Flying in the land of idiots

The airline industry is the largest scapegoat in the aftermath of 9-11. In order to relieve the public (those without any common sense) of the new dangers of flying, a few schmucks in an office in Washington continue to come up with ways to make people feel safe when it comes to air travel. These safety regulations could be argued more ridiculous than the parodies in the movie ‘Aiplane!’. To make the public feel safe, everyone must now wait in a line, and only bring 3oz of gels or fluids in a clear plastic bag …so that white collared public works guards can torment passengers that try to bring their mass murdering lipstick into the sterile area. The funny thing is American’s feel safe because someone actually makes certain the face matches the ID and someone is taxing them to be sure they stop Mr. Karim from walking through the front door with a big round bomb. Why are Americans generally so willing to listen to the government after 9-11? Why are they generally so naive? A real funny movie could be one about the retarded filters and regulations imposed at airports post 9-11 with no significance to actual safety and how stupidly receptive the American public is to them.

Team America World Police?

Since I'm late in posting, I figured I'd try to post something that hasn't been mentioned...(which doesn't mean it will be anything brilliant, unfortunately.)
To me, the foremost cliche in Team America World Police is the title. While America has long been considered a world mediator (oftentimes meddling unwanted and uninvited in conflicts), it certainly hasn't been something our country has chosen to pride itself upon. We don't go around cheering for ourselves and our unnecessary input in world affairs. We accept the idea that our actions as a nation have been deemed "policing," but we are not proud of it. While we struggle to make domestic decisions regarding health care, education, and immigration, liberals have a hard time prioritizing arms build-up and increased spending on our military, which would function to help us continue to "police the world." As far as meddling outside of the US, we find ourselves in these situations and typically have to apologize or admit regret and poor decision making. I think the title of this puppet show is ironic, satirical, and an apparent display of a cliche that we're proud to fight off world terrorists and save the planet. Of course 4 people can't save the world, but America thinks it can, and will. Regardless of subplots, random hook-ups, disgusting puking, and amazing puppets, the whole moral of Team America World Police is a re-enactment of long-held untruths--that America has the resources, intelligence, and answers to the entire world's problems.

Completely Unrelated to the Team America Blog Topic...

I believe that the American public (myself included) has been generally in the dark when it comes to the underhanded things that are presently going on in Washington DC. This is one of the most insightful videos relating to politics that I have seen in the past year. There are some very funny parts, but the entire segment is very much on-point. The clip is pretty long, but I found it to be an amazing learning experience; thus I felt that I should share it with you:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04272007/watch.html

(Bill Moyers is a journalist for PBS, and I think we all know who Jon Stewart is)

Love Subplots and Matt Damon

Through uniquely rendered and poorly hidden sarcasm, the makers of Team America: World Police criticized the American government, politically-minded Americans on both sides of the spectrum, and all of Hollywood. The most poignant criticism, however, may have been that made about the single most typical film cliché: the love story in the subplot.

All too many mediocre Hollywood movies have a nauseating love story thrown in for no apparent reason. Some of these movies include: Bruce Almighty, Major League, Pearl Harbor, Rebound, The Island, and The Terminal. It seems that when a movie has only a moderately good plot line, producers decide to spice it up with a love story. Some of these movies have love-triangles, some have sex scenes in poor taste, some have the death of one lover, and all of them have heartache. Luckily for viewers, Stone and Parker make sure to include all of the above in Team America.

I know a movie is bad when it has a poorly thought-out subplot involving a love story. I know a movie is good when it takes this relationship over the top and makes it ooze of banality. Carson dying as he proposed to Lisa was the first sign of a well-woven storyline. I appreciated the unreciprocated love that Joe had for Sarah (who, like Lisa, was attracted to Gary), and I found the sex and oral sex scenes to be nice touches. Quite possibly the single best line in the movie had to do with satirizing the love story cliché. Better than the Titanic line “Never let go” was the Team America line “If only you could promise never to die, I could make love to you right now.”

I really hate the typical Hollywood subplots about love, and apparently, so do Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Also, on a side note, Matt Damon was the funniest part of the movie.

Team America

Is Team America World Police right wing satire? Like some of the previous posts, I'd have to disagree. Rather, it's a film that freely takes jabs at both the right and the left. It patronizes the ridiculousness of conservative America's messiah complex while at the same time railing the left's uneducated bias towards all things peaceful and their willingness to accept support from oftentimes uninformed outspoken celebrities. Trey and Matt love tearing into both sides of the political spectrum, and no one is safe.

The primary reason why Team America seems conservative is because of the comedic realm's general reluctance to tease its allies. What are comedians often times? Movie stars. However, cats like Matt Stone and Trey Parker are definitely not movie stars (has anyone seen BASEketball?). Instead they are Hollywood outsiders that don't really have a place in mainstream entertainment because of their complete unharnessed ridiculing of those around them (Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin). This alienation gives them the liberty to not only tease the already teased, but lampoon the unlampooned (bad word choice, I know) which gives them a whole new realm of unused material.

Sorry about the late post.

I am not sure if this is a cliche exactly, but I noticed a pattern of Team America professing their feelings for one another during the battle scenes. Starting with the first scene in France when the guy proposes to Lisa right before he gets killed to the last scene when Joe is finally able to tell Sarah he loves her as they are battling the "leopards," the characters tend to let their emotions get the best of them at the most inappropriate times. I might be off the mark, but I think Trey Parker and Matt Stone are doing a few things with this pattern: making fun of the sappy chick flicks that American audiences (typically female, but not always) get caught up in and satirizing the ridiculous way that Americans prioritize issues. Some of the lines that the characters use remind me of scenes from Dawson's Creek ("maybe feelings are feelings because we can't control them")- except Team America is saying this while fighting terrorists and attempting to save the world. Clearly their minds are not on their jobs. As far as prioritizing issues, Americans tend to get caught up in celebrity gossip and unimportant relationship trivia while there are much more serious problems in the world. Team America is illustrating how unproductive and possibly dangerous it is for the United States to be eliminating evil on a global scale while the majority of the population is self-absorbed and out of touch with what is actually going on.

Its Ronery at the Top

I think Team America does a good job satirizing the ethnocentric tendencies of Americans and of United States policies as a whole. As a general rule throughout the movie, each time a new country is discussed its location is based on the amount of miles from the United States. Additionally, the movie pokes fun at other languages by oversimplifying them to the point of condescension. In ‘Derka Derk’, Arabic words such as Derka, jihad, Mohammed, and Allah are repeated in a cyclical and unrelenting manner. Kim Jong-Il sings about being “ronery", an obvious joke about the stereotype that Asians pronounce English “Ls” as “Rs”.

Overall, Matt Stone and Trey Parker portray a moral about the dangers of unilateral policies in foreign affairs and use actors, who, over the years have become the ultimate symbol of power and prestige in our country, to save the world from disaster. The producers never actually use the name of any US politician in the movie but you can understand why Stone said that Bush would get mad. Essentially, they mock the very existence of George Bush as the President of our country.

On the cover of the movie, Stone and Parker satirize the motto that represents the attitude of the American government: Putting the “F” Back in Freedom. This slogan symbolizes the false beliefs of our government that democracy should operate in every other country, an idea that is also reinforced by the inclusion of ‘World Police’ in the title. Unfortunately though, the leaders of our country actually believe that they should regulate the activities of other countries because it will be in everyone’s best interest if they do. But sometimes, you have to sit a play or two out because you can’t solve all the world problems. The moral here is that America cannot cure the ills of the world alone because it is an impossible feat even for the biggest superpower in the world.

Puppets Make Me Laugh

The most telling part of TA's right-wing satiricial content is when Arec Baw-win is speaking to the media. He recounts the days destruction and says something along the lines of "who is to blame for today's events? Is it the terrorists themselves? No. Is it the people in power who equip these people with weapons of mass destruction? No. It is Team America World Police." Baldwin argues that TA's recklessness and irresponsibility caused the terrorist's retaliation on the Panama Canal (I think that is what they bombed, but I might be mistaken).

This speaks to the left-wing train of thought that sees liberals as weak and ignorant. Obviously suicidal crazed terrorists are to be blamed. Clearly people who use their money, power or status to help fund and thereby encourage terrorist activities are culpable for the consequent destruction and death toll. The South Park boys poke fun at the idea that America has somehow asked for terrorists to attack our home soil; that our foreign policy warrants some sort of retaliation.

