March 23, 2008

Rainin' McCain, trickin' lefties.



Via Matt Yglesias, who says "I'm speechless."

Atrios writes: "I believe the YouTube era begins the age when it is impossible to tell parody/irony/performance art from completely sincere product."

This video should be a lesson to everyone who is trying to hit the viral zone, though maybe no one will ever be able to do it quite like this again. Frankly, I think they push it a little too far (with the extremely bad singing and the not-ready-for-greenscreen clothing), but apparently you don't need to be subtle to trick lefties into spreading Republican propaganda.

56 comments:

George M. Spencer said...

"Raising McCain" in GQ profiles his Bud LIght-lovin' daughter Meghan.

Marilyn Manson's wife Dita Von Teese? "I love the way she dresses"

Bisexual dating shows? "Hilarious!"

The Big Lebowski "I fucking love that movie!"

Her fridge? Full of pudding and beer!

Peter V. Bella said...

Maximus Horribilus

Chris said...

Sincere, but consciously campy.

Freder Frederson said...

but apparently you don't need to be subtle to trick lefties into spreading Republican propaganda.

Man, those Republicans are crafty! Put out an excruciatingly bad video knowing that the Democrats (and any self-respecting Republican) will make fun of it.

But hey, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Meade said...

George, I enjoyed that link, laughed at:

Meghan recalls the day when actor Wilford Brimley, he of the Quaker Oats ads, called to offer his support. An operative got off the phone and grandly announced to the room, “We’ve got Brimley!” The phrase, she says, became a rallying cry for the campaign.

Anonymous said...

The one with long, dark hair is cute. That's what I brought away from this experience.

Anonymous said...

you don't need to be subtle to trick lefties into spreading Republican propaganda.

What do you mean by this?

FGFM said...

What do you mean by this?

It means that Althouse is a GOP stooge.

Freder Frederson said...

I love how this video "push[es] it a little too far" yet Ann shuns and scoffs at A Man for All Seasons. The irony is delicious.

Ann Althouse said...

"What do you mean by this?"

Oh, no, I'm not going to spend the second half of the weekend explaining my prose. Figure it out! Submit your answers in writing. I will grade later tonight, during the commercials in "John Adams."

Unknown said...

What has been seen . . . can't be unseen. There's not enough eye bleach in the world to deal with this.

Meade said...

Weather Girls - Its Raining Men

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWwyjmSbJPs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyyBGjKAsf4

Roger J. said...

Gee--I thought it was funny.

Freder Frederson said...

Meghan recalls the day when actor Wilford Brimley, he of the Quaker Oats ads, called to offer his support.

I don't know what is more surprising, that Meghan was excited that the campaign "got" Brimley or that Brimley is still alive.

Peter V. Bella said...

Freder Frederson said...
The irony is delicious.

See, even you are entitled to your culinary freedom.

Meade said...

roger said...
Gee--I thought it was funny.

It IS funny. Unless, like fred fred, you're an easily tricked humorless self-trickin' tricky lefty trickster leftist.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

I got it. It's a parody of the Obama videos, guys. It's showing that just having some music and people singing does not a candidate make.

Brian Doyle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rhhardin said...

I don't get it.

It must be a cultural reference.

Crimso said...

I'm trying to figure out what it was that Doyle linked to that was racist. It looked like some sort of typical religious Easter thing to me. Was that a mistaken link, Doyle? I notice you've removed it, but it was a link to Instapundit, who was linking to Instapunk.

Jason (the commenter) said...

Good video. Very blue collar. Manages to have an old woman, a black woman, and a young woman, all showing how it's fun to support McCain.

The best way to get a woman to like a person is to show them another woman liking that person.

Using a gay anthem adds even another demographic. (I caught The Advocate saying nice things about McCain the other day.) But I don't think gays were a real target.

To sum up: the ad makes McCain look a lot less stodgy and dangerous than Democrats would like us to believe.

Brian Doyle said...

I'm glad you asked!

I put up the "InstaPunk" link that Instapundit is currently linking to for Easter. That post is clean.

However, the guys immediately prior post is officially, blow-your-hair-back racist. Among other things, he lists certain well-known black people who he demands that black people generally acknowledge to be "niggers."

I'm sure Glenn Reynolds has no idea, though...

Brian Doyle said...

And oh yeah, here's the link.

Brian Doyle said...

