He defied time as the reverse-aging Benjamin Button and then opposed the Third Reich as an Inglourious Basterd, but now Brad Pitt may have a new challenge: potential mayor of New Orleans.Starting out as a tongue-in-cheek joke among a few New Orleans residents, a new movement advocating Pitt’s election as mayor of New Orleans in 2010 has been flamed into an internationally recognized campaign.The 45-year-old actor stated on the “Today Show” that, if elected, he would serve as mayor, but he also claims he doesn’t have a chance running on a platform that supports gay rights, no religion and the legalization and taxation of marijuana.Despite his doubts and the reality that Pitt isn’t eligible to run because he is not an official New Orleans resident — barring a change in the New Orleans city charter — the Brad Pitt for Mayor movement shows no signs of slowing down.The campaign started last winter as a result of a discussion between Tulane University history professor Dr. Thomas Bayer and a group of friends and colleagues about the current political situation in New Orleans.As a joke, Bayer suggested Pitt should be the next mayor. The idea stuck, and Bayer decided to run with it.”Here is a man who is sincerely committed to the city,” Bayer said. “More than once he has gotten dirty working for the people of New Orleans. So I thought, ‘Why not have him be the next mayor?'”Bayer soon printed several “Brad Pitt for Mayor” T-shirts to wear around the city to gauge people’s reactions and wrote a list of 13 reasons why Pitt should be elected to post online.Bayer’s shirt idea gained local support and was picked up by Storyville clothing store in June and redesigned to sell.News outlets slowly began to pick up on the story, and the Brad Pitt for Mayor movement came into the national and international spotlight, in part because of the success of the Storyville T-shirt.”The shirt’s been selling really well, and it’s exciting,” said Elizabeth Harvey, Storyville co-owner and the shirt’s designer. “It started as more of a joke, but it has turned into something plausible.”While the shirt has been selling and support has been growing, Pitt’s potential as a solid political contender is still being disputed.”With someone like a Brad Pitt, with high visibility, it’s easy to project a lot of desires on to them,” said Kirby Goidel, mass communication and political science professor. “He has done a lot of good and has high name recognition, but he is not known in a political sense.”Pitt’s charity work has benefited New Orleans greatly in the recent years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, but some are not sure if this is enough for a mayoral bid.”Who wouldn’t want to see Brad Pitt in the office every day?” said Dyrel Treadwell, political science graduate student. “But he wouldn’t be able to handle New Orleans. He wouldn’t be well-suited for the crime and the hurricanes.”But other students see the frustration in New Orleans over the current leadership and look for a change.”He’s doing a lot for New Orleans,” said Lacie Laurendine, general studies freshman and New Orleans native. “He certainly can do more than Mayor [Ray] Nagin. He could bring a lot of good publicity.”And the Brad Pitt for Mayor movement has had further reaching effects.The Storyville T-shirt has sold in more than 15 countries and helped promote the New Orleans area in the media, as well as promoting Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation, a charity working towards rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward. Storyville will donate $2 to the charity for every Brad Pitt for Mayor T-shirt the store sells. Many hope other mayoral candidates will pick up the issues and work championed by Pitt that started this movement and provide community service with lasting effects.”We want to transform this enthusiasm into hard work,” Bayer said. “Candidates should be conscious of the issues and what it takes to get the support of the people.” —-Contact Jake Clapp at [email protected]