Those who argued that we deserved or more appropriately, provoked 9/11, even in the slightest form, have lost sight of the true terror and evil that drives people willing to act as terrorist martyrs. TA tries to show how ridiculous this train of thought is by using Baldwin as their puppet (no pun intended, but it was nice, right?). This type of humor is why the movie can be considered satirical of right-wing politics.

Team America: World Police is not simply a right-wing satire of post 9/11 American culture. Rather, it seems to be a mostly unbiased political satire, freely and unapologetically taking shots at both the left and the right. My sense is that the producers of the movie exploited as many stereotypes of American political parties as possible. For both the right and the left wing, the obvious caricatures are drawn: patriotic, gun-loving, culturally ignorant conservatives, and the easily swayed, raving mad, liberals with communistic tendencies. If anything, Team America is an accurate analysis of the political atmosphere in the post 9/11 America – both conservatives and liberals have acted in ways to justify their ridiculous characterization in the movie.

Some seem to think that if something is not blatantly a left-wing satire it must be right-wing. However, I would be more comfortable simply calling Team America political satire because it takes stabs at both sides. The movie goes after the jingoism that is a commonly expressed critique of the right. It also goes after the left with its satirical representation of actors.
The movie seems to criticize the “right-side” approach of policing every other country. It conveys the idea that conservative America has a superiority complex and that it takes any and all matters into its own hands, often acting before thinking. Overall, the movie satirizes the brazen, physical force approach. On the other side, the movie also suggests that the ignorant peace talks can solve everything method is also in the wrong, at least to an extent. Therefore, in reality, Team America looks at both sides with a critical and satirical eye.

Team America: No One is Safe

I would not agree with the assertion that Team America: World Police is a product of right-wing ideology. Watching the film, there is evidence that the writers freely satirize both sides of the political spectrum. One can see the resemblances between Team America and many of the episodes of South Park; no one is safe from the criticism of these writers. The Bush administration is ridiculed for its overeliance on "intelligence" through the computer system featured in the film named "I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E." By personifying intelligence as a single human-like entity, the writers are poking fun at Bush's references to "intelligence" as if it was one specific person or thing that automatically knows all. In addition, the original songs featured in the film are making fun of the plethora of post-911 country songs (associated with conservatives) that were deemed so inspirational, but whose lyrics were often vengeful, violent, and just plain immature. On the other hand, the Film Actors Guild as well as many specific actors are also called out. The writers really sum up their view on the credibility of actors' role in politics with a line from the Alec Baldwin character: "As actors, it's our responsibility to say what we read in newspapers and then repeat it on tv like its our own opinion."

Although the story line of the film is clearly political in nature, I would argue that Trey Parker and Matt Stone do not criticize one political group in order to benefit the other; they make fun of liberals and conservatives alike to show the ridiculousness of both extremes. If I had to guess, I think that these writers' main beef with politics is the polarization of the the two parties. They look at both Hollywood actors' liberalism for the sake of liberalism as well as war hawks' jingoist propaganda with equal disgust. It seems that, like Bill Maher, they would like a political environment with a little more common sense and a lot less bullshit.

"Intelligence"

One striking cliché I noticed in the film was how Team America relied on a super-computer, “intelligence”, for all of its, intelligence needs. This type of situation appears in scores of action/thrillers and other Hollywood productions, where a team of evil-fighting good-guys relies upon a super-powered computer to alert them of all the information they need to know, yet have know way of figuring out themselves. Of course, in the war on terrorism, such a super-computer is pretty essential when trying to figure out where on “Dirka-Dirka” street the terrorists are meeting. Furthermore, in America’s actual response to 9/11, (think of the lead-up to the Iraq war), it was pieces of “intelligence” about Iraq’s nuclear arsenal that compelled us to go to war.

However, as in real life, “intelligence” seems to get a lot wrong. For starters, “intelligence” sounds like a 25 year-old stoner who hasn’t had a job since selling weed in high school. Plus, a bulk of the info he provides to Team America is obviously wrong. Thus, “Intelligence’s” role as a provider of false information to team America is a strong satire of the Bush Administration’s over-reliance on false information in the days before the Iraq War. Iraq trying to develop nuclear weapons from African Uranium? Is this a piece of information from “intelligence” in the movie or a piece of information that the Bush Administration relied upon in its decision to invade Iraq? Its hard to tell, but it could have been from either contexts! And that is the point. In the movie, the team’s over-reliance on “intelligence” was an obvious statement about America’s over-reliance upon similar, faulty intelligence-gathering schemes.

Team America: Right Wing?

I do not agree with the assertion that "Team America: World Police" is a right wing satire. Having now seen the movie twice, I think that it points out the follies and inadequacies of both the right and left in American politics. Certainly it pokes fun at how absurdly liberal Hollywood is with the Film Actors Guild. If this was a normal movie, the moral of it would be something along the lines of force being necessary to stay safe, which also pokes fun at the peace-loving liberals. On the other side, everyplace that Team America goes to kill terrorists they do more destruction and leave the locals more disenchanted than if they had never shown up. In France they blow up the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and the locals look horrified even after Team America announces that they've saved them from terrorists with WMDs. In Egypt they blow up pyramids and the Sphinx and the locals look shocked even though Team America was supposedly protecting them. Also, another jab at the current administration and the right is the fallibility of I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E., which sometimes just shows Team America the evening news. More than anything, the movie shows that to be successful in today's world there needs to be a balance and a trust between those that wish to remain peaceful and those that would like to use force as a tool for safety at home.

Team America

I'm not sure it's entirely possible to classify Team America as either a left-wing or right-wing satire. It seemed to me like the producers are going after everyone, right and left, no one is spared. If we take Team America as the right-wing, the opening scenes are pretty relevant: the American centrist Team America tries to 'help' and actually just makes everything more chaotic, by destroying Cairo and knocking down the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe (resemble the war in Iraq to anyone else?). If then, we take the Film Actors Guild (FAG) as the left-wing we see too, that neither is the liberal viewpoint accomlishing anything - too embittered towards America, the actors fail to lay blame on the actual perpertrators of the attacks and end up blowing up Team America headquarters and allying themselves with the enemy. In the end, it seems an almost total role reversal - the actors are violently attacking Team America (though they do get equally violently killed) in the name of peace and Team America is using words (albeit completely ridiculous ones) to save the world. Yes, Team America wins out in the end but it is not with the same 'Fuck Yeah' attitude: they fight the actors when necessary yes, but they rely also on 'negotiation' and reaching an agreement (of sorts) with the ones they're trying to protect.

Team America: World Police as Right-Wing Satire

When we began watching Team America: World Police in class, I assumed that it would be a liberal attack on post-9/11 America, like most of the other material we have looked at this semester. As the film progressed, though, I observed that many of the jokes were made at the expense of American liberals. For example, the film portrayed Hollywood and the "Film Actors Guild" negatively by claiming that they simply repeated whatever "anti-patriotic" messages were found in mainstream newspapers and therefore that they were undermining America's attempt to save the world from terrorism. This is a clear attack on the left, and could be considered an example of right-wing satire. I do not think that the movie is entirely conservative satire, though, as it does not depict America's counterterrorism efforts in an especially flattering light. Team America's solution to any threat is to use military force rather than diplomacy, and this excessive force results in massive destruction all around the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Sphinx. The intelligence computer that Team America relies on is also a criticism of the current administration and the intelligence failures that it has experienced.

Team America does not discriminate in the targets of its attacks. Both the right and the left are mocked. I can understand that because the film is less pro-liberal than most of today's political satire, some might consider it right-wing. In my opinion, though, the film is a satire of American society as a whole, from the extreme right to the extreme left, and everyone in between.

