Not one for spontaneity, the Bush Administration is utilizing an old PR trick, the video news release, a carefully crafted and scripted clip that looks like real live news. Corporations use it all the time to get their message out in a newsy way.
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Remember my fave topic of two weeks ago, Guckert/Gannon? This is just more of the same, without the homosexual hooking. It’s perfectly okay for corporations to use this method, that’s what marketing people like me get paid to do: come up with ways to manipulate people like you. But for our government to do it? It clearly sends a message to those smart enough to get it that W’s administration has no faith in the American people, that they will fall hook, line and news reel for whatever mojo they are selling. “Thank God for America,” says an Iraqi into the camera, as if the news team just pulled up and he just had to share his gratitude for the war. Somewhere in Mississippi, a woman is watching Fox News and munching on Cheetos and thinking, “God, this is a great country. Thank God W spent billions of dollars, cleared the surplus, tripled the deficit and donated thousands of lives so that we could liberate those people.” Meanwhile, in the Sudan . . .
I guess on the upside, Bush has done a good job of building up patriotism (though 9/11 sure did its share for awhile). What this administration is doing, however, smacks less of savvy PR and more of old-fashion propaganda. What’s next, liberal cleansing?
I swear to God, if this country turns fascist and we all have to start wearing red, white and blue uniforms, I am really never going to forgive you Republicans out there. I’m going to demand a written apology from each and every one of you who voted for Karl Rove.
Or, I’ll just ask that you go to http://www.StopFakeNews.org and ask the FCC and US Justice Department to stop fake news.
March 14, 2005
March 13, 2005
Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Ho-bags
What is it with teen-age girls who have a deep-set need to expose their bellies and wear uber-low jeans in public? The weather is warm again in Vegas, and like every spring when the flowers bud, the flowering girls shed their clothes and go to the mall. Or in our case, they go to the Cheescake Factory.
Yesterday was the first nice Saturday we had since the fall. Hubby and I wanted to go to Kona Grill and sit at the outside bar and have a nice glass of wine and a salad. But no. Everyone else had the same idea. By the time we got there the place was jammed, so we walked down the block to the Cheesecake Factory, which is more of a family place. Every female under 18 was dressed for mating season. You would see less bellies at the beach. Maybe it’s Vegas, but not only do the girls wear less clothes here, but the clothes they do wear look like they are bought straight from the MTV catalogue, “Dressing Like a Ho-Bag.” Teenage fashion here is a weird blend of hippy chic, ghetto girl funk, and signature prostitute. We’re talking tall platforms, cleavage (both breast and butt) and, of course, bellies.
Either these girls have way too much self-esteem, or not enough, and whatever amount of esteem they may have is linked closely with their fashion. Are they proud of their bodies and want to show them off? Or do they understand that this is a way to attract young boys. If so, it’s sad that they need to be so overt. Can’t they just torture their objects of desires the way the generations before did, by acting aloof and tossing our shiny hair all about? Of course, you can’t blame the kids. Their parents are buying them the clothes.
“Here, Tiffany, here’s a g-string. Don’t forget, the style is to make sure the strap sticks out of the top of your jeans,” says Mom.
“Don’t you look hot,” says Dad.
Ugh, I don’t want to go there.
Girls, here’s a piece of advice. When you get out in the real world, and you go on your first job interview, if you must dress like a ho-bag, wear black. It says Professional.
Yesterday was the first nice Saturday we had since the fall. Hubby and I wanted to go to Kona Grill and sit at the outside bar and have a nice glass of wine and a salad. But no. Everyone else had the same idea. By the time we got there the place was jammed, so we walked down the block to the Cheesecake Factory, which is more of a family place. Every female under 18 was dressed for mating season. You would see less bellies at the beach. Maybe it’s Vegas, but not only do the girls wear less clothes here, but the clothes they do wear look like they are bought straight from the MTV catalogue, “Dressing Like a Ho-Bag.” Teenage fashion here is a weird blend of hippy chic, ghetto girl funk, and signature prostitute. We’re talking tall platforms, cleavage (both breast and butt) and, of course, bellies.
Either these girls have way too much self-esteem, or not enough, and whatever amount of esteem they may have is linked closely with their fashion. Are they proud of their bodies and want to show them off? Or do they understand that this is a way to attract young boys. If so, it’s sad that they need to be so overt. Can’t they just torture their objects of desires the way the generations before did, by acting aloof and tossing our shiny hair all about? Of course, you can’t blame the kids. Their parents are buying them the clothes.
