Qaddafi's unbowed head aims up and to the right, in the position associated with optimism and progress. Obama's head points in the opposite direction, down and to the left. Qaddafi is wrapped up in his own thoughts in this image, and Obama is all about ice cream. Meanwhile, as we read from right to left and top to bottom, the next image is the path of Hurricane Irene and the lines sweep us back up to the image of Qaddafi.
No one who has laughed at the Michele Bachmann corndog photo can deny that the ice cream functions as a phallic symbol. In this light, one notes that the ice cream is soft-serve. See the swirls? The ice cream swirls harmonize with the swirling pattern of a hurricane and the swirling thoughts in the mind of the Libyan monster.
Does Obama care? — the brilliant Matt Drudge subliminally prods us to ask. Is he childishly preoccupied with a swirly dessert (as he vacations and vacations and vacations)? Look up, Mr. President! Qaddafi is still standing! The hurricane is coming!
The headlines under Obama increase our feelings that he is allowing everything to collapse:
NATIONAL DEBT RISES BY $3 MILLION EACH MINUTE...(Both links go to the same story.) Above him, we see "Man busted near Nat'l Mall with fireworks-packed car 'fitted with turret, multiple tubes'..." (Scary! But it wasn't — go to the link — a terrorist.) (Addition phallic imagery implied by these explosive tubes.)
Obama sets record: $4,247,000,000,000 debt in just 945 days...
And speaking of the "Nat'l Mall," glance down and to the left a notch, and you'll see the image of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, newly unveiled on the National Mall. Martin Luther King marched on Washington, and now he's there permanently. We sent Barack Obama to Washington and — the Drudge images say — he won't stay there, he keeps leaving, and he's not paying attention to the business of Washington. Meanwhile, in Tripoli, Qaddafi is intent on staying put, a strong man 'til the end. Obama is the soft center to a ice-cream manwich, with the hard men on either side — Qaddafi and King... and the violently disruptive woman Irene coming up behind him.
This has been another edition in the ongoing Althouse opus: The Art and Genius of Matt Drudge.
ADDED: Some art theory about lines and directions, from the artist Georges Seurat:
Harmony is the analogy between opposites and the analogy between elements similar in tonal value, color, and line, considered in terms of the dominant, and under the influence of lighting, in gay, calm or sad combinations.More here:
The opposites are... For line, those forming a right angle....
Gaiety... in terms of line, lines above the horizontal.
Calmness in terms... of line, the horizontal.
Sadness in terms... of line, downward directions.
... Seurat believed that lines and angles... important to communication.... Ultimately, if the painting is a performance, it is a type of performance in that Seurat does not clearly give a political or ethical statement in his painting so much as he attempts to elicit one from the viewer (it COULD be about prostitution; it COULD be about the bourgeois and their instability as a social class; but we have no absolute way of knowing). That indeterminacy is probably the most important part of this painting’s autonomy. The idea of the painting as a dream state makes sense in this respect: dreams are ambiguous, and their meanings are speculative.For painting, substitute website montage... and discuss!
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57 comments:
Thanks to Meade for alerting me to the great Drudgetaposition this morning.
In this light, one notes that the ice cream is soft-serve. See the swirls? The ice cream swirls harmonize with the swirling pattern of a hurricane and the swirling thoughts in the mind of the Libyan monster.
I could project a more Titusian image of what the swirls represent.
Tedious
Very interesting analysis. It would be great to find out from Drudge if he does these things purposely or by accident.
Obama is teetering on the edge though... nobody believes what he says anymore. He has lied or used a strawman one too many times.
He is one Katrina like event to a 20% approval rating.
The MLK statue is particularly ugly.
How could they have screwed that up so badly?
Otherwise, yeah, Obama is a cruel joke foisted upon us by the naive, the stupid, and the looters committed to cannibalizing America's future.
I do think Martin Luther King would be appalled if he could see himself portrayed as an American Kim Il-Jong.
