a public figure with whom we identify starts taking on the characteristics of those we idealize? Could this be an effective Republican strategy for turning Barack Obama's immense appeal against him? And what does this mean for the Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee, Governor Sarah Palin? Her appeal to women in her party has been attributed in large part to the extent to which women identify with her. And, in fact, when you see her on stage, she does look like a real woman - with a real body. However, some of this may change in the months leading up to the November election. She may lose her pregnancy weight more quickly than the average woman given the demanding schedule of a presidential campaign and reports that she is working her way back up to her routine of running 7-10 miles a day. If this happens, will she retain her appeal as a public figure with whom the average woman can identify?

Some may wonder whether there is such a strong dichotomy in pathways to public appeal given the political success of previous celebrities such as Sonny Bono, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fred Thompson. All provide evidence that public figures don't have to choose between celebrity and public service, particularly in the Republican Party. However, they are all men, and, like many things, there may be a double-standard for women and men. It is notable that the ads portraying Barack Obama as a celebrity chose images of female celebrities - not male celebrities - and certainly not male celebrities who became successful politicians in the Republican Party. Or maybe I'm wrong, and there is no penalty to women's appeal as a relatable figure when they obtain an ideal figure.