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More Entertainment in Politics
for release 02-17-07
Washington DC
What we need is more entertainment in politics. Yes, I know, we already have jugglers and clowns. Our politicians are starting to get the knack of this. They know that entertainment trumps policy every time. The funniest and most embarrassing cell-phone videos published on YouTube can swing more votes than a candidate's position on Iraq or taxes.
This from George Bush's first news conference of 2007 when questioned about applying economic pressure on Iran:
BUSH: " let’s put it this way: Money trumps peace, sometimes."
Ah, out of the mouths of babes....
Money Trumps Peace. George Bush can certainly turn a phrase, can't he? That should be the motto of this administration. Money also trumps common sense and science and fair play and democracy.
Money Trumps Everything. Who knew that Gdubya was a philosopher? And he is also a black-belt comedian, master of the one liner, a great entertainer. Oh yes, that should be the tattoo on the inner thigh of this government, Money Trumps Peace. Just like entertainment trumps solid policy.
Before the electronic age, there were dolls with strings in their necks. You pulled the string and a pre-recorded line would issue from the doll. It would say something like "Chatty Cathy loves you," or "The terrorists are after us," or "9-11, 9-11, 9-11," or "Weapons of mass destruction," or "if we don't fight them over there, then we will have to fight them here," or "Global warming is Al Gore's fantasy." Why does this remind me of our government? They think that they can pursue their foul agenda while amusing the public with wind-up dolls who deliver one-liners.
So, the reporter asks the question and Bush reaches up and pulls the string on his neck. It's the sort of high-tech political ventriloquism that we have come to expect. Just repeat the stock answer. Just get the punch-line right. They know that poot jokes always get a laugh, but don't ever say the words 'Hymie' or 'Spic' or 'Nigger' or 'Jew' or 'Macaca.'...etc. Just say, "Money Trumps Peace." How did that get into the talking points, Karl?
Money Trumps Peace?
Ok, we can chalk it up to a rare moment of candor and honesty. Don't pay attention to it. It was just one among many 'Bushisms.'---"Don't mis-underestimate me", etc.
We can't dismiss the entertainment value of lines like, "no nuckular weapons on the Korean penenshula." I just love that down-home approach with the colloquially mispronounced words. Great schtick, Mr. President.
But this is the age if real entertainment. What we want to see is the daring escape from the The Iraqi Water Torture Tank performed in Central Park with all the cameras rolling. What we want to see is Condi checking in to Betty Ford Center and then checking out in one day and shaving her head and getting some new piercings. We want to see Dick Cheney eating worms from an undisclosed location while dodging subpoenas and shooting imaginary quail. Reality TV. That's the stuff that headlines are made of.
We don't want dry dollars and cents. We don't want to see the sausage makers at their craft. We don't want to know what goes into it. We don't want to see just how our legislators stuff the pork into the intestines of our bills. We don't want to see it. We just want entertainment. We are much more interested in Anna Nicole's Body than John Brown's Body.
The Poet's Eye wants to see more entertainment in politics. Remember: Money Trumps Peace and Entertainment Trumps Policy.
There's no business like show business
Like no business I know
Everything about it is appealing
Everything the traffic will allow
No where could you have that happy feeling
When you aren't stealing that extra bow
There's no people like show people
They smile when they are low
Yesterday they told you you would not go far
That night you opened and there you are
Next day on your dressing room they've hung a star
Let's go on with the show
--imagine Ethyl Merman
