um . . two white women and two phallic monuments? anyone else interpreting celebrity ad this way?

[zazen]

I could only now bring myself to watch the "celebrity" video now.

Okay. I'm no expert in semiotics, and I doubt McCain's handlers are either, but they lead off with two white women and then place Obama next to huge phallic monuments. Normally, you don't put your opposition in front of MLK-like crowds and next to huge patriotism-inspiring American obelisks. So why would they risk this now? Why deliberately put him next to these icons?

Someone in Organizational Communication or Southern History could definitely get a journal article out of this. Even if this weren't conscious, the creators of this ad are articulating deep stereotypes about black male potency and its perceived threat to white women (and the egos of white males).

Has this been pointed out yet? If Clarence Thomas, a clear sexual harasser in my book, can successfully use the "lynching" meme to silence an African American woman's claims of his abuse, can't we bring up the lynching iconography when it's in fact BEING USED AGAINST OUR CANDIDATE?

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. I can't believe you made me watch it again

but that is an EXCELLENT observation.

Can of worms: opened

[flamingdem]

2. I thought I was feeling a little tingly watching it LOL! nt

[my2sense]

3. I'd noticed it - but thought I just had a twisted mind n/t

[TexasObserver]

4. Yes, I noticed the prominent use of the phallic symbol, too.

It wasn't a coincidence.

The entire ad had a racial subtext, and the proof is the way the McCain immediately sprang into their act when Obama responded almost word for word the way he has to such digs for months. The McCain always planned to curl up and whimper "race card" as soon as Obama responded to the new commerical. Thus, they could conflate the images, the message, and tie it all together with race in the aftermath.

[pnwmom]

5. I've been making your basic argument since yesterday, but

I missed the phallic part. Excellent catch.

There's no question in my mind that the people who made this ad constructed every frame very deliberately. The effectiveness of subliminal advertising has been known for decades. Linking Obama with a pair of young blonde white females -- and then adding the twin monuments -- was no accident.

We should be shouting this to the rooftops. While the McCain camp has been accusing Obama of playing the race card, they have taken the dirtiest step in their campaign.

[Clark2008]

27. It's the Harold Ford Jr. ad all over again.

[pnwmom]

35. Yes, it is, and it's even more effective

because it's more subtle -- so even many DUers can't see how manipulative it is.

[Supersedeas]

39. that was my first thought -- and yet Harold Ford is too shilled to recognize it himself

[Number23]

6. Oh, would you PLEASE give it a fucking break??!

And I NEVER spell out curse words!!

[pnwmom]

7. Have you ever heard about subliminal advertising?

Advertisers have been using these techniques for decades. And political ads are expensive. Every frame in that ad was carefully selected for maximum impact. There's no way that it's an accident that the celebrities pictured along with Obama are young white blonde females.

Any more than it was an accident that the ad against Harold Ford two years ago featured a young blonde (inviting him to call her) .

Both of these ads were designed under the direction of Karl Rove and his minions in order to appeal to people's worst racial fears.

[Number23]

9. If Beyonce had been showing her ass

and making half as much of a fool of herself as Britney and Paris have, she may have been used in the ad as well.

Unfortunately, many of the trashy tabloid fixtures right now are young white women. And some not so young ones too a la Pamela Anderson. The use of these women in an ad portraying the foolishness of "celebrity worship" and the dearth of intellect and integrity amongst today's celebrities does not and should not automatically equate to "Oh my God, Obama could possibly secretly like white women!" the way it seems to so often on this web site.

I'm not saying this type of thing is beneath Karl Rove, because we all know it isn't. But some of y'all just go overboard.

[pnwmom]

10. The people who approved this ad are counting on people like you

to not question their methods or their motives.

[Number23]

16. You think so, huh?

So because I don't find a hidden sexual reference in this ad, I'M the one who's missing something?? LOL

Actually, I think the Republicans are counting more on people like you to get so bent out of shape focusing on the asinine and anserine components of this race that you miss what's going on right in front of you. I'm a black woman who's been voting for a while. You think I'm not hip to the Republican tactics of using racial fear and hatred to get what they want??

The ad is stupid and tasteless as hell but to infer a hidden sexual agenda from this is very telling. And the fact that a small but vocal number of DUers always seem to be finding hidden "Barack may secretly love white women!1!" messages in everything says a whooole lot more about them than I could ever begin to tell you. And the fact that they're trying to PROJECT that it's actually the Republicans who are MAKING them think that says it all.

[pnwmom]

18. Using sexuality and subliminal sexual signals in advertisements

has been going on for fifty years or more.

It's naive to think that McCain wouldn't adopt this common tactic, particularly since Rethugs have done this so often before.

Are you also going to claim that the commercial used successfully against Harold Ford, the young-blonde- "Harold, phone me sometime" ad wasn't a deliberate effort to use racism against him?