"he is one Katrina-like event away from 20%"
If he has a Katrina-like event, it will be blamed on the Republicans. As the IBD editorialized today, Obama blames the Republicans when they are in power and when they are out of power. He wants it both ways and thanks the media (save Drudge), he will have it both ways.
"Very interesting analysis. It would be great to find out from Drudge if he does these things purposely or by accident."
The photo juxtapositions are obviously intentional. He's clearly matching poses and expressions in comic or artistic ways and inviting us to find meaning. He can't be too obvious with things like phallic symbols, and for that I thank him. I love the job of pointing these things out.
Of course we are meant to notice Althousaposition of Qaddafi and the profile photo.
The next post is also about the MLK statue, so it might be best to put sculpture criticism up there and keep this post for observations about the photographs and their relationship to each other (including the photo of the statue as it relates to other things in the Drudgetaposition).
I normally don't pay that much attention to Drudge's positioning of his pics given my usual alcoholic haze, and I've somehow missed your trek following the spoor of the "Art & Genius" of Drudge, but do you really believe that he CONSISTENTLY calculates the strategic positioning of photos a priori on a daily basis in order to make political points, Ann? (I say this only because while some photos obviously suggest the possibilities themselves and are thus simply too good to pass up as fodder for creative snark, but day-in, day-out? OTOH perhaps I'm just drunkenly, obtusely, oblivious to it all.. )
"Of course we are meant to notice Althousaposition of Qaddafi and the profile photo."
Looking to the right is looking into the future. It's a standard principle of composition.
The "MLK statue ==> forecasting the results of the next Presidential election" connection was a bit fuckin tenuous.
One thing Obama and Qaddafi have in common is the belief that they deserve privilege, luxury far beyound the average man and power over the average man.
What does Obama use in foreign policy...leading with his behind?
Obama must be quite pleased with all that he is accomplishing in so short a period of time.
Obama has been a War upon the USA as we know it. And he has won by doing nothing when actions were needed, and only acting to eliminate US energy supplies.
After the Hurricane Obama has past, we will relive Gone With the Wind.
HEH, I see Ann already answered my question as I was furiously typing away..
When I saw the pose of MLK, I wondered about the crossed arms. I haven't checked it out yet, but as it's supposed to commemorate not only the man but the "Dream" speech, did he give that speech in that pose?
Odd that it would be selected if not. Still not as weird and unexplained as the murals in the Denver International airport (since painted over or otherwise covered, if memory serves).
There's no doubt Drudge composes his pages/pix for the impact he wants. I've never heard of the looking right into the future thing.
In journalism, I was taught to keep the flow on the page in sort of a circular pattern. Drudge's layout doesn't quite work in this sense. Qaddafi is OK because he's centered on the page, but Obama is facing off the page. That's the one thing that bugs me about your latest pix, Ann, you're looking off the page.
wv - forin: from another country.
ScottM/
The new one or the old Stapleton? I've yet to pass thru the new one, what were the subj of said murals and what sort of outcry caused them to be painted over?
Clearly Drudge is a racists. The ice cream is white.
Sloanasaurus said...
Very interesting analysis. It would be great to find out from Drudge if he does these things purposely or by accident.
Obama is teetering on the edge though... nobody believes what he says anymore. He has lied or used a strawman one too many times.
He is one Katrina like event to a 20% approval rating.
8/23/11 9:39 AM
If this storm hits the eastern seaboard as a category 4 it will be his Katrina moment. Scratch that, it has to hit a chocolate city for it to be his Katrina moment. White folks blown all over hell's creation just won't cut it. In the meantime I just hope that if this thing hits South Florida my reinforced roof will and impact glass will hold. Five million people heading north on I 95.....
"... I do think Martin Luther King would be appalled if he could see himself portrayed as an American Kim Il-Jong..."
Hard to say. Obama doesn't seem to mind those colorful Che-esque posters of him gazing into the future.
