Seen the 'Celebrity' ads and meme McCain has sent against Obama? If not, the idea is simple: He's just like airheads like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears because he got up in front of thousands and does so fairly often(Also, I confess seeing a faint racial undertone, given the ad a while back about 'Fancy Ford', playing up again, the black politician and loose white women. After the blatant dominionist air raid siren of 'The One' ad, I don't think that's unwarranted.).
So what do we find removed from McCain's website but still found in Google's cache? Link
A political celebrity, McCain is considered a top contender for the nomination.
My my. By the way, that 'The One' ad? More scrubbing followed. link
I'm the one that did that. I'm the only one.
I don't even see the logical connection, but apparently the wrong set of words from McCain's mouth needs to be deleted.
Censorship: It's what politicians love.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
I agree that the ads are idiotic, since Obama's popularity shares none of the negative qualities of Paris Hilton and Spear's popularity. Obama is popular in front of crowds because he is an intelligent, articulate, and sensible man - Paris Hilton is well known because she acts like a complete moron and attention whore.
But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
CaptainZoidberg wrote:But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
Uh, I specifically noted why I suspect racism in there.. And I didn't say anything about crowds.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
CaptainZoidberg wrote:But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
The obvious racist part of those adds is that it has pictures of Obama interspersed with pictures of attractive white women and phallic symbols.
"I have also a paper afloat, with an electromagnetic theory of light, which, till I am convinced to the contrary, I hold to be great guns."
-- James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Scottish physicist. In a letter to C. H. Cay, 5 January 1865.
Until I heard people talking about these ads, I actually didn't realize that there was any stereotype about black people sleeping with white woman. I still don't fully understand it, to be honest.
Superboy wrote:Until I heard people talking about these ads, I actually didn't realize that there was any stereotype about black people sleeping with white woman. I still don't fully understand it, to be honest.
Oh. Well, McCain should have just said that in the ad. After all, I doubt the people who agree with it have the mental capacity to understand a subtle implication.
Superboy wrote:Oh. Well, McCain should have just said that in the ad. After all, I doubt the people who agree with it have the mental capacity to understand a subtle implication.
They don't have to be. It's subliminal.
And if he just came out and said it he'd be crucified by everyone else.
The Gentleman from Texas abstains. Discourteously.
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"WHO POOPED IN A NORMAL ROOM?!"-Commander William T. Riker
Superboy wrote:Until I heard people talking about these ads, I actually didn't realize that there was any stereotype about black people sleeping with white woman. I still don't fully understand it, to be honest.
You've never seen a Mel Brooks film ever, have you?
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
CaptainZoidberg wrote:But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
It's not that the ad has racial connotations; it is that it is designed to trigger a reaction among people who are themselves racists. The fear that black men are "after our white women" was pervasive among whites right up into the 1960s, and those whites are still around. They make up most of the AARP, which is a dangerously powerful voting bloc.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
CaptainZoidberg wrote:But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
It's not that the ad has racial connotations; it is that it is designed to trigger a reaction among people who are themselves racists. The fear that black men are "after our white women" was pervasive among whites right up into the 1960s, and those whites are still around. They make up most of the AARP, which is a dangerously powerful voting bloc.
White women are about 35% percent of the US population. In other words if Barack Obama appeared with only one person in the ad, there's a 1/3 chance it will be a white woman.
I agree that it could be racist, but there's still a good chance that it's just a coincidence because women make up 1/3 of the population. I mean, if he appeared with a group of 10 people the probability of there being no white women in the group is less than 2%.
White women are about 35% percent of the US population. In other words if Barack Obama appeared with only one person in the ad, there's a 1/3 chance it will be a white woman.
I agree that it could be racist, but there's still a good chance that it's just a coincidence because women make up 1/3 of the population. I mean, if he appeared with a group of 10 people the probability of there being no white women in the group is less than 2%.
Zoidberg this is a commercial not a random statistical sample, this is a bit of film that each second is carefuly worked over and thought out since they only have thirty seconds to a minute to make a point. You can't compare this to random chance, a commercial is anything but random.
Why not compare him to other more popular celeberites? Why not Michal Jordan or Mickey Mouse? Those folks are damn sight better know then either of the spoiled white rich whores. Why not Tom Cruise, crazy though he is? Why not Jet Li?, why not Zombie Regan? They chose two white women with deliberate foresight because it sends a coded message to the racists while just comparing him to stupid spoiled white whores to the rest of us.
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
White women are about 35% percent of the US population. In other words if Barack Obama appeared with only one person in the ad, there's a 1/3 chance it will be a white woman.
I agree that it could be racist, but there's still a good chance that it's just a coincidence because women make up 1/3 of the population. I mean, if he appeared with a group of 10 people the probability of there being no white women in the group is less than 2%.
