Living national‑treasures as comfort goods

Media and institutional elites increasingly manufacture living public figures as 'national treasures' whose main cultural function is to provide nostalgic consolation and a non‑contentious symbol of belonging. That status simplifies complex figures into consumable icons, insulating political or institutional failure behind a figure of collective affection. — This reframing matters because it shows how cultural packaging — not just policy or ideology — shapes national identity and can depoliticize or domesticate dissent.