"...do you really believe that he CONSISTENTLY calculates the strategic positioning of photos a priori on a daily basis in order to make political points, Ann?"
Not so much "political points" but to express a mood about politics and to amuse and create discussions (including discussion about whether he meant to do that).
Freud would say he meant it whether he consciously thought about it or not. I think his site is addictive fun because he knows what he's doing. The deniability is part of the mischief.
what were the subj of said murals and what sort of outcry caused them to be painted over?
The new one and you wouldn't believe me if I described it to you. A quick google search should find the original in all it's awfulness.
As if Americans know one damn thing about Libya!
The best part was the reports that his sons were captured. And, the dancing occurred in Egypt.
In Tripoli? Not so fast!
The "rebels" had no trouble getting into Tripoli ... because Qaddafi's son refused to use his tanks. Knowing American missiles would take them out.
Okey dokey. The rebels filled in.
And, then, among civilians, there was no trouble for Qaddafi to use his tanks. BECAUSE they were protected by civilians. And, you know how that's a no-no is NATO, French, and American warfare.
The Libyans living in Tripoli didn't give the "rebels" such a good reception.
On the other hand, the hourna-loosts at the hotel got the surprise of their life ... when Qaddafi's son walked in the door.
SURPRISE! But why are you surprised? You think the Libyans want Qaddafi to go?
told you CIVIL WAR is coming to Libya in the Lebanon style.
Don't believe me? Well watch it unfold.
All because Obama had no plan, no clue, no idea as to what he is doing (except trying to take our minds off the economy.
Be happy, you voted for him.
Hey isn't Drudge supposedly gay? The juxtaposition of Qdaffy's photo looking up and to the right as if in a rapture and Obama's head down sucking (an ice cream cone, phallic looking indeed)..... could this be Drudge's way of subliminally saying of what he really thinks Obama is?
Interesting for an artist known most for his dots would have aught to say about lines.
No one who has laughed at the Michele Bachmann corndog photo can deny that the ice cream functions as a phallic symbol.
Yeah, but who listens to the people that laughed at the Michele Bachmann corndog photo? I just thought they were juvenile.
I don't know what art school you went to but y'all read too much into shit. (For instance, I don't see Irene swooping back up to Kaddafi, because the lines are wrong.) Especially feminist shit, seeing dicks everywhere you look. I guess Obama's sucking dick in this juxtaposition, right?
And you wonder why some of us won't meet you half-way on the gay shit,...
Glad to hear Irene is doing well in the tropics.
She and Mr Irene (and the pups) deserve a little time off.
:)
As for the rest, Herbert Obama doesn't give a damn. He's wrecked the country the way Mommy the Commie wanted and he's just running out the clock.
WV "poodo" What Poppy leaves.
Nobody seems to have noticed what King said.
Both Jew and Gentile will be saying "Free at last," somewhere in the speech.
Free from what?
Their racism.
Why are blacks not free? The struggle continues. With what, nobody is noticing. Politeness.
Irene means peace. It's like Islam.
After a year or so of her nagging us, my son and I finally built a treehouse for my grandaughter.
It was up for about a month.
I had been a bit worried about the treehouse surving a hurricane but Irene was just a tropical storm, 50mph wind. We think of that as not much more than a strong breeze in Puerto Rico.
By the time it got to my house Sunday night, it was 70-75MPH.
The treehouse survived. The whole tree blew down.
She is heartbroken.
If you all want Irene, you are welcome to her.
John Henry
News story on the fireworks car says it contained "drug paraphernalia"
Drug paraphanalia can include pretty much anything these days.
I have a package of roach clips in my desk. Radio Shack sells them to one and all under the euphemism "Alligator Clips" I use them for making up test leads.
Does that mean that if my house is ever searched I will be charged with having drug paraphernalia?
It would be nice to have a bit more clarity from the press. Nice but hardly expected.