If I were to write a movie that commented upon post-9/11 culture, I think I would have to focus on America’s ambivalence towards the attitudes of other nations. Immediately after the attacks of 9/11, America went into a state of shock, and the majority of the rest of the world was considerate enough to give moral and physical support to the U.S in our time of need. My satirical movie would center on the fact that America has hardly shown the same consideration and awareness when other nations have been attacked. Besides the usual Middle Eastern sites of terrorist attacks, even our close “partners,” like the United Kingdom, historically have dealt with terrorism on a regular basis. We expect the rest of the world to be appalled by our own tragedy, yet many Americans are unaware of the more prevalent acts of terrorism on other nations. American centrism is nothing new, but it seems to be magnified by our own preoccupation with “us” (could be a play on the abbreviation U.S).
Stealing a bit from Maher, I think that many very funny movie scenes could be shown that make fun America’s answers regarding security. The airports are a joke currently – no nail scissors or shampoo – and I think there is probably comic gold in scenes that make fun of the “serious hygiene sacrifices facing many Americans in the fight against terrorism.” These petty and paranoid measures on behalf of national security seem ridiculous when compared to the airport security in other nations; guns and trained guards, for example, as a way to protect citizens in the area. But Americans are too concerned with the allusion of security (no guns or guards), then they are with actual measures.
I think Maher was also right on the mark regarding the dependence of foreign oil. I’d love to show some movie scenes where anti-war activists gather upon Washington to protest, leave their cars running, and then drive away into a polluted sunset in gas-guzzling SUVs.
Finally, I think an interesting thing for a movie to focus on would be the interaction and ambivalence of the President with the Congress. In many ways, the decisions to send troops into Iraq send a message of the failures of the American political system. Too mired in partisanship to make decisions that would actually benefit the country, politicians (and let’s be honest, many citizens) are like children picking a team: red or blue. Instead of working together, we’re faced with a game where both sides are trying so hard to win that they lose sight of the needs of their constituencies.

Pooping on the World

During the first half of Team America, I was tempted to say that the movie's creators were equal opportunity offenders -- not politically inclined too heavily one way or the other. When Team America was fighting terrorists in the Middle East, the team (enacting conservative policies to "hunt terrorists") appeared pretty stupid themselves, nearly killing a member of their own team.
But by the end of the movie, it's pretty clear that this film errs on the side of right-wing political humor. Puppet celebrities of Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon and Helen Hunt mock the real life political efforts of politically liberal celebrities like George Clooney and Matt Damon. They are painted as being so pacifist and stupid that they actually aid Kim Jong-il in his efforts to 'blow up the world,' and get in the way of US army (Team America) that is going to save humanity. Then, the actors are practically brought to wooden tears by a speech about being "pussys." After some powerful rhetoric about assholes pooping on the world, the uninformed liberals now see the light and let Team America fight the North Korean dictator.
Team America saves the day.

Weekend Post, for fun

I would be in for either the 9th or the 14th.

Everyone should check these out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQCS5pLsCE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBf6QFeEHU4

Have a great weekend.

end of the year class get together

hi everyone,
here are some possible dates for our little "meeting." I found one date from each of the next three weeks that worked for me, I hope at least one works for everyone.
* Thursday, May 3rd (after class)
* Wednesday, May 9 (I think David and Gillian would both be back by that night)
* Monday, May 14

i guess everyone vote for the one that works best for you....

cairo. that's in egypt.

Alright, folks. Just one more. Please write on one of the following topics by 8PM Sunday night.

1. Your best friend from high school is now an up-and-coming Hollywood producer. (Who knew?) You're pushing your way through "Club Sidewalk" after a night on the town, when your friend leans over and says, "Pssst! I'm looking to make a satirical movie about post-9/11 American culture. You got any ideas?" Hmmm, interesting. How do you respond?

2. Team America: World Police has been called a right-wing satire of post-9/11 American culture. Do you think that's true? Why?

3. Describe a cliche that you noticed in Team America and talk about its significance (just think about it, there are a bunch of them).

4. What's the moral of Team America?

Ali G interviews Posh Spice & David Beckham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6lrc&mode=related&search=

While this clip doesn't say much about Sacha Baron Cohen's ability to expose American culture, it does give us some insight as to his general tactics for interviewing celebrities and satirizing society. Victoria & David Beckham know who Ali G is, unlike the majority of Sacha Baron Cohen's interviewees, and are able to play along with him throughout the clip. However, the way he gets to the punchline of his jokes is by relying on common codes of conduct and morals. That is, he says things to the effect of "Don't you support your child's education?" when asking the Beckhams if they have taught their son how to roll a "spliff." Similarly Cohen is able to trap them into what they say, and spin it back around as a joke on them, like naming his son KFC in Langley Village. Victoria clearly doesn't take herself that seriously and is able to joke back with Cohen, however David's responses are more serious in nature (in response to questions about the England football team) and he remains quiet or laughing the remainder of the time. This clip shows us that Cohen's humor (in Ali G) can still be effective even if his interviewees are not as unsuspecting as we would like to believe.

Manipulation and Values

Sasha Baron Cohen has the amazing ability of manipulating others when the cameras are on. People not used to the limelight are willing to be agreeable as long as Cohen does not cross paths with their morals. For instance:
- Interviewees are willing to contradict themselves, by saying for instance that their show was both “heavy” and “light as air.”
- They are willing to jump off buses and do machine-gun punches while yelling “PARTY” at the top of their lungs.
- They are willing to say that fashion saves more lives than doctors and that people with bad fashion sense should be sent to Auschwitz and can be called “fashion terrorists.”
- They are willing to go from calling Paris Hilton “disgusting” to singing her praises.
- Politicians are willing to smile and nod while Borat tells female voters that horses and dogs are superior to women.

For as long as possible, Cohen tries to toe line of what his interviewees find morally acceptable. Before that line is crossed, he is able to manipulate actions and words. But it is always very clears once his remarks do not agree with his interviewees values. For example, knowing that anti-homosexuality is one of those values, Cohen toes that line with his character Bruno. The anti-gay stigma in the south is so strong that interviewees are willing to give up their 15 minutes of fame so as to not be associated with homosexuality.
However, interviewees that are used to the cameras, like Donald Trump, often do not put up with Cohen’s shit and are more than willing to walk away.

Check out a great example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJFmgUYjdGE&mode=related&search=. The no-names that he interviews say anything, while gissele bundchen says what she wants.

Git-tar and Hos

I think the prelude to the country music song is quite funny and is very similar to the other skits we have viewed in terms of setting the victim up with sympathy and then immersing them into an uncomfortable situation. He starts in with the country music musician with a strong sincerity of wanting help Cohen write a country song. The musician right off the bat was portrayed to be sympathetic to Cohen’s foreign culture. Cohen traps the musician by giving an absurd unfamiliar “song from home” that only makes the musician feel guilty and obligated to help. After cornering him, Cohen then goes in for the kill by moving from a helpful situation to an uncomfortable one by saying he wants to write a song about his wife dying and his sister having “best sex in mouth”. You could see the discomfort of the musician; however, he tries to sympathize with Cohen by proclaiming “that’s a talent too” in regards to his sister being a prostitute.

The performance of the song had a different take on cultural discomfort. At first glances of facial expressions, the audience at the bar seemed pissed that someone was invading their culture and seemingly mocking them. However, as the song progressed, more of the audience began taking Cohen’s foreign origin not as one of insult to them, but as a comrade singing in their style. The giggling in the background and people singing along was a signal that they had accepted him into their culture. Once he had gained that acceptance, the entire culture seemingly unconsciously crossed the socially appropriate boundary by chanting the racially fused lyrics to his song.

It was quite ironic seeing two separate takes on uncomfortable cultural situations and watching the accepting responses. The musician, made a supporting statement to Cohen even though it was obvious he did not accept the nature of what he wanted to sing about. The audience in the bar accepted him as a stranger by supporting his song, even though it was racially crossing the line. The differences however, were to that of conscious support and unconscious support. Cohen shows conscious and supportive affiliation with a foreign culture here with the musician and remarks against his obvious personal feelings and unconscious supportive affiliation with the audience in the bar through their cultural acceptance, and chanting words to a song in support without full understanding of what they were actually saying.

Sorority Girl

In going in a similar theme but different direction, I imagined Sasha Baron Cohen if he was in female form. I imagine him as a typical southern sorority girl. I think sorority girls can get boys to act stupid on many occasions. There is nothing better then a frat-tastic guy trying to impress a sorority sister. The stereotypical blond would be a good female counter to sasha baron cohen's male personas.

Heteronormality (is that word?)

The episode of Ali G about Alabama, “the gayest part of America,” is interesting in the way it points out the heteronormative aspect of American culture, especially involving Sports like football. The point of interest in this scene, is in the beginning when Bruno is at the Alabama versus Mississippi football game and attempts to join the female cheerleaders as they dance and cheer on the Alabama squad. As soon as Bruno begins dancing with the cheerleaders, he is booed by the fans, is sternly warned to stop dancing, and is given the middle finger. Then the whole audience begins to boo him until he stops dancing. The paradox of this situation is that it is the “norm” that that the female cheerleaders, who clearly exude heterosexuality, are encouraged to dance by the fans, yet it is clearly unacceptable for Bruno, who exudes blatant homosexuality, to dance at all in front of the fans at the game. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a heteronormative requirement or expectation that the cheerleaders clearly exude heterosexuality as opposed to homosexuality.