[Number23]

19. No, it was very effective

Are you also going to claim that the commercial used successfully against Harold Ford, the young-blonde- "Harold, phone me sometime" ad wasn't a deliberate effort to use racism against him?

But there is a difference between an ad that goes out its way to suggest that white women are or will be lusting after a black politician and another one that compares a black politician to the two most well-known sleazoid celebrities in the business right now, both of whom happen to be white.

Both ads are offensive, but I think only one is deliberately racist. And we can argue this point until the end of time but I did not, do not, and more than likely WILL not see anything even the slightest bit sexually suggestive in the celeb ad. Now you can study all of the "phallic" symbols in the ad for as long as you like and draw whatever conclusions you want but I my personal opinion is that there's nothing sexual about the ad nor was there designed to be.

You're entitled to your opinion. Seems we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Riktor]

25. You're too fixated on minute possibilities to see the bigger picture...

In endorsing this commercial, McCain is pandering to the "culture war" demographic, that is, the demographic that loathes celebrity and and a brand of ill-defined elitism. In portraying Obama as the kind of person who would hang out with the likes of, say, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, the commercial is suggesting Obama is just another elitist celebrity out to undermine the normative morals of traditional Americans.

There's no need to portray Obama as a sex-crazed egomaniac with an eye for capserian women. The ad is much more successful, and much more beneficial to the McCain campaign, if it can reach the minds of the culture warriors of the South and Midwest.

Besides, it is the tendency of the arm-chair psychologist to assert anything tall and cylindrical has phallic overtones. Freud's work was not falsifiable, and has very little evidence in its favor.

[pnwmom]

34. This ad was just as clearly designed to affect racists, who are still

a significant part of Rethug party voters, especially in the South and among older voters.

[Riktor]

40. You're making declarative statements without empirical evidence

The commercial compares Barak Obama to the likes of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, two incredibly famous, utterly deplorable human beings. Thus, the commercial plays on the public perception of the decadence, ignorance, and irresponsibility of celebrity in order to call into question whether or not Obama is truly qualified to occupy the White House.

That is all we can conclusively say about the commercial because, in point of fact, that is exactly what the commercial says. Any other suggestion is purely subjective guesswork, along the lines of some people finding allusions to a homosexual relationship between Tom and Huck in Huckleberry Finn. It very well could be there, but without empirical evidence, it's still up in the air.

[pnwmom]

44. Not just guesswork.

But familiarity with and knowledge of techniques long used in advertising.

There's no reason at all to think that the people who designed McCain's commercials weren't as deliberate in their choice of every frame as anyone paying millions of dollars for commercial time.

[CatWoman]

42. if that were true

they would have used Lil'Kim or Foxy Brown :shrug:

If Beyonce had been showing her ass and making half as much of a fool of herself as Britney and Paris have, she may have been used in the ad as well.

[Number23]

46. Foxy and Kim

Neither one of them has gotten ONE TENTH of the media coverage in the last five years that Paris or Britney have gotten in the last one. And that's with both of them having had serious trouble with the law and Foxy's hearing loss and jail sentence.

I mean, let's face it. Paris and Britney are the leaders of the tabloid trash pack. There have been no black females that have gotten the press (good or bad) and notoriety that Paris and Britney have. Naomi Campbell is just about the only black woman that comes close to being the tabloid fixture that those two are. And if they'd used her in the ad, there would be a whole 'nother group of people who'd be reading something into that.

[yardwork]

28. If you don't like it, don't read the threads.

[Riktor]

41. Love it or leave it?

Nice argument.

Completely neutral. No rational thought required. Absolves the user of his/her responsibility for the stupid things he/she says.

Sound familiar?

[madeline_con]

8. It's the way Repugs think.

It's all blondes and dicks with them. :eyes:

[27inCali]

11. Obama's coming with his.......

BIG BLACK COCK TO STEAL ALL OUR WHITE WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GET THE TORCHES AND PITCH FORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beacool]

13. Actually, most women would not object

to your first sentence.

Just saying.......

:eyes:

[redstate_democrat]

12. Lets flip this.

What would you think if you saw these images in an ad? Wouldn't you wonder what these two women have to do with John McCain?

I know all kinds of questions are going through certain people's minds. Ask yourself WHY these questions are there.

[Beacool]

14. I would think that the old fart is a lucky man.

:shrug:

[redstate_democrat]

15. In a political ad?

You don't see any sort of symbolism there?

Well, I guess it works. These images were made combined with a certain intent in mind. You might not have picked up on it due to your open-mindedness , but others will and will be disturbed by it.

That's the whole point people have been making.