Zoidberg this is a commercial not a random statistical sample, this is a bit of film that each second is carefuly worked over and thought out since they only have thirty seconds to a minute to make a point. You can't compare this to random chance, a commercial is anything but random.
Why not compare him to other more popular celeberites? Why not Michal Jordan or Mickey Mouse? Those folks are damn sight better know then either of the spoiled white rich whores. Why not Tom Cruise, crazy though he is? Why not Jet Li?, why not Zombie Regan? They chose two white women with deliberate foresight because it sends a coded message to the racists while just comparing him to stupid spoiled white whores to the rest of us.
Exactly.
Britney and Paris are frankly has beens on the downward slope of their popularity/notoriety and were picked both because they're blond white women and because of their reputations for being shallow and vacuous.
If 'celebrity' itself were the issue more popular ones such as Tiger Woods or even 50 Cent would have been used.
The ad is slick because it dog whistles on several levels.
I wondered how long it'd take Steve Schmidt to start using Rovian tactics.
Now I know.
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."- General Sir Charles Napier
Wait, how is saying "Obama is like Paris Hilton" tantamount to saying "Obama is going to have sex with Paris Hilton"?
The ad says that Obama is a shallow celebrity, and I honestly think that's a good angle for McCain. I've heard plenty of relatives compare Obama to a smooth-talking salesman or real estate agent. But what they're missing is that Obama isn't a good speaker because he's rhetorical, but because he's intelligent and knowledgeable.
I agree that he chose them because they were shallow, but imagine if the ad had shown black women instead of Paris Hilton, the accusations of racism would be much, much greater.
Seriously guys, I've watched that ad a couple of times. And I've never seen anything suggesting that Obama is going to be involved sexually with Paris Hilton.
CaptainZoidberg wrote:Wait, how is saying "Obama is like Paris Hilton" tantamount to saying "Obama is going to have sex with Paris Hilton"?
It's not. It's just that any sight of a black man and a white woman together for any reason can set off certain people, and McCain is targeting those people. Just as Clinton never came out and said anything overtly racist, but her campaign clearly targeted white racists all the same.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
CaptainZoidberg
It's not something that is going to register to you. It is aimed at the people that think a certain way.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.
Hit it. Blank Yellow (NSFW)
havokeff wrote:CaptainZoidberg
It's not something that is going to register to you. It is aimed at the people that think a certain way.
Hence the term 'dog-whistle'.
I can't hear it, but my Boxer can.
Similarly, you can't see it but those who are either racist or aware of the racist symbolism surrounding black men and white women can.
It basically gives plausible deniability to the McCain camp WRT racism charges.
And it's much more subtle than the clumsy attempts Hillary made at dog-whistling to racists.
Her attempts were much more obvious.
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."- General Sir Charles Napier
CaptainZoidberg wrote:Wait, how is saying "Obama is like Paris Hilton" tantamount to saying "Obama is going to have sex with Paris Hilton"?
They make sure that you get that impression by interspersing shots of Obama and Britney with shots of phallic shaped monuments.
"I have also a paper afloat, with an electromagnetic theory of light, which, till I am convinced to the contrary, I hold to be great guns."
-- James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Scottish physicist. In a letter to C. H. Cay, 5 January 1865.
CaptainZoidberg wrote:But I don't see the negative racial connotations. It's not like speaking in front of crowds is a common stereotype of black people, although I admit that I am young and have not lived through very much racism.
It's not that the ad has racial connotations; it is that it is designed to trigger a reaction among people who are themselves racists. The fear that black men are "after our white women" was pervasive among whites right up into the 1960s, and those whites are still around. They make up most of the AARP, which is a dangerously powerful voting bloc.
But do you think McCain really needs to convince those people not to vote for Obama?
That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.
That which does kill me better evac before I respawn.
No, but he needs to motivate them to actually cast ballots for McCain instead of just sitting this election out, because while they don't like the uppity black guy, they also don't want Grumpy McSame giving the Social Security trust funds to Wall Street in the name of 'privatization' either.
In other words, he wants to use their latent racism to get them to vote against their own best interests.
And personally I think the best way to counter it is to scare the shit out of them with the simple truths about McCain's plans to give Grandma's pension to the same sharks on Wall Street who've lost billions in hedge fund speculation and the subprime debacle, and to totally gut the existing employer based healthcare system in favor of individual tax credits that wouldn't even pay a third of the cost of good insurance while stripping the states of their ability to regulate insurers.
Put simply, McCain's SS and healthcare plans are a declaration of war on the middle and working classes and the Democrats need to hammer this home as loudly and as often as they can.
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."- General Sir Charles Napier
