Mayor’s tactics, trial talk of town
The trial of Melton and his two bodyguards is likely to snag national media attention because Melton is more than the mayor of a Southern city. He is a celebrity, with all the perks and pitfalls that go with such status. It began with his hard-nosed “Bottom Line” editorials on WLBT and escalated when, shortly after being elected, he hit the streets armed and vowing to bring drug peddlers to their knees.
Many viewed it as “Frank being Frank.” Celebrities are supposed to be different, aren’t they?
“Celebrity is really about privilege, attention, resources and perception,” says Brian Anderson, social work program director at Mississippi College in Clinton. “It separates you, in some way, from others. … We’re curious about them. And we want to protect them.”
Sean Brown, a 36-year-old barber at Head Turner on Bailey Avenue in Jackson, saw Melton signing autographs in the aisle of a Walgreen’s one night.
Clarion Ledger
4/23/7
Magnolia Tribune
