The thing I miss most in campaign ads is humor. Presidential campaigns apparently feel that Serious Political Issues must have Serious Ads, complete with dramatic panning across still photos and deep-voiced narrators speaking in clipped monotones. The closest these kinds of ads ever get to humor is leaden sarcasm designed to elicit anger rather than a laugh.
That's too bad. Humor can be a great way to deal with delicate issues. Take responding to an opponent's attack ad. Lashing back in kind just makes you look like you can't take it, whereas a factual rebuttal to an inaccurate ad just propogates the attacker's lies.
Humor can defuse the situation nicely. You can get away with much more using a joke than you can in one of the standard Ken-Burns-Presents-The-Election ads, and the viewer feels entertained rather than assaulted. With that in mind I whipped up this little ad to respond to things like McCain's "Sex Ed" ad.
(More after the fold.)
IT’S THE NEW JOHN MCCAIN AD
[SCENE ONE: A newsroom at night. REPORTER ONE is looking up at a TV monitor mounted from the ceiling. Our point of view is just behind the camera looking down at the reporter, so we actually can’t see what’s on the TV monitor. REPORTER ONE is looking at the monitor with an intense expression, clearly both disgusted and fascinated by what he sees. REPORTER TWO walks by, then stops to look up at the monitor.]
REPORTER TWO: What’s that?
REPORTER ONE: It’s the new John McCain ad.
[SCENE TWO: A kitchen in a large, busy office. WOMAN ONE and WOMAN TWO are walking across the kitchen, perhaps on their way to a meeting. WOMAN ONE suddenly stops and sniffs. There’s a trash can overflowing with garbage clearly visible in the background.]
WOMAN ONE: What’s that?
WOMAN TWO: [She sniffs and makes a face.] It’s the new John McCain ad.
[SCENE THREE: Three eight-year-old boys are standing around outside, looking at something on the ground and poking it with sticks. We have the point of view of the thing on the ground, so we’re looking up at the boys. You can hear a FLY buzzing around on the soundtrack.]
BOY ONE: What is it?
BOY TWO: [Giving the unseen thing a poke.] It’s the new John McCain ad.
[SCENE FOUR: A neighborhood street in a city. A MAN exits his front door. The shot is framed from the waist up, so we can’t see his legs or his feet. The MAN closes his front door, confidentially takes a step towards the sidewalk—and then looks down, disgusted. He’s stepped in something.]
MAN: Oh, great—the new John McCain ad!
[CUT TO: A black screen.]
ANNOUNCER: John McCain’s new attack ads have gotten a lot of attention. But there’s a big difference between raising a stink and having something to say. Vote for real change. Vote for Barack Obama.
TEXT: OBAMA/BIDEN ’08
OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message.