Wow. I’d heard about this attack ad put together by the Santorum campaign and finally saw it last night on Hardball. Chris Matthews and his fellow chuckleheads all seemed to have a good laugh at its apocalyptic absurdity and the fact it plays more like the trailer for a slasher
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Accidental Deliberations: On early definition
It’s entirely predictable that far too many in the media are starting their coverage of Thomas Mulcair’s election as NDP leader with the Cons’ instant spin – in some cases even while showing plenty of optimism about Mulcair. (On that front, due credit to the Winnipeg Free Press for criticizing
Continue readingFor the Seriously Lazy
I’m not just talking about people who like to sleep in, or lounge in their La-Z-Boy®, or let the dog out of their truck half a mile from home so Rover can chase them the rest of the way and they can say they’ve “walked the dog”. No, I’m talking
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The path ahead
To start off, I’ll heartily congratulate Thomas Mulcair on his strong victory in the NDP’s leadership campaign. But it’s well worth working on what comes next from day one of Mulcair’s tenure. Last night’s inaugural interview with Peter Mansbridge already represented a great start on the party unit front –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Dan Gardner writes about the Cons’ backup plan of answering their own wrongdoing with criticism of anybody who dares to investigate it – and points out the dangers of that approach: (W)hat happens if Elections Canada delivers a report even a fraction as
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Rae ad a well-aimed Conservative grenade into the Liberal tent
Proving that you don’t need to ignore or even bend electionlaw to execute a savvy political strategy and tie your opponents in knots, theattack ad launched Sunday night by the Conservatives against interim Liberalleader Bob Rae is clever strategy on many levels. Most of all, it’s awell-aimed grenade into the
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Feelings of Confusion and Disorientation
A unique ad campaign in Israeli movie theatres drew attention to Alzheimer’s Awareness Week. Watching people freak out — over nothing, really — is pretty funny too. [Via Osocio] Filed under: Shock and Awe Advertising Tagged: advertising, Advertising campaign
Continue readingeaves.ca: The Ground War for Control of Public Space
My partner stumbled on the quote below attributed to Banksy (wikipedia), the English street artist who many consider to be one of the great a modern day satirists. It’s an interesting take on advertising in public space – for some it will be a familiar call to arms, to others
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Your Man Reminder
Anti-pink ribbon breast cancer awareness from Rethink Breast Cancer. The charity bills itself as the “first-ever, Canadian breast cancer charity to bring bold, relevant awareness to the under-40 crowd; foster a new generation of young and influential breast cancer supporters; infuse sass and style into the cause; and, most importantly, respond
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Latest Ron Paul Attack Ad
Here’s the latest negative attack ad from the Ron Paul campaign slagging Rick Santorum for not being a “fiscal conservative”… (Seems to have been done by the same agency that created the tough-talking Ford F-150 truck ads.) I suppose one could quibble about specifics of the dubious allegations made if
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: “What’s Wrong With Our Bodies, Anyway?”
Um, nothing. Just that runway models — and expectations — are getting skinnier. From Plus Model Magazine. On the left is a “straight-size” runway model, on the right, “plus” size model Katya Zharkova (size 12-14). A stunning contrast between the near-anorexic “norm” and healthy reality, wouldn’t you say? According to the
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: How to Make a Myocardial Infarction Funny
A very droll short video featuring Elizabeth Banks having a heart attack. Part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Not too edgy, but undoubtedly some will be officially ooffended/hurt/annoyed by the light treatment of a very serious subject. *Shrug* Filed under: Advertising Hitting The Mark, What
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Halftime in America
It seems Wingnuttia is in a furious tizzy over Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad: Former Bush “brain” Karl Rove, now a Fox “News” contributor resembling a large ham with glasses, paragon of moral integrity, and founder of a super-secret PAC funded by a handful of evil billionaires, said he was “offended”
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Blood Money
The SuperPAC supporting (but definitely not co-ordinating with!) Newt Gringrich yesterday released another negative “documentary” attacking Mitt Romney. Called “Blood Money” the film links the former head of Bain Capital to Damon Clinical Laboratories, a medical testing company the equity firm controlled during the early 90s that was subsequently found
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: “Double Negative” SuperPAC Ad
From the definitely not co-ordinating with Stephen Colbert Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow SuperPAC, a negative ad attacking the negative ads of the Republican frontrunners… then vows donations will be used to “destroy both these guys and their SuperPACs with a merciless ad torn so fierce they’ll wish they’d
Continue readingArt Threat: An ugly and remarkable tale about iEmpire – Storyteller turned investigative journalist learns what happens in an Apple factory
What do you get when you combine a master storyteller and investigative journalist? Mike Daisey is one answer, a storyteller and performer whose story about what happens inside an Apple factory is touching hearts and minds. After his visit to China, tours of factories, and meetings with union organizers and
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: The Evolution of Negative Advertising
The absurdly hypocritical “Pot v. Kettle” sniping towards the end of yesterday’s MTP debate between Newt Gringrich and Mitt Romney over the legitimacy and moral superiority of the viciously negative ad campaigns being waged by their respective Super-PACs reminded me of this classic bit of satire from the wonderful HBO
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to end your weekend. – Chris Selley rightly points out that for all the damage the Cons can do in a term of majority government, we shouldn’t overstate how much of it is irreversible. And more importantly, while it’s well worth putting time and effort into defending the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the spread of bullying in the political sphere even as it’s been rightly rejected elsewhere – and what we should do as citizens to make sure it doesn’t pay off. For further reading, Hannah Tepper interviews Sam Sommers some of the mental shortcuts that are all too easily
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m watching: old timey tv and old timey ads
One of my favourite comedies has always been “The Burns and Allen Show,” the old TV vehicle for the comedy team of Gracie Allen and George Burns. The show’s entire run (1950-1958) was finished before I was born, but in my days as an insomniac teenager and young adult, I
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