But moving on from the idiocy of Ann's benefactor to Ann herself, how exactly were the lefties "tricked" here?

Crimso said...

Doyle:
Confusion resolved. Question: if you hold Instapunk's racist post against Reynolds and Althouse, do you apply the same standard to Obama re: Wright?

Brian Doyle said...

They're not perfectly analagous, but yes my opinion of Obama is affected by my impression of his pastor. I think the difference between me and most people on this board is that for me that cuts in his favor.

Brian Doyle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Crimso said...

Hate those little Eichmanns in the WTC, did you?

chickelit said...

Have you heard the news?


Obama is risen!

Brian Doyle said...

No, that's stupid. But given all the horrible stuff right wingers say as they appeal to ignorant middle class whites, my sensitivity to similar rhetoric in a black church is pretty minimal. I'd take Jeremiah Wright over Jerry Falwell any day of the week and thrice on Sunday.

Fen said...

Doyle: my opinion of Obama is affected by my impression of his pastor. I think the difference between me and most people on this board is that for me that cuts in his favor.

What is it about the human need to create their own hell and then wallow in it?

Sloanasaurus said...

They're not perfectly analagous, but yes my opinion of Obama is affected by my impression of his pastor. I think the difference between me and most people on this board is that for me that cuts in his favor.

We have always been suspicious that you self-loathed - loathed yourself and your country. But, I never thought you would admit it. Thanks for being frank with us.

There is no doubt that Obama will get all of the self-loathers to vote for him.

Sloanasaurus said...

I'd take Jeremiah Wright over Jerry Falwell any day of the week and thrice on Sunday.

You forgot your caveat here. According to your above statement, you are not choosing between the lesser of two evils here - you prefer one of the "evils."

I hate myself. I hate myself. I hate myself.

Freder Frederson said...

What is it about the human need to create their own hell and then wallow in it?

You're still talking about the video, right?

Fen said...

"What is it about the human need to create their own hell and then wallow in it?"

Freder: You're still talking about the video, right?

Nope. I'm talking about Doyle's self-inflicted wounds.

Palladian said...

There's no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is other people.

Which should be obvious when Freder and Doyle are around.

Sloanasaurus said...

I think the video is nothing more than silly art trying to grab attention during an election year. The only information coming out of it will be that McCain was a Vietnam vet for anyone (young people) who watch U-tube who doesn't know. More people will realize soon that he suffered torture for his country. They can watch the movie about McCain "Faith of My Fathers" to get a better understanding.

In contrast Obama cheered on God Damn America.

Another factor in this election not yet revealed will be McCains children. Converntional wisdom is that young people are for Obama. However, McCain has two boys and a girl all in their early 20s. (He also has older children in the 30s and an adopted daughter age 16 from Bangladesh) I am sure we will see them on the campaign trail and they will get a lot of attention.

Palladian said...

and what a terrible video this is.

DaLawGiver said...

It was a terrible video,terribly hilarious! It's one of those things that make you laugh and feel embarrassed for mankind all at the same time.

Happy Easter!

titusisfeelingzenthankyou said...

The video is awful. I hate the original song. The gayest song ever written. Written by Paul Schafer from David Lettermen's show.

It's Easter fellow republicans. No fighting today. Today is the day of the Lord.

Anonymous said...

" Sloanasaurus said... ...God Damn America.." "..when it kills innocents.God bless America when it does good in the world...."

Guessing that's what Doyle was referencing?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Sheesh you guys would yack and yack about anything Ann puts up.

Happt Easter to any and all who celebrate it btw!

Anonymous said...

george: "Raising McCain" in GQ profiles his Bud LIght-lovin' daughter Meghan."

That interview is brilliant, and may very well drive me to vote for McCain all by itself. It portrays the McCain family as relentlessly normal, shows the senator to have a sense of humor and tolerance for generational differences, and demonstrates that the "speak your mind" quality isn't just a sales job—his daughter was obviously raised the same way. I especially appreciated Meghan's observation that her father, having experienced extremes, doesn't overreact to things, so when he does freak out, it's over something to freak out about. That's a mark of maturity for her and a good point for the rest of us to ponder.

Socially liberal but fiscally conservative (McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts, but only because they didn't come with matching—or exceeding—spending cuts)? In favor of a strong foreign policy? Bring it on!

garage mahal said...

