May 23, 2009
RNC's Pelosi "Galore"
Just A Joke?
So, the RNC has made a video (sadly no longer available) splicing pictures of Nancy Pelosi with shots from the Bond movie "Pussy Galore". Leaving aside the obvious (and obviously disturbing) questions of misogyny, appropriateness, and taste, I can't help but think that the RNC is trying to bogart some media techniques from Comedy Central.
Both "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" have mastered the art of taking down public figures by comparing them to fictional pop culture icons -- as when John Stewart compared Henry Paulson to Herman Munster and Daddy Warbucks, or Joe Leiberman to Droopy Dog. They often use pictures to enhance the comparison, just as the video did. Even the title superimposed on the video, "Democrats Galore", seems like something you'd see on Colbert.
Really, you'd think they could have found a brunette Bond girl...
It's understandable that the RNC would seize on the enormous popularity of the comedy/news format. They have historical tendency to use any weapon at their disposal, and right now they're showing a newfound interest in finding out what those pesky kids (like the ones who voted for Obama) are into.
But they've overlooked one important element, namely that they are not running a comedy show. While the pseudo-news might be able to get away with this, a serious political organization certainly cannot.
Granted, comedy is in the eye of the beholder, and the RNC members probably thought the splice was both hilarious and clever. But in this era there is no such thing as a private joke, at least not if you document it in any format. It was abysmally (if enjoyably) stupid of the RNC to record such a comparison, and I'm hoping for some really exciting backlash from...well, basically everyone.
Oh, and FYI, RNC, I wouldn't recommend using the "it's just a joke" defense. That doesn't even work for real comedians these days.
For further edification, a link to Politico's coverage.