“Here, Tiffany, here’s a g-string. Don’t forget, the style is to make sure the strap sticks out of the top of your jeans,” says Mom.
“Don’t you look hot,” says Dad.
Ugh, I don’t want to go there.
Girls, here’s a piece of advice. When you get out in the real world, and you go on your first job interview, if you must dress like a ho-bag, wear black. It says Professional.
March 12, 2005
Play Misty For Me
In Hyderabad, India, tax evaders are facing the music as city authorities have hired drummers to play non-stop outside their homes until they pay what they owe. Imagine if the US tried similar tactics and tax-evaders of every ilk were given a punishment offensive to their sentiments.
April 15th, 2010: Evangelicals are forced to watch looped video of Janet Jackson’s breast popping out at the Superbowl. Republicans are exiled to the Mission District of San Francisco. Preferred clients of Neiman Marcus are imprisoned in Walmarts. Vegetarian tax-evaders have to work in slaughterhouses. Former President W is forced to read the newspaper and on the hour every hour admit he was wrong about a lot of things. And every single tax-evader, no matter their race, sexual preference, political party or religious belief is forced to read La Blogda.
April 15th, 2010: Evangelicals are forced to watch looped video of Janet Jackson’s breast popping out at the Superbowl. Republicans are exiled to the Mission District of San Francisco. Preferred clients of Neiman Marcus are imprisoned in Walmarts. Vegetarian tax-evaders have to work in slaughterhouses. Former President W is forced to read the newspaper and on the hour every hour admit he was wrong about a lot of things. And every single tax-evader, no matter their race, sexual preference, political party or religious belief is forced to read La Blogda.
March 10, 2005
Boeing Affair Doesn't Fly
Boeing said it fired Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher after he had an affair with an executive that broke company rules, saying his leadership abilities had been damaged. ”
"As we explored the circumstances we felt there were some issues of poor judgment that would impair his ability to lead," Chairman Lewis Platt said to the press, then he said, "It's not the fact that he was having an affair." Well then if it's not the affair, what is it? As my pal Dave wondered, did he piss W off? Will Boeing lose government contracts?
Stonecipher had been credited with an aggressive marketing strategy that had seen a revival in their commercial jet orders. He came out of retirement in December 2003 to takeover after Boeing came under scrutiny for its hiring of a former Air Force official. You know, that was a problem because they are a major defense contractor. That's kind of a big deal. Nookie on the side? Not so shocking. Ask just about any CEO.
Do I condone what Stonecipher did? No. If my husband had an affair, he'd be in so much trouble, but should he get fired from his job? Hell no. How would we pay the Neiman Marcus bill?
"As we explored the circumstances we felt there were some issues of poor judgment that would impair his ability to lead," Chairman Lewis Platt said to the press, then he said, "It's not the fact that he was having an affair." Well then if it's not the affair, what is it? As my pal Dave wondered, did he piss W off? Will Boeing lose government contracts?
Stonecipher had been credited with an aggressive marketing strategy that had seen a revival in their commercial jet orders. He came out of retirement in December 2003 to takeover after Boeing came under scrutiny for its hiring of a former Air Force official. You know, that was a problem because they are a major defense contractor. That's kind of a big deal. Nookie on the side? Not so shocking. Ask just about any CEO.
Do I condone what Stonecipher did? No. If my husband had an affair, he'd be in so much trouble, but should he get fired from his job? Hell no. How would we pay the Neiman Marcus bill?
March 06, 2005
Jesus and Firearms?
We saw Bill Maher perform last night at the House of Blues here in Vegas. Bill had his usual anger and bite-to-the-marrow remarks about W, which the audience loved (no Red State people there). He said something, though, that is so obvious I wonder why no one has brought this up before: Why do Republicans lump Jesus and firearms together? It’s not like he carried one. It doesn’t say in the Bible, “And, thus, Jesus shot a buck between the eyes and declared it good.”
Maher made a lot of good points. For example, fundamentalists take the Bible, literally, right? So a woman was created from a man’s rib. We had poisonous apples and a global flood, plus some dude lived to 900. Then there were the three pigs and the wolf. Wait, that one is a fairy tale. No one believes in fairy tales. Maher’s point is that the Bible is one big fairy tale, yet grown adults believe it. The world was created in seven days, it’s true, but there is no Santa Claus. So if you want to win the lottery, just ask Jesus. He’ll help you out.