My favorite quote of the entire episode, one which I feel epitomizes the anti-gay sentiment embodied by the clip, is uttered by Shaud Williams, the Alabama player who Bruno interviews. When Bruno asks Shaud what he would you like to say to the Austrian gay community, Shaud responds “Don’t come looking for me!” This quote perfectly illustrates the distance and fear of homosexuality in general that goes hand in hand with the heteronormative aspects of culture, especially in places like Alabama.

Sasha Baron Cohen Visits CU's sorority recruitment, Jan. 2008

Erica's post inspired me. While I definitely agree that Sasha Baron Cohen, as one of any of his characters, would elicit pure hilarity from Cornellians at a frat party or outside CTP post-bars, I think a visit to Panhellenic recruitment (sorority rush) at the end of January would be the kind of expose only he could properly portray satirically. I can imagine him showing up to a sorority house as Bruno critiquing the hard-fast attire imposed by the formal recruitment chair up at Panhel. In case anyone isn't familiar, the dress code is pretty much jeans, sweaters, and flats day 1 and 2, dress pants or skirts, heels or boots and tops for days 3 and 4, and fancy pants or dress for final round. The dress code applies generally to sisters as well as rushees, so it's basically a week-long fashion show. Considering sisters in some houses are sent home for what they choose to wear to rush, and some potential new members are, in fact, judged by their outfits during the rounds, Bruno would literally have a field day.
I can also picture Borat joining the festivities to learn a bit more about the whole structured process of rush, which I won't get into in this post. However, I will lend credence to the fact that Borat would pee his pants if he could be involved, even as an innocent bystander, while chapters vote on girls.
If I had to give Ali G one role as a guest at rush I'd place him as the hot chocolate man. Every house at Cornell offers rushees beverages during the rounds, and, clearly every house needs someone to make the hot chocolate or coffee or whathaveyou. At our house, a lady from nationals always helps out during rush by making our hot cocoa, and Ali G could totally fill in for her and have a blast just listening to what people say behind closed doors. If I were a producer during Ali G's visit as a part-time hot chocolate man, I'd for sure script him to put nasty shit in the pot.
Sometimes just thinking about what Sasha Baron Cohen has allowed himself to do makes me feel evil. He's the devil on his audiences' shoulder.

Country

I've also never seen Borat the Movie (actually, the only Cohen satire I have seen is in class), so I do not have a lot of experience with the characters and the meaning behind them. The more I think about the country music clip, the more I think that Stephanie is right about Borat pointing out the ridiculous way Americans treat foreigners because they are afraid of offending them. Since they know nothing about Borat's culture, they do not want to condemn anything that is so clearly out of line; they tolerate Borat instead.

If the country music scene was changed to, say, a New York City karaoke bar, I believe the reaction would have been different. Although everyone should know that it is completely awful to sing "throw the Jew down the well," people who are far removed from anything Jewish (small bar in the South) are more inclined to support a random foreigner who comes with video cameras.

Borat's Experiment with Country Music

I'm probably in the vast minority of all college students in that I've never seen Borat the movie, so when we watched the experiment with country music on Thursday, it was the first time I had ever seen it. I found myself unsure of how to react to the clip. Because I know that Cohen is Jewish and because we had discussed his strategy of creating absurd situations to see how his targets react, I was less offended by the song than by the crowd's reaction to it.

I agree that part of the explanation for the audience's enthusiasm is undoubtedly that they are fans of country music and they never thought that they would be shown in the American mainstream media. I don't think, however, that this excuses their behavior. Even if the audience wasn't made up of raging anti-Semites and they were all just singing along because it was a catchy tune, everyone in this day and age should know that it's never OK to mock other racial or ethnic groups the way Borat's song does. As someone mentioned in class, the song probably would have been popular with the audience no matter which minority group was being thrown down the well. I think that this speaks volumes about the crowd's mentality of following along and passively accepting whatever bigotry they were being asked to agree with. The fact that not a single person in the bar felt uncomfortable or embarrassed by "Throw the Jew Down the Well" is extremely disconcerting and makes me realize that even though America has come far in the past few decades in terms of racism and prejudice, we as a country still have a long way to go.

Borat goes Big Red

I am not creative enough to come up with my own Ali G-type character; I’ll leave the handy work to Sacha Baron Cohen. However, there is plenty of potential to film at Cornell with the three characters Cohen's already created. Sort of a take off on Bruno and the wrestlers on Spring Break, Borat with C.U. frat boys might make for a good clip.

Something that might be funny or perhaps ironic about this combination is that the bigoted comments Borat makes regarding women and different ethnic groups is definitely the type of talk I’ve heard in frat houses from time to time. Certainly, Borat’s version of things is a lot more exaggerated than the mutterings of even the drunkest fraternity brother, but the sentiments are there.

Borat Does Cornell would take place on “Club Sidewalk,” a term affectionately used to describe the corner of College Ave. and Dryden at around 1:15am when the bars have let out. The corner becomes the hottest spot in town when hundreds of drunk college students go after their drunk munchee pizza. Club Sidewalk is the closest thing to a “meat market” that really exists at Cornell – with bars closed, the options are to go home, or to go home with someone else. Borat on Club Sidewalk, playing wingman to some fraternity brothers, might reveal some frightening similarities.

Fashionistas: Masters of Conformity?

Throughout history, there have been so many examples of demagogues who lead entire groups of individuals to a fatal end. I always used to wonder how they managed to coax so many people to follow them. Watching Bruno's Fashion Show helped affirm my belief that as a whole, individuals lack the common sense and rationality we often prefer to attribute to them. In the many previous cases of demagoguery, the demagogue frequently appealed to some mix of charisma, eloquence, well reasoned arguments, or a higher authority to sway the opinions of others. And yet Bruno, unquestioningly lacking in eloquence, well reasoned arguments, or an appeal to a higher authority, was able to mold the responses of his interviewees with aplomb. His only redeeming quality was some degree of charisma and the perception of ignorance or vulnerability as a flamboyantly gay foreigner. It's counter-intuitive that characteristics such as ignorance or vulnerability would be a point of strength in rallying others behind one's view; typically, individuals will only follow leaders who appear to have risen beyond these shortcomings.

There are two obvious conclusions that may be drawn from Bruno's strong influence on the answers given by his interviewees: 1) Bruno's incredible charisma and perceived weaknesses caught them off guard 2) His interviewees lacked the common sense or foresight to discern the traps of contradiction that Bruno was laying for them. The first conclusion probably has a strong degree of truth - the great success of Sasha Baron Cohen lies in his ability to create personas that mislead and cause others to lower their guard. The second conclusion is more troubling. Bruno interviewed fashionistas, and if he were to have asked them questions on politics or metaphysics, it would not be surprising if their answers were unenlightened or even contradictory. However, Bruno did not delve into any subjects other than fashion - a topic that these fashionistas presumably know enough about to speak somewhat coherently about.

That the fashionistas were so easily influenced by the nimble wording of Bruno is not a good testament to their alleged innovative spirit or elitism. If they are so easily influenced in even speaking about their work, how much of their work is as derivative? Fashion design is supposed to be an art of expression, and yet, the designer at the end was unable to even articulate the clear meaning of the fashion show, whether it was supposed to be heavenly and light or weighty, about the individual or the collectivity. These are terms that sit comfortably in the fashion world vernacular - the designer's inability to use them correctly undermines his apparent understanding of fashion, and the explanations designers typically use to describe their work. Rather than using these terms to explain their work, it seems as though they are used to form contrived explanations that fit with whatever the current trend seems to be.

Fashion saves a lot more lives than doctors

I've seen the third clip, with Bruno at the fashion show interviewing designers, several times and I am always impressed by the fierce stupidity that abounds. It's truly astonishing to know that someone can be so unintelligent about one's own profession and livelihood. The designers were so obtuse and banal that they were as much a caricature of the fashion industry as Bruno. This was particularly true of the last guy that continually contradicted himself. He apparently had a cardboard theme that ran through his designs that was both humorous and humorless, light and heavy, individualized yet 'about others.' Bruno catches this bullshitter who had no vision and no meaning behind his supposedly meaningful art.

All of the people interviewed attempted to give off a sense of unattainable attractiveness. It was like they had each drank from the holy grail of fashion and were on a level above everyone else. When I actually took a moment to look at them, though, none of them struck me as more than regular (at best) looking people wearing silly, elaborate designs. Who the hell was that guy with the Burger King crown on?!

