Althouse: "If there's one thing that makes people enthusiastic, it's celebrities being condescending."

October 2, 2008

"If there's one thing that makes people enthusiastic, it's celebrities being condescending."

Said, re this:

42 comments:

Expat(ish) said...: I saw at least three non-US citizens and two people with felony convictions.

So I guess they're not gonna vote either.

How did it end? Couldn't watch....

-SC; 10/2/08, 5:15 PM
Anonymous said...: I was unable to watch the whole video due to an internal conflict with my taste-o-meter.

First, it was vote or die. Since that didn't work, they are trying reverse psychology.

Shadow puppets are next.; 10/2/08, 5:16 PM
Donn said...: How did it end? Couldn't watch....

Ditto.; 10/2/08, 5:16 PM
ricpic said...: They're all lefty freaks. Why is it always lefty freaks? No more lefty freaks!; 10/2/08, 5:17 PM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Yeah who gives a shit
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About these assholes. Give me a break already and yes, polar bears can swim. I saw it on Animal Kingdom you twat.; 10/2/08, 5:19 PM
Simon said...: Wow. Just... Wow. That was quite unbelievably, ridiculously, mind-numbingly, stupidly long relative to its actual content. It's a thirty second commercial with four and a quarter minutes of repetition and thin air blown into it. This is the video equivalent of a Glen Greenwald post.

What's more, couldn't they come up with a better class of celebrity? If you want to persuade people that voting is intelligent and the smart thing to do, why would you have Ashton Kutcher and the guy from all the dumbass movies that have plagued us lately telling them to do so?

I would like to know who the blond who shows up at 0:29 is, tho! ;); 10/2/08, 5:22 PM
Ann Althouse said...: That's Laura Linney, I think.; 10/2/08, 5:24 PM
Unknown said...: That is possibly the worst "rock the vote" commercials I have EVER seen. Why, people, why?????

I hope this inane video doesn't hurt Obama's chances of winning ala "they are annoying. they clearly support Obama. let's vote McCain"

Stupid celebs.; 10/2/08, 5:26 PM
KCFleming said...: sic transit longoria

pride turn careers into crematoria; 10/2/08, 5:28 PM
Larry Sheldon said...: Polar bears can swim.

I saw them do it in Alaska.

I wish somebody would ask those twits:

Do you know that polar bears eat harbor seals?; 10/2/08, 5:28 PM
P_J said...: I have always voted since turning 18, but that ad almost makes me want to give up.; 10/2/08, 5:33 PM
George M. Spencer said...: I counted three 'sh*t's, two 'f*ck's, one 'porn,' one herpes, one bra removal, and one 'poop.' Classy bunch of people, all of them millionaires.

Love the chain letter bit at the end.

It's the dishonesty of it. Everyone knows they're for Obama. Disgusting.; 10/2/08, 5:36 PM
Larry Sheldon said...: I really truly believe that it makes no difference if you vote or not.

It isn't worth the effort.

I can make a case for the not-leftists that it would be better if everybody stayed home.

Have a look at what is going on in Ohio and see if you think it will make a difference how you vote.

The only thing that matters is what gets certified on the "vote" tally sheets.

And what gets put on the tally sheets will have little to do with what gets put on ballots.

If everybody stayed home, it might be a little tougher to get the books cooked just right.; 10/2/08, 5:38 PM
chickelit said...: Our nextdoor neighbors, a much younger couple whom we love dearly, have already announced they're not voting!

I've tried several times to convince them to vote, telling them where to go, etc.

Unfortunately, this is the sort of thing that might work on them.; 10/2/08, 5:41 PM
Methadras said...: Fabulous video. A large conglomeration of people who's job it is to convince a paying, viewing public that they are pretending to be someone else telling those same people, or anyone else for that matter, not to vote as a method of reverse psychology as they name drop the cause (de jour) celeb they don't want you to vote for unless you just happen to care about it/them, like they do. Shallow thinking liberal/lefties behaving shallowly. Brilliant.; 10/2/08, 5:45 PM
Simon said...: Apathetic Citizen said...
"It's the dishonesty of it. Everyone knows they're for Obama."