As an aside to all this, after the show finished, we went to a nearby restaurant to have a drink with our friends. Halfway through my cosmo I looked up and there was Bill Maher walking in with a very beautiful woman dressed like a high-class hooker (she had on an orange mini-dress. Only two kinds of women can pull that look off, hookers or Paris Hilton types). I don’t care if she was a hooker or a nun. It’s none of my business, which reminds me of Bill’s riff on gay marriages, and how Republicans moan that it threatens the sanctity of marriage. “Who’s marriage?” he asked.
One last thing: Maher pointed out that no one was held responsible in this country for 9/11, and the only person to get fired over it was him.
The world would be a better place if the media called a rabbit a rabbit like Maher does. Not being an evangelical, I can’t claim a personal relationship with Jesus, but if we were buds, I think we’d go out in the woods and fire our guns in a noisy, redneck salute to Mr. Maher.
Maher made a lot of good points. For example, fundamentalists take the Bible, literally, right? So a woman was created from a man’s rib. We had poisonous apples and a global flood, plus some dude lived to 900. Then there were the three pigs and the wolf. Wait, that one is a fairy tale. No one believes in fairy tales. Maher’s point is that the Bible is one big fairy tale, yet grown adults believe it. The world was created in seven days, it’s true, but there is no Santa Claus. So if you want to win the lottery, just ask Jesus. He’ll help you out.
As an aside to all this, after the show finished, we went to a nearby restaurant to have a drink with our friends. Halfway through my cosmo I looked up and there was Bill Maher walking in with a very beautiful woman dressed like a high-class hooker (she had on an orange mini-dress. Only two kinds of women can pull that look off, hookers or Paris Hilton types). I don’t care if she was a hooker or a nun. It’s none of my business, which reminds me of Bill’s riff on gay marriages, and how Republicans moan that it threatens the sanctity of marriage. “Who’s marriage?” he asked.
One last thing: Maher pointed out that no one was held responsible in this country for 9/11, and the only person to get fired over it was him.
The world would be a better place if the media called a rabbit a rabbit like Maher does. Not being an evangelical, I can’t claim a personal relationship with Jesus, but if we were buds, I think we’d go out in the woods and fire our guns in a noisy, redneck salute to Mr. Maher.
March 05, 2005
Even the dead hate W
Yesterday, I had a visit with a psychic. Before you judge, just let me say, it’s not like I went to some back alley psychic, where in a few years illegal abortion clinics will move in next door after W has his way. A coworker’s mom happens to be a psychic, and she called work to speak to her daughter, and during the course of the conversation, asked to talk to me. She told me that my parents, who had “crossed over,” were with me often and were very happy with my life and proud of me. If this is true, it can only mean one thing. Even the dead hate W.
My parents were staunch Republicans. When they were alive, we’d get into huge fights over which party was actually the evil choice: Republicans or Democrats. My father, in particular, hated Democrats. Daddy was a southern racist. It really bugged him that blacks got the right to vote, and he blamed the dems for this, despite the fact that Lincoln had much more to do with it than anyone else. If George Wallace could have been president, Daddy would have been happy about that, wheelchair and all -- it worked for FDR, but then again, he was on the “dark side,” so bad analogy.
A few years before my father died, during Clinton’s administration, the federal government forced a reorganization of Mississippi’s voting precincts, so that blacks had a chance to elect a candidate of their choice, as opposed to Big Bubba’s choice. I love Clinton, but I think with that decision, he may have killed Daddy. When he died, I think he channeled his hatred of Democrats to Mama, who already hated Democrats enough. I think Clinton’s re-election did her in.
But now they are in heaven or that great big Republican Country Club in the sky, (the psychic said Mama has grown her hair long and Daddy is smoking cigars again), watching down on me and feeling proud that their baby daughter has a blog where she bashes W. It’s not just the dead that hate W. It’s the dead Republicans, too. Remember, in the afterlife, we’re supposed to be much smarter.
I asked the psychic to tell my parents that, finally, they realized I was right. She said, “they know.”