Some people are apparently so desperate for attention that they will say anything on camera. It makes them feel important, like they are an authority on a subject. What 'Bruno' does so masterfully is let these self-righteous people feel comfortable and important while asking questions that expose their mental, moral, and professional limitations.

Borat: Master of Manipulation

The first time I saw the "Throw The Jew Down The Well" clip I was completely taken aback. It was about 2 years ago and I had seen only a couple Ali G clips and did not really know who this guy was. Seeing a goofy comedian leading a huge group of Southerners in an obviously anti-semitic song was unsettling to say the least. How shamelessly hateful and racist must these people be to clap and sing along to such obviously offensive lyrics, I thought.

However, I've learned a lot more about Sascha Baron Cohen since then, changing my opinion in many ways about the subjects of his pranks. While his foray into the country music world initially appeared to be a startling exposure of the anti-semitism inherent in Southern culture, I've since come to realize that the actions of the people in the clip is more a result of Cohen's mastery of comedy and manipulation, as well as the ignorance of his "marks."

Cohen/Borat introduces himself as a foreign news reporter, providing his targets with a feeling of safety because they are assuming that no one they know will ever see the recordings. Additionally, this provides him the flexibility to do a lot of incredibly random stuff that his marks will just pass of as quirks of the Kazakhstani culture, which they likely know nothing about. Throw in their unfamiliarity with Jews (or race issues in general -- being secluded in the relatively homogenous state of Arizona) and love for nationalism and catchy country music and the aforementioned clip is what results. They are just getting caught up in a moment that brings their ignorance into stark contrast for the viewers and not participating in a festive Jew-hating rally as it first appears.

3. Fashion Saves Lives

Sacha Baron Cohen does a really good job here of exposing the hyped-up materialistic nature of fashion. I'm not going to lie, I very much enjoy fashion - but in the end, it's just clothes. The interview at the end of this clip, with the designer who pretty much repeats every contradictory thing Cohen feeds him, demonstrates how incredibly fake the fashion world can be. The man contradicts himself at least 3 times in the interview, claiming that his collection is both intended as light and heavy, for the individual and for the community, etc. Fashionistas like to think that their clothes carry meaning, that they define who we are, but really, they're just clothes. The designers in this clip have extremely high opinions of their work, putting far more significance than is deserved on their occupation (no, clothes do not save lives). Fashion is fun, but it saves no lives, it has no profound goodness to it - it is an entirely materialistic (and wildly overpriced) profession/hobby/interest/whatever. At least the guy didn't say he thought consistency was important - I was definitely expecting him too.

This clip also demonstrates the willingness of people to say anything, go along with anything, when their speaking to someone foreign. Osama bin Laden is cool and fashionable? What? Did he actually just say that? Yes, he did - presumably because Bruno prompted him and, knowing nothing about other cultures, he assumed it was an ok, accepted thing to say (when in truth, it is way out of line and demonstrates the man's incredible ignorance).

Gayest Part of America

Here are my insights on what makes the Alabama clip work:

Gayest part of America, Alabama!
This comment alone is funny because one would assume that Alabama would actually be a very gay-unfriendly place to live, due to the socially conservative, religiously-based attitudes of many southerners

Football game
This is a good setting for Bruno to pick, because football is typically thought of as a very macho sport. One would expect that it would be an even more un-accepting place for gays than some other places in Alabama. It is thus not surprising when he gets booed and the finger for dancing with the cheerleaders.

Interview with runningback, Shaud Williams
He is not as outraged by Bruno’s initial “gay” comments as the wrestling boys in the clip we saw in class, so Bruno has to push further. Bruno is still able to show the unfounded fear that many straight male athletes hold of gay men, which Shaud reflects in his statement to the Austrian gay community: “I’m not gay so don’t come looking for me.”

Interview with event organizer at Pro America Expo
Another setting where one would expect prejudice views, this time, Bruno also exposes this man’s blatant anti-semitism. The man comments: “freedom means doing what you want…without the Jewish hand in your pocket.”
This man is not as repulsed initially by gay people as some other interviewees but Bruno still exposes his ignorance by getting him to say that gay people are free to do what they want as long as it is in the privacy of their own home and “as long as you stay away from my kids.” Bruno is exposing this man’s ignorance, as it is pretty much a fact that one does not get “recruited” to be gay; they either are or are not. The man then ends the interview by calling Bruno “some fucking fag” which the event organizer claims, makes Bruno “unprofessional.”

Country Music

I found Borat’s “experiment with country music” very effective and enjoyable because of the skits ability to heighten the viewer’s awareness of just what people are willing to do or say in an unfamiliar context. Borat’s song is appallingly anti-Semitic, however the audience is perfectly willing to stamp and clap along with the song because Borat is foreigner and there are no Jews in the audience to take offense. The scene is amusing, but scary, because it seems to be so strongly reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Both the message of the song and vigorous hand movements remind one of a Nazi rally. Borat’s character proves that people are willing to do or say mostly anything if someone tells them to do, or if it’s in their own self-interest.

Despite the frightening effectiveness of Borat’s skit, I wonder if his audience watching the show will be too quick to assume that the only reason the song was popular was because it was introduced into a Southern community. I sense that Borat is probably most popular on the West and Northeast parts of the United States, both of which are areas whose populations are quick to point out how different/superior they are to the South. I feel like the majority of people watching Cohen’s show think, “hah, look at those ignorant Southerners,” which of course, is missing the point completely. I highly doubt that the Borat show is meant to be an ego boost for Northerners. I think the message is probably lost in translation for many viewers, which is unfortunate because instead of forcing introspection in an audience that is perfectly happy to sing along to music that describes the rape or beating of women, the “experiment with country music” points a finger at only one segment of the population.

Fashion

The fashion industry is designed to make you feel ugly. Top designers put beautiful clothes on beautiful people, make them scowl at the camera and take a picture of them to make you think that in order for your normal looking self to get that pretty, you'll need those sweet pair of jeans or slightly distressed t-shirt too. By nature, the fashion industry is designed to alienate the normal people, and subsequently attempt to make them want to be part of this odd little world where everyone is better looking than Barbie or Ken. It's elitist and a realm that is fenced off from the homely.

Sascha Baron Cohen does an excellent job bringing this sense of superiority and alienation to light in his Fashion segment. Whether it's through getting a fashion designer to admit that she thinks that people who live in trailer parks are "rubbish" or having some goofy dude say that fashion is what "keeps us alive", viewers can't believe that successful people could ever be that irrational and borderline crazy. The worst is when he gets a small dude with a faux-hawk to admit that Osama bin Laden is really cool and fashionable. It's a terrible scene, and makes you wonder how a potentially normal person could ever get so snooty and ignorant.

The thing is though, like we talked about in class, none of these people would ever say what they do say if it wasn't in the presence of an odd Austrian homosexual encouraging them to do so. At times it seems as if Bruno is putting words in their mouths, but the thing is, they make no effort to stop it or act as if what he's saying is off kilter. In fact, they seem to whole heartedly agree except for Michael of Michael and Huschi, who I'm pretty sure was wearing a Burger King cap.

Baron Cohen has a way of either getting people to let their guards down or to offend them to no end, and through both, he manages to flesh out the intolerance hidden in all of his targets.

I attached a link below of a guy who wrote about his experience on the Ali G. show from a magazine I worked for over the summer. He was the virgin in Ali's Sex segment, and it's interesting to hear what he has to say as a guy on the receiving end of the prank.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=951

wot yous is supposed to be bangin on about

Jagshemash! Drawing on this week's discussions of Sacha Baron Cohen's "Da Ali G Show," write about one of the following:

1. If you were to tape your own Da Ali G-type show for Cornell, what character or persona would you create? Try to think of someone who would give you the same kind of flexibility that Bruno, Borat, and Ali G give to Sacha Baron Cohen. What local event or hot spot would you cover? What questions would you ask?

2. Borat has enjoyed the bulk of popular attention lately, but we ignore Bruno at our peril--or do we? Give us your take on this episode of "Funkyzeit mit Bruno" about Alabama, the gayest part of America (and if you have insights into this clip from an Arkansas gun show, then share those, too).

3. "Fashion saves a lot more lives than doctors"--Bruno strikes again at Fashion Week. Share your thoughts.

4. We didn't get a chance to fully explore Borat's experiment with country music. What do you think?

5. Have another Ali G, Borat, or Bruno clip that you're excited to talk about? Give us a link, and explain what the clip reveals to you about humor, satire, particular people, or particular parts of American society.

