Will there be a backlash against jibjab?

[Cocoa]

I sure hope so, and I hope it's ugly.

Is there any way to spark such a backlash, what about some wacky DJ doing a "jibjab demolition" at a ball game?

:mad:

[trumad]

1. I think the best backlash there can be is to ignore it.

Hint Hint

[GiovanniC]

2. Why?

n/t

[NC_Nurse]

3. Why?

It was a joke. Who cares?

[GiovanniC]

4. Not Only That

But they hit Bush and Kerry equally, IMO.

[Cocoa]

6. aaaarrrgggghhhhh!

if I hear that one more time I don't know what I'm going to do...

[bowens43]

7. jeesh . Get a sense of humor.

It was hilarious.

[GiovanniC]

9. The Hit Them Both Equally Hard

There, you've heard it one more time.

[Blue-Jay]

13. I was just getting ready to do that.

It was funny. I can laugh at Kerry. I'm planning on 8 years of laughing at him when someone does a good parody.

[emulatorloo]

14. "politicians are all the same, why bother voting" n/t

[GiovanniC]

38. Yes, Humor Is Only Allowed If It Idolizes Dems and Annihilates Repubs

n/t

[emulatorloo]

59. never said that. . .jibjab is a celebration of cynicism, IMHO

I can laugh at it, but still point it out!

[UdoKier]

34. I didn't think it hit either of them very hard.

It didn't call Bush a liar, didn't show him stuffing his pockets with money from the treasury. It tried desparately not to offend anybody, IMO.

[buycitgo]

10. really really really really

I kept saying that as soon as people started threads on how funny it was

first of all, it's NOT FUNNY!

lame, unoriginal, stereotypical, latenight humor put to cartoon

what's funny about THAT?

plus, it was MUCH more antiKerry than antiBush, if you look at what they said, not to mention the Clinton BS.

how many times did they have Kerry talking about his purple hearts, frinstance?

the jokes against Bush put him in a mostly positive light, making him look like a regular guy.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

20. Waitaminute!

You mean I'm not the only one who didn't think it was funny? (Or fair.)
(I'm serious, here)

[leyton]

35. I thought it was funny.

Yes, it was probably slanted a bit against Kerry, but it's humor. Nobody's taking it seriously, or at least nobody should take it seriously.

The repetition about the purple hearts was to make a point - that Kerry always talks about Vietnam. That, and the Dean Scream, were what make the movie so funny for me.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. I hear ya there.

I don't think they hit on both equally at all. The only jokes they had they had against Bush were "dumbass", "nuclear", "nutjob". Even the good parts about Kerry were half ridicule (the three purple hearts REPEATEDELY as if it's the only thing Kerry's running on), and they made fun of him for being a "liberal weenie", "liberal sissy", "pinko commie", flip-flops twice, botox, and more. It wasn't even close to equal.

[Sparkly]

21. Fwiw, I agree -- it wasn't equal

I haven't commented on it before, so please indulge me. They hit all the RW smears of Kerry, even showing him on a leash with a ball-gag as a slave to the UN; Bush as a "rightwing nutjob" was shown in military uniform! With all the material they had to work with, that's all they came up with? He's dumb and he's a "multerry man?"

I will be glad to see it go away.

[library_max]

24. The "good parts" about Bush were half-ridicule too.

More than half-ridicule. Riding the bomb down a la Dr. Strangelove ("yipee!"), unable to spell "Massachusetts," dressed up in a crusader costume with a crown. Actually, the sharpest digs they took at each candidate were during the "good parts." "Oh, and Dick Cheney too!"

It was silly stuff, far from profound, but we need to get over ourselves just a little if we can't see that it was both funny and even-handed.

[Salluc]

25. Thank you!!

I think the RNC should have to pay for air time every time that Bush ad ran on prime time. Thank you so much for listing each of the affectionate pokes at Bush and slanderously ferocious strikes at Kerry.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

26. No, thank you! And welcome to DU!!

We're very glad to have you on board, and I look forward to hearing a lot from you in the future!! :yourock: :toast: :grouphug: :party: :bounce: :beer:

[Salluc]

27. Fabulous to be here!

Thank you for your excellent, generous and kind welcome. It's great to finally have a home!

[Elginoid]

28. they hit Bush and Kerry equally, IMO...

lighten up, francis.

[bowens43]

5. Why would there be a backlash?

I assume you're talking about the flash animation to 'This land is your land' (if not, what are you talking about?)? It was hilarious. I loved it.