Indeed. Whenever you see these "celebrities for voting" commercials - rock the vote, what have you, I always want to ask the same basic question. Let's be honest: the people doing these commercials want Obama to win. If they had to choose -- and we would know and could punish them if they lie -- between (a) 98% turnout but their guy losing all 57 states and the District of Columbia, or (b) 25% turnout but their guy wins all-but unanimously, do they pick (a) or (b)? And if it's (b) -- and it is (b) -- what credibility do they have doing these commercials?

I should declare my own bias: I find the fetishization of more, more, more participation wrongheaded. I think most people would agree that the optimal situation in a democratic system (or in the democratic elements of a republican system) is a fully informed, fully participating electorate where everyone votes. It is equally widely agreed that this is unrealistic and possibly unattainable. I question, however, that it automatically follows that the next best situation is simply more people voting. Is it really better for society - or for democracy - that vast numbers of people who have no clue about the issues and only scarcely more knowledge about the candidates - show up to vote rather than staying home?; 10/2/08, 5:54 PM
Fatmouse said...: Sadly, the people most likely to be swayed by a "Rock the Vote" type of commercial are the ones who should absolutely not be voting.

And the use of "irony" will only appeal to the hordes who think The Daily Show is an informative news program.; 10/2/08, 5:55 PM
Anonymous said...: I'll be in France on Election Day, staying up late watching the returns from Dijon, and wondering how the 15th voted.

I'm sure they're solid Obama supporters.; 10/2/08, 5:56 PM
zeek said...: I'd be impressed if they were complaining about how easy voting machines are to hack and whether your vote is actually being counted than the old tired chestnut that you must vote or you're not cool.

Where are the Democrats on this issue?; 10/2/08, 6:06 PM
Palladian said...: Even Obama supporters cringe at this garbage.

Americans do not like millionaires telling them what to do, or what not to do, as the case may be.

And of course it's understood that "Rock The Vote" and "Vote or Die" are actually "Rock the Vote for Democrats" and "Vote for Democrats or Die". Even when I was a young, bright-eyed liberal I understood the score.; 10/2/08, 6:10 PM
ricpic said...: I'll bet you can't order Grey Poupon in Dijon. Or if you can it's declasse. "Monsieur, this is Dijon, we don't serve that merde ici."; 10/2/08, 6:10 PM
Ron said...: If they're going to make us eat their crap sandwich, I suggest a video where they all follow suit -- on camera! -- and take a great big bite. In the interest of fairness.; 10/2/08, 6:13 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Polar bears can swim

And polar bears are just mutated brown bears that were stupid enough to get trapped in the Arctic during the last ice age. The smart bears went south and became grizzlies.

Stupid actors indeed. I don't know who 90% of them are and could NOT care less. Most of the guys look like they need a good shower and some shampoo.; 10/2/08, 6:20 PM
Ruth Anne Adams said...: Love the chain letter bit at the end.

Hey! That's Amway's pitch!; 10/2/08, 6:26 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: I believe we should have a celebrity tax. Any entertainer who makes over 250K per year must be taxed at the fifity percent rate. It is the least they can do; pay us back for taxing our patience and insullting our intelligence.; 10/2/08, 6:29 PM
john said...: Theo -

You can afford France, after all that?; 10/2/08, 6:33 PM
Harwood said...: Let's be kind, folks. Those people are operating at the limit of their intellectual capacity.; 10/2/08, 6:34 PM
john said...: Or are you moving because of the election?; 10/2/08, 6:38 PM
Trooper York said...: Just goes to show you Simon, like I told you before, Sarah Silverman is just a skeevy twat.; 10/2/08, 6:43 PM
Methadras said...: All this video does is make me wait, breathlessly, for a new P. Diddy - Vote or Die video to come out.; 10/2/08, 7:01 PM
blake said...: I wonder if this has any effect on their pocketbooks and livelihoods.

To wit, I am a self-professed movie geek. I really hate politics in my movies. I mean, it can be done well, but these days it's mostly ham-fisted paranoid fantasy, and ends up screwing up a potentially good story.

But I get by. Or I've gotten by, up till now. I survived the "every indie movie has to have a sympathetic gay couple" phase of the early 2000s, for example. I'm still a faithful moviegoer, even as normal people gradually give it up.