Barney

I find the videos that the White House puts out at Christmas time to be particularly embarassing and worthless. I mean, Barney is a very cute Scottish terrier but don't the people in the video have better things to do? In the 2006 video, not only are there appearances by all of the top Bushies but there's even a cameo by Emmit Smith. Maybe it's a cultural thing and I just don't get it because there's no state-sponsored Hanukkah video. Or maybe it really is a waste of time and resources to make a nearly 10 minute video of a stupid little dog hanging with Bush's incompetent friends. Anyway, here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=v5EhLQJV8VY

Also, I found a video of Barney, the purple dinosaur, singing Tupac: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oyNfXGXzQQY&mode=related&search=

Clearly stated, the only reason I wanted to post anything about the White House Christmas video was so I had an excuse to post the Tupac mash-up.

MC Rove

In this video, taped at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner, Karl Rove gives the audience a lengthy performance in which he raps, or rather attempts to rap in duet with some other white guy in a tuxedo. To me at least, this comical performance really illustrates the extent to which Karl Rove is completely out of touch with social reality. That Rove himself would attempt such a stunt angers me because, coming from a man who has masterminded most of the egregious actions of the Bush administration, it seems as if he is trying to somehow humble, or embarass himself in front of the press in order to make good on all the bad things he has done. Instead, this stunt really illustrates Rove's desire and ability to manipulate the media and the public (remember the Plume scandal?) Obviouly, my political leanings influence my reaction to this video, but it seems to me that something is not right when Karl Rove is mocking rap and rap culture on stage in a tuxedo. True light is shed upon his nasty character by the gritty and ominous voice he uses to anounce that his name is "MC Rove."
All I can help thinking when watching this video is that the Black guy to the right of Rove must be thinking to himself "what the fuck is Rove doing?"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hYZre8kEsuw

the goat gaffe

Here's a link to a wikipedia article about the children's book that Bush found so compelling on 9/11. I think you could definitely count this as a political gaffe, considering our president wanted to listen to children read him a book about a goat rather than tending to an attack on our nation.
I especially like the expression on his face.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pet_Goat

Here are the videos of Bush in the classroom. The first one is the actual footage and the second is the shortened version that was used in Farenheit 9/11. If you're gonna watch the second one, turn your volume down for the first 5 seconds or so because there is one of those sound tests for some reason. Enjoy

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5WztB6HzXxI&mode=related&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ShgiiwBFh7U

Kerry and the Troops

I don't think anyone in America missed this one. Where Sen. John Kerry attempted to make a jab at President Bush by correlating his stupidity with the War in Iraq, he ended up suggesting that the troops in Iraq were unintelligent and uneducated. For days after, newspapers, televised news casts and blog sites were not just bashing the junior senator but also each other for their respective political biases. For example, political bloggers had a field day critizing CNN's coverage, saying that their prologue before the clip and commentary afterward spent "too much time trying to explain Kerry's slip of the tongue," which simply served to demonstrate their left-leaning politics.

Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLuMWiQ6r2o

Ladies and Gentlemen, former Virginia Senator George Allen

This is a one minute clip in which then Senator George Allen was at a stop during his re-election campaign in August 2006. He proceeded to introduce a man who was following the campaign from opponent Jim Webb's team, and who happened to be filming Allen's appearance. Twice Allen addressed the tracker as "macaca."
The slur means "monkey" in francophone nations, and S.R. Sidarth is a man of Indian decent. The word "macaca" gained national interest and Allen's numbers in the polls declined after his derogatory remarks.

GodHatesFags.com

GodHatesFags.com is the online home of the Westboro Baptist Church (they also own thesignofthetimes.net, smellthebrimstone.com and godhatesamerica.com), the subjects of the BBC documentary "The Most Hated Family in America." They picket the funerals of soldiers that were killed in Iraq, calling them "fags" and insisting that they will rot in hell. In fact, everyone in the family (including several elementary school-aged children) has been indoctrinated by "Gramps" (preacher Fred Phelps, who began the movement) to believe that anyone who is not in their church is an America-hating sodomite that is headed straight for hell.

Honestly, this group's beliefs and statements so absurd that I find reading the site humorous. I feel like sometime soon they are going to explain that this is all a big joke, and that of course they don't carry these ridiculous beliefs. Unfortunately, I'm probably wrong, however, and this is more likely just a very sad commentary on what can happen when critical thought is absent and beliefs are taken too far. Louis Theroux, the reporter who made the aformentioned documentary, described the Church well when he said, " It shows you what strange avenues the religious impulse can take you down."

Rapture Ready

http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html

My AP Bio teacher in high school showed me this website - it predicts when the end of the world will finally occur, using a scale system, based on current political, social, and economic happenings in the world. It's not exactly a political website, but as it draws on political events I decided to use it. Maybe the apocalypse will someday take place (hey, you never know) but this website is just silly. According to it, the rapture should have occured something like 3 or 4 times already. Oops. Our current Rapture Index is 158, this year's highest is 163...are you rapture ready?

May we live long and die out

This is the website for an environmentalist movement called the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT). They want everyone to stop having kids so that humans become extinct and the world can go back to "normal." It's ridiculous and makes me laugh every time I look at the FAQ, but it's also pretty scary that there are people who want it to catch on.

http://www.vhemt.org/

Also, check out the animation shorts at the bottom of the page.

Rick Santorum

From 1995-2007, Rick Santorum (R) was a senator from Pennsylvania. I'm pretty confident that he is missing the part of the brain that screens thoughts before they come out of his mouth, so he is a veritable goldmine of ridiculous comments and awful commercials.

SantorumExposed.com has tons of great content. Check out some hilarious videos at http://www.santorumexposed.com/pages/video/video.php -- choose any video, you really cannot go wrong. DumpSantorum.com also has some fantastic content.

Vote or Die!

http://www.behaviordesign.com/work/case_studies/images/ctz/canned_site/home.html

So I'm sure all of you seen P.Diddy and 50 Cent donning these ridiculous T-shirts telling us to "Vote or Die". I'm not sure whether that's a threat or a political statement, but the last thing I need is the guy who contributed to the Godzilla Soundtrack telling me I should register to vote. I get that it's trying to raise political awareness among teens and young adults, but political action isn't motivated by fashion (or at least it shouldn't be). And c'mon, if you're taking cues on whether or not to vote from 50 freakin' Cent, you probably shouldn't be casting a ballot because chances are you're someone who's more inclined to follow trends than to educate yourself about the issues. If that's the case, then people should start wearing t-shirts that say "If you vote, I'll kill you" to counteract this seemingly harmless political movement because who needs more ignorance?

Another gaffe from Joe Biden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc9mvwNYn2M

This summer, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware was caught on CSPAN bragging about his state's growing Indian-American population and commenting that "You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." Biden was heavily criticized for this remark, which he denied was racist. In fact, his office explained his comment by saying, "The point Senator Biden was making is that there has been a vibrant Indian-American community in Delaware for decades. It has primarily been made up of engineers, scientists and physicians, but more recently, middle-class families are moving into Delaware and purchasing family-run small businesses."

I don't find this defense especially persuasive at all. Biden's comment was inappropriate and anyone running for president should know that it's unacceptable to make such sweeping generalizations about any racial group. It seems that the media and the public have mostly forgotten about this gaffe, though, so I'm not sure how much of an impact it will have on Biden's presidential aspirations.

http://www.livingroomcandidate.com/player/index.php?ad_id=944

This is from the 1988 election, in which Bush became one of the forerunners in smear campaign political ads. What a legacy.

Cringe-Worthy (At First)

“I mean you got the first sort of mainstream African American, that is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Joe Biden made this comment to a reporter from the New York Observer about presidential candidate, Barack Obama. The media has since used this comment to stir up a lot of controversy. Clearly, the comment was a cringe-worthy political gaffe; a white congressman is apparently alleging that there has never before existed a smart, well-spoken, nice-looking black man in this country. And although Biden clearly should have chosen his words more carefully, I do not see this phrase as evidence of prejudice or hatred. I think Biden was, inarticulately in fact, commenting on Obama’s “god-like” status, which he attributes in part to his good looks, in part to his smarts, in part to his articulateness, and in part to his cleanliness—in this context, meaning, freedom from corruption or scandal. I do not think he believes that no other African American has such qualities; in his opinion, Barack is simply the first African American presidential candidate that does.