[Ravenseye]

8. Yeah it was funny.

The only thing I would have done different was instead of having an indian say 'this land was my land', have it be Nader in a beautifull setting, then have the wal-marts move in...

[demnan]

11. Don't sweat the small stuff

They'll be unknown again in about a week.

[Selwynn]

12. I think its funny. And I think we look better when we lighten up.

[buycitgo]

16. bout as funny as a truckoad of dead babies

lighten up!

[Selwynn]

17. To each his own. I loved it. In fact, I'm going to watch it right now.

[buycitgo]

18. then some reruns of Three's Company?

now THAT's funny

[Selwynn]

19. Ritter was very funny. :)

To each his own. I'm not asking you to watch anything you don't want to watch.

[buycitgo]

23. specially when his ball popped out of his shorts

ever see that one?

[Selwynn]

30. quality. :)

[LTR]

22. I thought it was hilarious!

Brilliant satire skewering both sides.

Some people just need to lighten up a little.

[KharmaTrain]

29. JibJab Is Facing Legal Action

The estate of Woody Guthrie...who owns the copywright to the music and lyrics are saying that the JibJab brothers are in violation since they changed the lyrics and kept the music the same. Usually these suits don't do much but slow down distribution.

As others have said...lighten up, it's a parody, a joke and I found the portrayal of Bunnypants as a smug frat-boy to be spot-on.

This is just a pimple along the political acne. I've already forgotten about the damn video as it's 15 minutes was up the second I finished watching it.

Cheers.

[Cocoa]

31. I was wondering about that

I remember reading about that Wilco record, and the extensive involvement of the Guthrie family in ensuring that it respect Woody's work.

Compared to this cartoon, which just rips it off for a couple of yuks.

[KharmaTrain]

37. I Wish I Could Find A Link...

I think I heard about the suit on CNN...actually sounded more like a cease & desist. My bets are that since they didn't charge for the video, and it would be difficult to prove direct profit from it, there'd be no real legal case of infrigement. The C & D serves just to cut down it's airplay and that was happening everyway.

I'm fairly certain the Guthrie family still owns the rights to the song and is one of the rare few that attempts to protect the integrity of the original song. It bugs me no end to see a Cadillac commericial with Hendrix wailing in the background or my kids knowing a song not by it's name or who does it, but by the commercial they saw it on.

[timdoodle]

39. There is no copyright infringement

with parodies.

[Cocoa]

42. doesn't Weird Al need permission?

wasn't that what the stink was about between him and Coolio?

[timdoodle]

46. Nope, in copyright law, parodies like SNL and such

do not need permission to make a joke. I will find the caselaw and be back. Nobody likes someone without proof.:)

[timdoodle]

51. Here it is

The United States Supreme Court in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (1994) stated in no uncertain terms that a parody as a form of criticism or comment could be fair use of a copyrighted work.

[timdoodle]

52. Delete

[MUSTANG_2004]

54. Sort of

The courts are not entirely consistent when ruling on parodies, so it's safer to get permission. Here's a nice article that sums it up:

http://www.publaw.com/parody.html

[KharmaTrain]

67. That's Their Argument...

Since the music is recognizable, that's where there is a problem. Also, is it a parody? While I agree it is, and again, I think this is more a harassment suit to cool down the TV play and self-promoting of the producers.

[MUSTANG_2004]

41. Profit doesn't matter on copyright infringement

Whether the use is commercial or not makes no difference (think about what would happen if you put all of Stephen King's books on-line and available for free). Anyway, as jibjab.com appears to be a for-profit business, and this cartoon is an advertisement of sorts, there almost certainly is profit involved.

Something that complicates this issue is that it is a parody which can be an allowed use.

[timdoodle]

43. Isn't the Cadillac commercial Led Zeppelin?

on edit: I can't even spell Zeppelliinnee

[KharmaTrain]

70. Yep...Forgot About Those.

But at least Jimmy Page is still alive as is Plant...and surely both not only gave their OK, but got a nice big check from General Motors.

[UdoKier]

32. That would be like having a backlash against a Leno monologue...

Trite, shallow, no real attacks for either side. Just a cutesy "mainstream" 'toon designed to appeal to those folks who fancy themselves "moderates".

The ballyhoo about this 'toon is so out of proportion to how interesting it is (not), it's pathetic.