John Henry
Has no one here noticed the swirl direction on Pres. Obama's DQ?
ScottM/
How come the Denver murals and the assoc conspiracy theories and controversy loud enough to cause them to be painted over never rose to the level of the MSM? Seems pretty major to me--or was I zoned out. I listen to "Coast to Coast" fairly regularly and missed any mention of it there also--have I been THAT drunk? And is the runway & taxiway system really laid out in the rough shape of a Swastika?
I think you can also interpret Qaddafi's stance as one of defiance and Obama's as childlike.
You could further interpret that Drudge supports Qaddafi and not Obama.
rhhardin said...
Irene means peace. It's like Islam.
Islam means submission.
ScottM/
Further googling reveals that it WAS on "Coast to Coast"--I WAS that drunk all these years! Hmmm....what else have I missed?
They painted the murals over when it became apparent that Elizabeth was determined to outlive her son, thus reducing the critical flow of funds needed to take over the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
The Obama picture on Drudge just changed to one of him (Obama) riding a bicycle.
What does it mean? I'm guessing that it's just that he's feckless.
How come the Denver murals and the assoc conspiracy theories and controversy loud enough to cause them to be painted over never rose to the level of the MSM?
That's a great question, isn't it? I found out about it while doing a little research for a short story submission and was frankly shocked at what I found.
ScottM/
Just found overhead pic of Denver runway sys--it IS in the sahpe of a Swasrtika! See@http://citynoise.org/article/4367
I'm guessing that it's just that he's feckless.
Well, he's certainly freckleless. We gingers would never have him sully our ranks.
About Michelle Bachmann and corn dog, how come we don't have pictures of Palin eating anything, she was at the fair too?
The ice cream is white. This will further disappoint the Maxine Waters types of the world.
It should have been a vanilla/chocolate swirl with a rainbow of sprinkles. Can't his handlers do anything right?
"Interesting for an artist known most for his dots would have aught to say about lines."
Yes, and there is discussion about that at the "more here" link. The dots establish lines, and he ascribed emotional meaning to the lines.
The dots establish lines, and he ascribed emotional meaning to the lines.
Rick James: "Cocaine is a helluva drug."
Ann's "Drudgetaposition" idea is a sharp (and original) observation in that the pix on Drudge's page are clearly intended to work together to communicate a theme. But I'm not sure that Seurat is the best comparison or that a focus on the linear element really works. Drudge undoubtedly wants his layout to work as a unified whole. Perhaps the better analogy than a painted canvas would be a Joseph Cornell-like box of found objects, each of which is illuminated by the context in which the artist places them.
Richard Dolan/
MOMA had quite an exhibition of Cornell's work back circa '79. iirc. His, especially, is a work best viewed in "3-D."
I could have had this thing backwards. Charles may be attempting to poison (arsenic?)or otherwise hasten the death of his mom (why else would he have married CPB?) in an effort to gain the throne and put an end to the drain on the household purse and crown jewels in purchasing mineral rights under the Denver airport.
The swastikas of course, are an obvious tie-in.
The whole thing is creepy. See if you can find a link to the plaque donated by a world organization that doesn't actually exist.
Haha. I am getting emails from people from whom I have not heard in 20 years.
From Tam's post on the matter:
Wait, what? A quick scan around the usual sources and you'd think that Barry was preparing to storm Qa... Kha... Gadhafi's compound single-handedly, with a knife in his teeth, and gas prices will recede like the oceans did at his election.
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2011/08/oceania-has-always-been-at-war-with.html
I'm waiting for someone to say "How dare Gadaffy not fall and give Obama the victory HE deserves!"
I'm still stand in'
Better than. Ever did
Lookin like a true survivor
Feelin like a little kid
I’m still standing YEAH YEAH YEAH
Sorry, that headline got me humming that atrocious Elton John song from the 80's. Thanks drudge!
"Looking to the right is looking into the future. "
2012, here we come.
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