If only we could get the Liberal Information Kit to all these ignorant middle class whites! THEN they would know the bug eyed racist truther is really not a big deal! The 9/10 blacks voting for Obama already all got their kits, it's just the ignorant middle class whites that can never seem to get their shit together. That's too bad for democracy.

Peter V. Bella said...

So, tto Doyle and all the others here who keep referring to "ignorant middle class whites", I have a question. Are you ignorant low class whites or are you ignorant upper class whites?

I would guess the former.

For your ignorant and really stupid point of view, the middle class, especially the middle calss whites, compose the vast majority of the population. By your definition, the vast majority are ignorant and you few poltroons are the wise ones.

garage mahal said...

[I'm speaking above for all the ignorant middle class whites that might favor Hillary of course].

By the way, maybe some non-ignorant Democrats on the board could advise us how inner city blacks are getting more relevant and pertinent info on how to properly judge general election candidates?

I know sorry in advance! But I'm still just not getting it.

Jim Hu said...

Being out of touch with the popular culture, I needed Meade's comment to get the link to "It's raining men".

Thanks to Wikipedia, I see that the original is cited as Homer Simpson's favorite song.

Getting old... but not as old as McCain!

Fen said...

/via Wretchard at Belmont Club

While Trinity Church is ostensibly Christian, perhaps its real sister church is the Nation of Islam.

blake said...

...during the commercials in "John Adams."

I laughed.

Zachary Sire said...

It's Easter and I'm hungover.

This video doesn't help.

As Bill Maher said the other night...John McCain is a warrior who's DUMB about war.

RHSwan said...

ZPS, John McCain might be dumb about war. But compared to Bill Maher and you, he is a frickin' genius.

reader_iam said...

Wheeeeeee! The Weather Girls! (The heck with the subject of this post. I'm going with the original.)

I remember 1982! I remember being 21! I remember ... well, being young! And being willing to dance my ass off in public, if you know what I mean. Ah, youth!

Anyway, I haven't danced to that song in oh, I don't know, 23 years (except for once or twice in Key West, in certain clubs, but even that was a long time ago, and involved the Martha Wash/RuPaul version).

Solitude has its benefits. I downloaded that song, cranked it through AirTunes at maximum volume and have been having a grand old time, blessedly in private. (You gotta be a whole lot younger and firmer than I am at this point to shimmy in public, is my position, at least as it relates to me.)

Now, excuse me while I go download the Wash/RuPaul version, add both versions to my "heavy-cleaning" playlist" (I can't be the only one who has one of those, for inspiration) and go scrub the kitchen floor.

/OT

Spread Eagle said...

I'd take Jeremiah Wright over Jerry Falwell any day of the week and thrice on Sunday.

Thanks for that. There are those out there who actually need to be reminded that leftists don't see anything wrong with what Wright said, and they're in full agreement with him. They don't understand what all the fuss was about. And it's a big impetus for the normal people to get out the vote

Zachary Sire said...

"But compared to Bill Maher and you, he is a frickin' genius."

Yeah...anyone who says Iran is training Al Qaeda is a real smart cookie.

I don't know who RHSwan is anymore than RHSwan knows who I am and yet he/she is attempting to insult me. And although my first reaction is to insult him/her back, I'll be polite and just say, Happy Easter.

It's Easter.

And I'm hungover.

And John McCain is a warrior who's dumb about war.

I'm leaving now to go to the Drag Queen Easter Parade on Broadway here in Long Beach. It's quite a spectacle. 12 grown men in bonnets, pumps, and gowns parade down Broadway, stopping in each of the 7 or 8 bars to do a little performance and collect money for charity. I think I'll get drunk so I'm no longer hungover. That way I'll feel better tomorrow.

Peter V. Bella said...

Yeah...anyone who says Iran is training Al Qaeda is a real smart cookie.


Um, hate to burst your bubble, but they have been training Al Queda and supporting other terrorist groups for years. Some honest reporters dug up the information and reported on it within a day of McCain's alleged "gaffe".

As to Bill Mahr- he is a stand up comedian. Big deal. Another moron who is no longer even funny.

TMink said...

Doyle, the link was helpful, as the article truly was racist. I was skeptical till I read it, but I did read it!

It was racist because the only people the author put in the list were black. Where were David Duke, Wayne Gacey, Scott Peterson, Christy Osborne, Kathy Griffen, and Fred Phelps?

To use that term with its awful history to only denigrate low class blacks is indeed racist.

Thanks for the post.

Trey