These last eight years have been tough, though. I saw Whoopi Goldberg take her incredible one woman show and rehash it--poorly (due to lack of practice, I imagine)--and to put in 45 minutes of anti-Bush screed.

I used to go see Brian De Palma movies pretty faithfully, no matter how bad. But he's so far left he dedicated a movie to slandering the troops.

I was one of Joe Dante's few fans, but he decided to devote an entire episode of "Masters of Horror" to a childish and unfunny parody of right wing pundits.

I loved "Louis B"s show and act, but then he came out in support of Condi Rice being raped. (Remember that?)

I gotta add, none of these "political" stand-ups is George Carlin. And even he deteriorated over time. (But his skills never did!) 90% of 'em are gonna be gone in a few years. But I guess this is "more important".

I follow this stuff more closely than most, granted, but I have to wonder how many people look at a movie, stand-up, TV show, music CD--whatever--and get that nudge that makes them put their wallet back in their pocket?

I used to like these guys. Now I wonder if I'm going to be subject to some sort of screed. It's like their skills go out the window, too. "It's funny because we hate Bush!" or "It's dramatic because Bush is Hitler!" (I've never gotten over The Contender. A biased movie that just went completely over the top at the end--and expected you to stand up and applaud!)

I'd like to go see "The Lucky Ones". Oh, but wait, it's about soldiers coming back from Iraq. Well, that doesn't mean it HAS to be bad. Look, it's directed by the guy who did The Illusionist! That was good! Oh, look, it's written by Tim Robbins. Well, it isn't necessarily moonbat territory. Dead Man Walking was pretty fair. Two words: Bob Roberts.

Bunch of directors have wasted a bunch of time, money on talent on crappy Iraq movies. Am I gonna gamble that this is the good one?

Nope.

I just wonder if it adds up.; 10/2/08, 7:12 PM
Unknown said...: I sure wish Sarah Silverman wasn't such a putz, because she's kind of hot.; 10/2/08, 7:16 PM
RR Ryan said...: Holy cow, what is wrong with these people? And, for the most part, who are they? As an aside, I know it's a mistake to confuse the performer with the role, but I was still disappointed to see Laura Linney mixed up in this.; 10/2/08, 7:16 PM
integrity said...: What, are we out to prove Greenwald's column today true?

Celebrities can have opinions, just like you.

These inferiority complexes are rdiculous.

Why is Ann so insecure that celebrities voicing a point of view send her into a state?

Why do you care? Just ignore them.

It has to be about getting the right-wing nutjobs into her blog. Money is always the bottom line.; 10/2/08, 7:22 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/2/08, 7:24 PM
Unknown said...: Or are you moving because of the election?

Let me just state for the the record that even if come January we inaugurate an inexperienced radical lefty to take the helm of this country, we will still have the greatest nation on this planet. Europe can kiss my ass. Canada can just pat it, they're pretty cool.; 10/2/08, 7:25 PM
Unknown said...: Oh and let me give a shout out to our pals in Australia.; 10/2/08, 7:28 PM
Trooper York said...: I mean Jennifer Aniston said ask four friends. Didn't she just have four boyfriends last week? What's up with her? Does she have a really smelly twat or something? Is she such a lousy lay? She better shape up because I have two words for her:

Heather Locklear.; 10/2/08, 7:34 PM
dannyboy said...: I'll be in France on Election Day, staying up late watching the returns from Dijon

I went to France once about 15 years ago. I think French girls are really overrated. I mean some are hot but the average French chicks are kinda bitchy, really snobby and aren't quite as hygenic as I am used to. Then again that was a long time ago. They may have improved.; 10/2/08, 7:35 PM
dannyboy said...: Does she have a really smelly twat or something?

Probably if she's French. Don't even get me started on the hair thing with them either. Going down on a French chick is like eating sushi on a barber shop floor.; 10/2/08, 7:38 PM
dannyboy said...: British chicks are hot and pretty adventerous. As an added bonus they actually bathe and shave. They could use some better dental technology over there though. It's really hard to enjoy a blowjob after you've seen those teeth.; 10/2/08, 7:42 PM
Methadras said...: Dust Bunny Queen said...

Most of the guys look like they need a good shower and some shampoo.

Tut, Tut... Careful now. If that happens, they might actually end up washing off their artiste`.; 10/2/08, 7:43 PM