Anyway, see for yourself and decide:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vj7RPxykFP8

Old People Are Hilarious

The title of the post says it all. Sorry to laugh at somebody else's misfortune, but the fact that this kind of stuff is readily available is what makes YouTube and our country so great. God Bless America. God Bless Bobe Dole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWib8GbrIlA

from rough to ready

Just to recap what I said on Thursday about your essay assignment:

1. Bring a final draft to class on Thursday, April 19.

2. Aim for three pages. Make them lean and mean.

3. Use an alias, nom de plume, pseudonym, instead of your real name.

Since I want to give you as much time as possible to rework your rough drafts (seriously, folks, why else would I give you so much time to work on a three page paper?), we'll do another light blog post for this weekend. Your topics are a mash-up of ideas offered by Leo and Laura on Thursday:

1. Post a link to an outrageous political website. Tell us how you know about it and what you think it says about contemporary American politics.

2. Post a link to video of a cringe-worthy political gaffe. Give us a brief description of it and what you think its impact was or will be.

3. Post a link to video of a political commercial that you can't stand. Explain who or what the candidate, issue, or party is, and why it gets on your nerves.

I'm playing catch-up all weekend, so expect to hear from me soon about your last paper. See you on Tuesday!

3.

Movingly Patriotic

As cheesy as it sounds-- and is-- this song and the National Anthem are the only two songs that consistenly make my cry. No matter what.

Lee Greenwood
God Bless The U.S.A.

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where as least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"

Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford in 2005. His speech really shows that even though we will all be faced with adversity at numerous points in our lives, if we stay driven and determined, we can achieve success. By telling 3 stories from his life, he is able to relate his message in an unpretentious and entertaining way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

You May Say That I'm a Dreamer

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

lou gehgrig

I dont think there is a speach out there more inspirational than Lou Gehrig's retirement speach which is as follows:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been to ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in the white coats remember you with trophies - that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."

Inspiring words from a great man named Dave

Definitely one of DMB's most underrated and underplayed songs...makes me think to myself "why am I still in the library...I could be doing..."


Oh, isn't it strange
How we move our lives for another day?
Like skipping a beat
What if a great wave should wash us all away?
Just thinking out loud
Don't mean to dwell on this dying thing
But look at my blood
It's alive right now,
And deep and sweet within
Pouring through our veins
Intoxicate moving wine to tears
And drinking it deep
Then an evening spent dancing
It's you and me...

This love will open our world
From the dark side we can see a glow of something bright
Oh, there's much more than we see here
Don't burn the day away

Is this not enough?
This blessed sip of life,
Is it not enough?
Staring down at the ground
Oh, then complain and pray for more from above,
You greedy little pig
Stop, just watch your world trickle away
Oh, it's your problem now
It'll all be dead and gone in a few short years

Just love will open our eyes
Just love will put the hope back in our minds
Much more than we could ever know
Oh, so don't burn the day away
Don't burn the day away

Lee Scratch Perry and Real Music

This video, http://youtube.com/watch?v=xe25AEniN9o, is of a Jamaican reggae producer named Lee "Scratch" Perry who is famous for the work he did with Bob Marley in the 1970's, and for his own solo recordings from the same era. This video is part of a BBC interview in which Perry expresses (sometimes rather incoherently) parts of his Rastafarian, Black Nationalist ideology. Throughout the interview Perry refers to the revolutionary power of reggae music and its potential to unite all Black people around the world. He also gives insight into his signature production style, emphasizing that he always begings producing a track by making sure the bass and drum parts form a cohesive rhythmic unit.
While the interview is tinged by the often nonsensical blatherings of the obviously crazy Perry, the interview really showcases a man whose music is more than just his profession or a means for 'getting rich.' Perry's dialogue throughout the video illustrates the aspirations he has for his own people and his music serves as the vehicle by which he will achieve it. All in all, this video provides a glimpse (uncommon today) of a musician who is completely spiritually involved in his music, and while Perry himself seems rather crazy, it is extremely refreshing to experience a type of music completely foriegn and eternally superior to today's Billboard Top 100: The music Perry plays is a means for transceding, not perpetuating, the problems of society.

Movingly Patriotic

As cheesy and patriotic as it sounds, this song and the National Anthem are the only two songs that consistently make my cry. No matter what.

Lee Greenwood
God Bless The U.S.A.

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where as least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

14.95 Offers Hope

Maybe "inspiring" is a bit of a stretch here, but I find this story to be compelling for a few reasons. Stephon Marbury, a multi-million dollar guard for the New York Knicks has decided to use his name and fame to make a change rather than to turn a profit. Well not exactly, but the fact remains that Marbury is a pioneer in his decision to sell his line of basketball sneaker for a mere $14.95. The pricing was made in hopes of reversing the trend of low-income urban youth spending upwards of $200 on a pair of shoes. As the NBA is popular and therefore marketed at a myriad of classes throughout the nation, it has become clear over the last decade that the sneaker business has permeated into many, many homes. Consequently, Marbury has taken the proactive initiative to try and lure some potential consumers away from spending big money and allow them to realistically afford a top-of-the-line shoe endorsed and sold by an All-Star NBA player (rather than simply settling for a generic pair of sturdy shoes sold in WalMart that is).

I usually suspect athletes and other celebrities to be economically driven with no thought for any social ramifications that might arise as a result of their actions and/or business decisions. Not that selling a sneaker for $14.95 makes Marbury a saint, but socially-conscious business decisions are always a pleasant surprise in a world governed by greed and egos.

This isn't the best clip, but it does the job: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m279k4jVe3Q&mode=related&search=

Jon Stewart

First of all, it was strange coincidence to see "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye referenced in the assignment post as I was listening to it for the History of Rock and Roll (make-up) exam.

I originally wanted to post a link to the Jon Stewart monologue on his first show after 9/11. It was truly a touching moment and was arguably the most beautiful, heartfelt response on television following the attacks. Unfortunately Comedy Central made YouTube take the video down and no amount of Googling turned up any real copies of the clip.

In its stead, here is another Jon Stewart video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE
Here is the accompanying transcript: http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/bljonstewartcrossfire.htm

This is the interview that Stewart did on Crossfire in 2004 to promote the "America" book. Basically he spent the entire interview blasting Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson for failing to fulfill their responsibility to the American people by pumping out partisan hackery on each show. Certainly this is not the most inspiring thing in the world to me, but I felt that it fit well with the course. Plus I wanted an excuse for watching that in the midst of catching up on work from last week. I find it inspiring because Jon Stewart leaves his shtick at home. He is not The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, he is simply the frustrated citizen Jon Stewart. Of course, his frustrations with Crossfire and shows of that ilk are exacerbated because he has to watch them every day to produce The Daily Show. Enjoy the video and keep in mind that not long after this interview Crossfire was canceled.

An excerpt that I particularly enjoyed:

CARLSON: I do think you're more fun on your show. Just my opinion. OK, up next, Jon Stewart goes one on one with his fans...
STEWART: You know what's interesting, though? You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show.

Can I be more cliche?

It's not as if everyone hasn't already seen this picture, but it's a classic for a reason. Alfred Eisenstaedt's photograph of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square on V-J Day is just an inspiring shot. I also love the mystery/controversy surrounding who, exactly, the sailor was; it's like an unfinished chapter in American history.

Jimmy V

Last semester I took Comm 201 and we watched Jimmy Valano's speech at the 1993 ESPY awards. He was the head coach for the North Carolina State basketball team and died of cancer in 1993, the same year he made this speech. Every time I watch him speak, I am inspired by his courage. The clip is 10 minutes long, but it's well worth watching all the way through:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8neQJlTvMSs&mode=related&search=

Inspiration

The most inspiring speech I've ever heard was Al Pacino's "Peace With Inches" speech from Any Given Sunday. I listened to it before every football game I played, and I got pumped up every time. You can watch it at <http://youtube.com/watch?v=_zjfpdRlbbA>.

Also, I am always inspired by individuals with physical or mental disabilities that are able to overcome their handicaps and do something awe-inspiring. For example Beethoven wrote music while deaf, and Bill Shannon does unbelieveable things with the crutches that he can't live without. See his video at <http://youtube.com/watch?v=_zjfpdRlbbA>. Also watch Jason McElwain play basketball... it's amazing: <http://youtube.com/watch?v=1fw1CcxCUgg>.

Gandhi

Gandhi is a true role model in my mind. If anyone has not seen the 1982 movie starring Ben Kingsley, definetely do-it is truly inspiring. Since I could not put up a link to the whole movie, I just wanted to put forth a couple of his most meaningful quotes on nonviolence. Here they are:

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always."