[Beacool]

17. I was just being flip.

I really don't think that the Repug ad men even thought of the phallic symbolism. They used that imagine of Obama because that's where he spoke to a large crowd. As for the use of Britney and Paris, they used them because they are both vapid celebrities. The ad is silly, but few will think that it implies that white women should be afraid of a black man.

[zazen]

20. much is communicated through powerful thematic images, despite intent of authors

As I said in the OP, I don't know how conscious they'd be of the associations, or aware that this would resonate with the racist whites around here (most of whom are over 60-maybe it's just that the younger ones are savvier about hiding it.)

There can be a middle ground between "oh we're just over-analyzing everything because we're paranoid" and "they deliberately set out to use powerful cultural symbols to incite fear of lynching among southern whites." Both of these points are plausible, I suppose. But another view is that we don't fully control words--cultural language/symbols write _us_ in some part. We are used by what we regularly use, and these advertisers swim in our cultural milieu. They intuitively channel it, if they're any good.

[BlooInBloo]

21. Some have but most won't, because that would "playing the race card"....

And nothing scares white folks more than "playing the race card". :rofl:

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2008_07_27_archive.html#8490355103360906239

[treestar]

30. "Playing the race card" is what white people say when you mention

that race might have had something to do with a thing. It can also be used against other white people (known as liberals).

The fun debate is on immigration; ask the conservative why he or she suddenly is interested in government control of whom to employ. (Their views on economics require no government intervention in business decisions). Hint around that this sudden desire for government intervention has something to do with brown people. Voila, you are accused of "playing the race card."

:rofl:

The debate is then over, except that you've won, because they still haven't explained why the sudden favor for government intervention.

[mitchum]

22. McCain will be using clips from "Birth Of A Nation" before the summer is over

[CatWoman]

43. lol

:rofl:

[Hippo_Tron]

45. Maybe, but he's gotta get this whole concept of moving pictures down first

[undeterred]

23. Not as subtle as Huckabee and his bookcase cross...

[polichick]

38. They denied that cross forever - good grief, it GLOWED! :)

[hiaasenrocks]

24. I think you have too much time on your hands.

That's ridiculous.

There's enough in the ad that's real to criticize. When people start making ridiculous leaps and creating objections than can't be supported, the creators of the ad win.

[CTyankee]

26. I saw that and thought I was the only one who did and I felt like I was crazy.

So thank you for assuring me that I am not the only one who "got" it.

[hedgehog]

29. How about this one:

``Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck,'' McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said in a statement issued by the campaign today.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aC359HCipUws&refer=home


Robert Shapiro, the lead attorney for O.J. Simpson's defense in the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, does not know if his former client was guilty.

(snip)

"Not only was the race card played, but it was dealt from the bottom of the deck," he said, repeating one of his more famous comments on the issue of race in the case.


So Obama is now O.J. Simpson!

[glitch]

31. Never underestimate the focus Republicans have on the reptilian brain.

There is no limit to the depths they will sink to appeal to it, because really it is their best bet.

[hedgehog]

32. You know, I have no idea whether or not subliminal advertising works,

but I know that the Republicans think it works. It might be interesting to get a frame by frame analysis of McCain's ads. There may be more there than meets the eye!

[TuxedoKat]

33. Usually I pick up on these things right away...

but hadn't this time, so I went back and watched the commercial several times and counted at least five times subliminal phallic symbols were used. First, the umbrella behind Brittany Spears, second Paris Hilton is superimposed over a line going straight up in the crowd. Then the victory column is shown behind Obama, then twice by itself. Actually there might be a sixth and seventh if you count a metal structure to the right of Obama late in the commercial when he is addressing the crowd with his back to the camera and the very beginning scene which is kind of disturbing in its own right. Behind the energetic (mostly Caucasian, I think) or frantic waving hands is almost a cross-like white structure. After I'd watched it a few times it made me think of a lynch mob. Now I'm going to try slowing it down with TIVO to see what else I can see!

There are too many coincidences now for me to believe the ad-makers didn't know exactly what they were doing using these particular images. Also it is interesting to note that both women are not looking directly at the camera, we're gazing at them.

[Phx_Dem]

36. I guess McNasty is a bit jealous

of Obama's "strengths."

[polichick]

37. I hadn't noticed the phallic monuments - but NOTHING is a mistake in ads. Slime balls!

[MonkeyFunk]

47. The surest way for Obama to lose

is to turn everything into an issue of race.

Your analysis is absurd. Yes, they're white. They're also the two biggest vacuous celebrities in the world. A black vacuous celebrity would've worked just as well.

And not every tall narrow building is a penis.

[SoCalDem]

48. Off topic, but look at this funny pic of Carter's monument, I found

[TexasObserver]

49. Good analysis. Accurate and dead on.

You'd do best to ignore those who disagree with you, chide you, or denigrate you in response to your OP. We have some contrarians here who spend every waking moment finding something to be pissy about.