My parents were staunch Republicans. When they were alive, we’d get into huge fights over which party was actually the evil choice: Republicans or Democrats. My father, in particular, hated Democrats. Daddy was a southern racist. It really bugged him that blacks got the right to vote, and he blamed the dems for this, despite the fact that Lincoln had much more to do with it than anyone else. If George Wallace could have been president, Daddy would have been happy about that, wheelchair and all -- it worked for FDR, but then again, he was on the “dark side,” so bad analogy.
A few years before my father died, during Clinton’s administration, the federal government forced a reorganization of Mississippi’s voting precincts, so that blacks had a chance to elect a candidate of their choice, as opposed to Big Bubba’s choice. I love Clinton, but I think with that decision, he may have killed Daddy. When he died, I think he channeled his hatred of Democrats to Mama, who already hated Democrats enough. I think Clinton’s re-election did her in.
But now they are in heaven or that great big Republican Country Club in the sky, (the psychic said Mama has grown her hair long and Daddy is smoking cigars again), watching down on me and feeling proud that their baby daughter has a blog where she bashes W. It’s not just the dead that hate W. It’s the dead Republicans, too. Remember, in the afterlife, we’re supposed to be much smarter.
I asked the psychic to tell my parents that, finally, they realized I was right. She said, “they know.”
March 04, 2005
Why are we so stupid?
I say this often, but maybe it's just Vegas.
People are really stupid here. I lived in San Francisco 18 years and I don't remember the same level of stupidity. Perhaps I'm romanticizing the city.
People's stupidity is manifested most visibly in the way they drive and in the way they handle their kids publicly. In this blog site, I've talked much about children behaving badly while the parents watch on adoringly. I've complained about the red light runners in this town, the people who leap frog in traffic only to hit the same red light as everyone else.
I had a conversation with my husband this morning, as we made our way through the Friday morning traffic, that he doesn't remember people always being so stupid. He has a service-oriented business and he gets phone calls from prospects asking really dumb questions, like, can I get this service for free, I don't have any money.
Mainly though, like me, he's sees the stupidity reveal its true depth in people's driving habits. People rush around, not caring that they are reckless, in fact, I've heard reckless drivers BRAG about their poor ability. "Watch out for me, I'm a speed demon." "Red lights are a suggestion." "The only rule at a stop signs is who hits the pedal first." "If you're going slow I'll ride your ass."
How about, "Sorry I ran that red light and totaled your car and severed your spine."
More to Roger's point that people are more stupid: I haven't seen any research that validates this. If anything, we should be getting smarter. And I don't think I can say it's a Vegas phenomenon, since everyone moves to Vegas from somewhere else. We're the dumping ground in this country for people pursuing their dreams. But anyone who drives in Vegas traffic, or maybe any traffic anywhere urban, sees people behaving badly at their most profound. I guess the real question is, are we getting more stupid or more callous?
Whatever. Give me time, I'll find a reason to link this behavior to George W. Bush and the evangelicals.
People are really stupid here. I lived in San Francisco 18 years and I don't remember the same level of stupidity. Perhaps I'm romanticizing the city.
People's stupidity is manifested most visibly in the way they drive and in the way they handle their kids publicly. In this blog site, I've talked much about children behaving badly while the parents watch on adoringly. I've complained about the red light runners in this town, the people who leap frog in traffic only to hit the same red light as everyone else.
I had a conversation with my husband this morning, as we made our way through the Friday morning traffic, that he doesn't remember people always being so stupid. He has a service-oriented business and he gets phone calls from prospects asking really dumb questions, like, can I get this service for free, I don't have any money.
Mainly though, like me, he's sees the stupidity reveal its true depth in people's driving habits. People rush around, not caring that they are reckless, in fact, I've heard reckless drivers BRAG about their poor ability. "Watch out for me, I'm a speed demon." "Red lights are a suggestion." "The only rule at a stop signs is who hits the pedal first." "If you're going slow I'll ride your ass."
How about, "Sorry I ran that red light and totaled your car and severed your spine."
More to Roger's point that people are more stupid: I haven't seen any research that validates this. If anything, we should be getting smarter. And I don't think I can say it's a Vegas phenomenon, since everyone moves to Vegas from somewhere else. We're the dumping ground in this country for people pursuing their dreams. But anyone who drives in Vegas traffic, or maybe any traffic anywhere urban, sees people behaving badly at their most profound. I guess the real question is, are we getting more stupid or more callous?
Whatever. Give me time, I'll find a reason to link this behavior to George W. Bush and the evangelicals.
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