"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?"

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

"There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for."

Tiananmen Square

I have always thought that this photo of a protester in Tiananmen Square in China in 1989 is very powerful. It's a perfect example of the importance of standing up for one's beliefs. This man felt so strongly about protesting the Chinese government that he was willing to risk his life by blocking a row of armed tanks. The picture shows the power that just one person can have and is a reminder that we should not be afraid to face adversity in doing the right thing.

Cool Stuff

This is a link to a video clip (not the whole film unfortunately) of the people's choice award from this year's Banff Mountain Film Festival. The film in its entirety is 56 minutes and is a really cool film of one couple's desire to expand their horizons by biking 8000km through Mongolia, India, and several other countries. It takes great perseverance and determination, but the two achieve a really cool perspective on life, and encounter many different inter-cultural wonders. If anyone can find the full-length video I would highly recommend it.

http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/festivals/2006/film/awards/asiemut.asp

Barack Obama

This is Barack Obama's keynote speech at the Call to Renewal conference. He speaks about his faith and convictions, and he's the only politician I've heard speak honestly about the conflict between his Christianity and Politics. Obama's got it right.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=barack+obama+call+to+renewal&search=Search

Theodore Roosevelt - the Man in the Arena

Here are some insightful words, equally suitable for men and women, from Theodore Roosevelt's "Citizen in a Republic" speech in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910 (the photo is from an earlier trip to Haverhill, MA). With due respect to our twenty-sixth President, critics count, too. But for many of us good Cornellians, the problem isn't that we dare too much and criticize too little, but that we criticize too much and dare too little.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

maher mahem

Hey, everyone. After reading this last batch of essays, I'm convinced that we need to do more work with revision. So here's the plan for next week. On Tuesday, we'll continue to discuss Bill Maher's When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden (for those of you who aren't finished with it yet, here's your chance to catch up with the rest of us). On Thursday, we'll do a peer review of the rough draft of your next paper.

In that rough draft, I want you to express a strong opinion using the essays in Bill Maher's When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden, as a guide. Begin with an observation, a personal story, a story that you've heard about in the news, or even one of your pet-peeves that relates to day-to-day life in the United States. Then explain to your readers how things would be better--more just, more fair, more meaningful--if people would make one or two changes in their lives. Be smart, be sharp, and have some fun. The paper should be 2-3 pages long. Bring three copies of it with you on Thursday for our review session.

Since you'll be writing that paper this weekend (long meaningful pause), you don't have to write a post for the blog. But I do want you to post something that you find inspiring--a link to a video, song, or picture, or perhaps the text of a speech, article, or poem. That's right, "inspiring," not "ironic" (although I suppose the two aren't mutually exclusive).

Here's my contribution. Less than two months after the 9/11 attacks, U2 appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman," a show that's recorded in Manhattan about two miles away from Ground Zero. U2 performed two songs that night, but it's the opening number--"New York," with slightly changed lyrics--that still makes my skin tingle. Unfortunately, the picture-quality of this video isn't very good. But you do get a few close-ups of Bono puckishly trying to coax a tense, benumbed nationwide audience to start feeling again. Thankfully, the sound is rich and booming, so you can't miss the beautifully revised lyric, "Come September/a lot can change/summer love/turns to winter's pain." There is also the defiant lines, also slightly different from the original, "Religious nuts and political fanatics/don't belong/New York is singing a different kind of song," underlined with an homage to Marvin Gaye--"What's going on?" Perhaps most inspiring is Bono's soaring vocals when he sings "I love New York" at the end of the song. There was a time after 9/11 when some of us really needed to hear that.

Long live U2, long live rock and roll.

(At 10:40 in the video, Bono talks to Letterman about "What's Going On?" and AIDS relief, as well as a 9/11 benefit at Madison Square Garden. Bono's lyrics for the album version of "New York" are here.)

Enjoy the Cruiser he said

American auto companies need to get their head in the game. Not only are they losing money and market share hand over fist, they’re becoming stupider in the process. While my Volvo is being repaired, I had the unkind privilege of an American rental car. Not only was it a PT Cruiser, it was a purple PT Cruiser. Whoever designed this new 2007 vehicle had a screw loose. It is the most non-ergonomic vehicle I had ever been in. The electric window buttons are in the middle of the dash console, the door handles were in the armpit of the door and the dash (not only do you have to reach for it, you have to twist your wrist counterclockwise to get a grip on it), and it’s purple. Who the hell makes a purple car?! You can’t tell me there’s truly a demand for it. Driving it was as bad as the design. The car screamed mercy driving up Buffalo street and felt like a toy that was going to fall apart at any moment. Keep in mind this was a NEW car. Most importantly, I felt like a faglord driving it. It’s a no-brainer why American auto companies are failing. They design stupid vehicles and are only able to sell them to rental car companies…That they own. One great way to overcome the market, sell your shit to yourself. Brilliant.

Some New Rules

New Rule: If you are an alumni, stop coming back to college and attempting to relive "the good ol days" by shotgunning beers, body slamming your friends, or trying to force pledges/brothers/friends/etc. to chug svedka from the bottle. You have a job now, and should be displaying some form of adult responsibility. By all means, buy your college friends drinks, but please loose the fratty, obnoxious attitude.

New Rule: All girls should stop wearing spandex leggings unless they are 1). at the gym or 2). running outside. No one wants to be able to see your crack and cellulite while standing in line to buy a bagel at ctb. And in no way do you look trendy.

Some New Rules

New Rule: If you are an alumni, stop coming back to college and attempting to relive "the good ol days" by shotgunning beers, body slamming your friends, or trying to force pledges/brothers/friends/etc. to chug svedka from the bottle. You have a job now, and should be displaying some form of adult responsibility. By all means, by your college friends drinks, but please loose the fratty, obnoxious attitude.

New Rule: All girls should stop wearing spandex leggings unless they are 1). at the gym or 2). running outside. No one wants to be able to see your crack and cellulite while standing in line to buy a bagel at ctb. In no way do you look trendy.

Rules are rules

New Rule: People can no longer say they are going to do awful on a test and then proceed to get an A and beat the mean by 30 points. It is actually preposterous. Don't try to make me feel better by announcing how unprepared you are, while you obviously have been studying for a week in advance. The exception to this rule is opposite day, of course. Only then will your banter will be justified.

New Rule: If you're going to hold the door into Willard Straight open, you need to actually do so. Don’t do the job haphazardly; either hold it or make it clear you aren’t going hold it. It doesn’t take that much of an effort to wait the three extra seconds that is the difference between holding the door and letting it slam into the person behind you. Perhaps a friendship could even be made because of the encounter. Hey, you never know what a mitzvah could do.

New Rule: People that supply Barry Bonds steroids have to start talking. They can’t just sit in jail and pretend they don’t know anything. Its not illegal, but its definitely not the ethical thing to do? He is probably getting paid off by the more time he keeps quiet, or something insane like that. Congress or whoever has to find a way to prevent a punk criminal from breaking the most sacred record in baseball history.

new rules (from sarah van duyn)

New Rule: Future investment bankers, (namely of the ILR and AEM majors): Never, I repeat, never, is it appropriate at a bar to use the line: “Oh, you want to work in non-profits? You should marry someone rich like me.” What, so then I’ll be happy? Maybe I can make a money scarf to tie around my eyes when we’re screwing, so that way I don’t have to look at your over styled hair and popped up “salmon” colored collar looking me in the face every day. If money is the only positive attribute you can think of for yourself, maybe you should rethink your profession. But you can still buy me a gin and tonic. Double.

New Rule: If it’s 35 degrees outside, it is not an occasion to wear flip-flops. In fact, even if the mercury inches up to 50, it’s still not flip-flop weather. This is applicable for shoes ranging from Birkenstocks, to Tevas, to J.Crew, to Reefs. Stop using flimsy footwear as a sign of class differentiation.

The New Weekend

New Rule: it's always the weekend. If people at large are free to ask me what I'm doing next year, then I should be free to dump my drink on them. A mixed beverage comes in handy any time an interested (read: prying) adult inquires into my plans for the future. I don't ordinarily have a drink in my hand as things currently stand, but this is not a problem under the newly instated rule. Second semester Senior Year, post-Spring Break, classes are optional (as is homework...and blog posts). Socially acceptable drinking times are now perpetual. Hey, it's the last time we ever get to live like this, right?