Spoofed!
HERE WE GO AGAIN …
By Mande Wilkes
FITSNews – July 24, 2008 – Riding the coattails of the cover that launched a thousand offenses, Vanity Fair has just published a spoof of the infamous political cartoon featuring Barack and Michelle Obama.
Yet this time it’s John and Cindy McCain who are being “satirized.”
Similarly situated in the Oval Office, the McCains are shown (like the Obamas) bumping fists … which is probably the most noteworthy aspect of the picture.
You see, as with the Obama cover, there’s no really satire in the drawing – just a pictorial declaration of a handful of literal facts about the McCains.
In the picture (above ), Senator McCain leans on a walker while Cindy clutches an armful of prescription pill bottles. A portrait of George W. Bush rests over a fireplace, in which the U.S. Constitution is burning.
Like we said, the only cartoonish facet of the picture is the “fist bump.”
Seriously, it’s hard to imagine the McCains engaging in any kind of “bumping,” especially considering John’s recent mea culp-esque unease with the topic of erectile dysfunction.
Anyway, where’s the satire? John is old, Cindy was once a pill-popper, and a McCain presidency does smack of Bush-like Constitutional folly.
Basically … true dat.
If nothing else, the spoof offers a chance to see just how much indignant outrage the liberals can muster.
After all, the controversial cover of the Obamas sparked earnest pouts from the left, peppered with accusations of racism and misogyny.
But will they also come a-runnin’ to the the McCain’s defense?
Should they choose to, they have plenty of ammo. After all, the spoof matches the original’s racism with ageism and it mocks the issue of drug abuse … also in a misogynistic manner, nonetheless.
Down to the image of our nation’s founding document in flames, the spoof spared no jabs at the McCains. But will it garner the huffy reaction won by the original? And will McCain, having perhaps learned from Obama’s faltering icy reaction, demonstrate a sense of humor, and an ability to laugh at himself?
Perhaps if these candidates show they can lighten up and not take everything so seriously all the time, the rest of the country will follow suit.
Of course, that’s probably asking too much …
Comments
By reggie on July 24th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
now that this has been done, i dont want to hear any whining from either side of the political parties. this is fair and exactly what we as people should be able to do, laugh at ourselfs.
if ANY person finds offense in this, they shall be excommunicated.
By Red Bank on July 24th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I read this post quickly. As I was coming to the end, it hit me. This is so dumb and juvenile, it must be M A N D E!. I knew it, I knew it.
I hope you’re an intern, Mande, because anything approaching the minimum wage is too much.
You should stick to constitutional law, Mande. You’re much stronger there.
By Silence Dogood on July 24th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I personally did not care much about the Obama cover, I wasn’t “offended” and I even “got it,” the thing was is that even as satire it was kind of tasteless, but over all was a not that witty, but rather a cheap publicity stunt to sell covers and…it did. This McCain cover, just the same. None the less, the difference between having Bush featured on the wall vs. Osama Bin Landen, does show just how much some people reeeeeaaaaally hate George Bush.
By estelle getty lives in my pants on July 25th, 2008 at 6:38 am
I am so tired of seeing these Mande Wilkes stories push down legitimate articles on the front page. Too often a good article (like the draft ABA report) doesn’t get the front page time it deserves b/c some crap like this gets posted. I’m really starting to get frustrated, people.
By Not Only That on July 25th, 2008 at 7:02 am
I definitely feel your pain. I can’t stand it.
By good humor is educational on July 25th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Personally I love the humor of it all . I wish there were more like this out there.
I would much rather see a cartoon capturing the situation rather than a talking head pushing either their pseudo-conservative or liberal b.s. at me.
And good humor sells and also educates – look at the Daily show or the Colbert Report.
A quote from Pew Research on their study below:
Well-informed audiences come from cable (Daily Show/Colbert Report, O’Reilly Factor), the internet (especially major newspaper websites), broadcast TV (NewsHour with Jim Lehrer) and radio (NPR, Rush Limbaugh’s program). The less informed audiences also frequent a mix of formats: broadcast television (network morning news shows, local news), cable (Fox News Channel), and the internet (online blogs where people discuss news events).
By Negatron on July 25th, 2008 at 7:38 am
tl;dr
By reggie on July 25th, 2008 at 11:26 am
hey, im a intern and i get paid.
that was pretty funny though red bank. no disrespect to ms Made.
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