Althouse: What is it about moving pictures, music, and voice-over that takes a charming idea straight to hell?

October 21, 2008

What is it about moving pictures, music, and voice-over that takes a charming idea straight to hell?

I've blogged the "Yes We Carve" Obama pumpkin before, but that was at the still photography stage. Here's the video:

Possible defense: It's for Halloween, so it was supposed to freak you out.

(Via Boing Boing.)

19 comments:

rhhardin said...: Goldwater for Halloween was a big bumper sticker in '64.; 10/21/08, 10:09 AM
chickelit said...: Thankfully, all the carved ones will have rotted and gone to compost before Halloween.; 10/21/08, 10:11 AM
Awesome said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/21/08, 10:22 AM
Awesome said...: Sure are a lot of white people in that video.; 10/21/08, 10:24 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: What part of this was a charming idea?; 10/21/08, 10:35 AM
Meade said...: "Goldwater for Halloween was a big bumper sticker in '64."

Obama was only three years-old in 1964. Quit trying to tie him to unrepentant bumper stickers.; 10/21/08, 10:39 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Gee whiz!! Looks like the alien leader in the 1953 "Invaders From Mars."

Lightning storm. Saucers land in sand pit. Mom and Dad investigate. Get spikes drilled into the base of their necks. LIttle boy freaks out.... "Please God, let them find Mom and Dad before something bad happens. I don't want them to die too." Oooh....; 10/21/08, 10:41 AM
Tibore said...: "What is it about moving pictures, music, and voice-over that takes a charming idea straight to hell?"

Sounded like a criticism of cinema. From back in the 1800's. :D

Funny that: The more things change...; 10/21/08, 11:34 AM
Patm said...: "living for every other American..."

Will we be doing that with a domestic security force, an Obama youth and children snitching on their parents if they're not green enough?

It all feels like Stasi to me. I missed the charming part.; 10/21/08, 11:34 AM
Zachary Sire said...: While this is frightening, imagine if McCain's face was carved into a pumpkin...I think that would be scarier.; 10/21/08, 11:37 AM
BJM said...: Hell? But...but...Ann, it's all so hope and changey.

Original George! Ooooo...that movie so freaked me out as a child that I still get a creepy feeling walking on non-beach sand.

I shamefully admit to terrifying my younger sister by chasing her around the house with "blood rust" ("Space Master X-7") made of scrambled eggs smeared with ketchup.; 10/21/08, 11:45 AM
Henry said...: That wasn't freaky, it was laugh-out-loud funny.

Think about it.

A bunch of people have carved pumpkins. And the voice over intones:

"It's the first time I've ever felt compelled to be part of a movement such as this."

"We're organizing ourselves. The campaign helps us, but we're organizing ourselves."

I can hardly wait for the shrunken head apple movement to put together their McCain video.; 10/21/08, 11:53 AM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: Blogger Dust Bunny Queen beat me to it: what part of hijacking a pagan harvest ritual for the perpetuation of a cult of personality is charming?

And please, someone tell me why the left finds it necessary (and positive!) to venerate politicians as messiahs? FDR, JFK, MLK (not a politician, but still), CHE and now the One? WTF?; 10/21/08, 12:29 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/21/08, 12:35 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm going to be in France on Election Day and for a several days before and after.
I'd like to show people this video, but how can I possibly explain it to the French??
Have you ever tried to explain Halloween to foreigners?
Why would you want to carve bizarre things into a large squash and be so proud of it?
And if I have to return to a country full of creepy '50's pod people, maybe I should just stay in France.
If we're going to get a world of 60% tax rates, insane bureaucracy, and a cradle-to-the-grave meddlesome state, at least I could be in a country with long experience in doing such things right.
Plus, the food's better.; 10/21/08, 12:37 PM
Joe M. said...: The song is certainly appropriate, though it may be unintentional on the part of the creators: "Fake Empire", by the National.; 10/21/08, 1:09 PM
Stephen said...: What is it about moving pictures, music, and voice-over that takes a charming idea straight to hell?"

It's the ever-present overweeningness stupid.; 10/21/08, 1:13 PM
George M. Spencer said...: bjm--

Just keep telling yourself, "It's only a dream. I'll wake up..."

But if you see a spike in the back of Joe Biden's neck, get a pair of pliers. McCain? They got him, too. That's why he moves all herky-jerky....; 10/21/08, 1:54 PM
blake said...: Theo,

Yeah. Might wanna watch out for those Youths of Unknown Ethnic Extraction, though.; 10/21/08, 2:35 PM