[Cocoa]

33. so far, the "lighten up" count is seven

:mad:

[leyton]

36. Make it eight. nt

[GiovanniC]

40. Nine.

n/t

[bicentennial_baby]

49. 10

Jeez people, get a funny bone! :eyes:

[buycitgo]

44. what people don't apparently realize is that this is just another

of the myriad pieces in the Kerry teardown mosaic

interpret it anyway you want to, but the points made against JK are much nastier than the ones against chimp, especially the war wounds

my FATHER had his ASS blown off in WWII; spent a year in a hospital as a result, so I take umbrage at that crap

still, and all, why do people think it's funny to begin with?

it's just lame, obvious, recycled, late night hack work, made into a cheap-ass cartoon

[thebigidea]

47. I agree, it doesn't even create a chuckle. Boring!

Obvious is the word... far too Jay Leno-ish for my taste.

And I can safely say that if I lightened up any more, I could produce solar power.

[buycitgo]

50. hey! what do YOU know about it?

have YOU ever tried to make a video, or anything?

HAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaA

[Cocoa]

56. even if it were truly balanced

it would be false balance, just like any news organization that attempts to be "even-handed" with Bush and Kerry.

Take www.factcheck.org for example. They confuse us with trivial crap, and nearly ignore the Big Lies.

Anyway, it's NOT balanced, like you say.

Parts of it are funny, no doubt about it, but it's not nearly funny enough to justify its high profile.

[Selwynn]

62. It's also not UN-funny enough to justify the high profile..

..that some here seem to want to give it.

[Selwynn]

61. It's also not a big deal.

And trying to argue that this is part of the Kerry teardown is obtuse. It was little more than people who don't take politics quite as seriously as you and your aneurysm inducing lack un-dudeness (hope you get the reference hehe) poking fun at candidates.

Do you love a political comedian when they poke fun at republicans, but then get pissed off and irate when they then give some to democrats too?

This reminds me of the people in 2000 who got pissed off at the snickers commercial that had the elephant and the donkey on the guys shoulders, the elephant saying "people say I look like my dad.. my dad was president, we are the same pants" and the donkey saying "I invented dads, I invented pants" - it was FUNNY. And even if YOU personally didn't think it was funny, clearly their intention was to make a light commercial poking fun at the whole PROCESS.

This insignificant yet amusing little video is doing nothing more or less than making some light hearted fun at the expense of BOTH the candidates, and to make this big of a deal out of it is precisely the reason why so many people think liberals are ridiculously stupid.

The fact that you call them "points" at all is just insanely silly. Big surprise you feel the "points" made against Kerry were nastier - you hate Bush and you support Kerry. Wow. Big shock. Isn't it funny that uptight anally retentive neoconservatives are in agreement with you that this video is a horrific outrage and should be hated by all - except they feel that way because it is so much easier on Kerry than Bush. Big shock.

It was just some comedy. I laughed. My friends laughed. My family laughed. And even those who didn't laugh certainly didn't take it with the ridiculous fixated seriousness that is displayed here. It was a joke - whether it was a good one or not, its time to get over it.

[Selwynn]

48. Or... you know... fourteen.

I can count. :)

[xocolatl]

45. Want funny and anti-Bush?

Try Mark Fiore.

[Surf Cowboy]

53. Another lighten up...

Yeah, we've got to be able to laugh at our guy. The JIBJAB cartoon was funny--and I've got to tell you, the Bill Clinton part makes my sides split--"what'd I do?!!"

[buycitgo]

57. when are they going to forget about Clinton's peen?

what's the half life on that stuff?

now here's something that made me laugh the first time I saw it

[buycitgo]

55. really

now, top this, in authentic monkeyspeak

http://www.dubyaspeak.com/audio/peeance.phtml

[GiovanniC]

58. Is It Just Me, Or Has Everyone Lost Their Sense of Humor?

In the past few days, I've seen rants against Jon Stewart of the Daily Show and then this. Why is it necessary to become so <<<OUTRAGED>>> every time someone tells a joke that doesn't match the goals of the Democratic Party?

Jon Stewart and JibJab owe NOTHING to us. But getting so angry over people who are at least CLOSE to being even-handed and fair is idiotic.

You want to get mad at CNN because they're supposed to be an unbiased news source but they're blatantly shilling for the right? Great, that's something I can support. They OWE it to us all to be fair and even-handed. Not liberal, just fair. What CNN has done in the past few days is bullshit. What Jon and JibJab have done is not.

The jokes that's getting everyone up-in-arms are not right-wing, they just aren't left-wing. They make fun of both sides -- and they make fun of them EQUALLY.

JibJab could have done the whole thing as an attack on Kerry, but instead they attacked both, and it WAS funny. So it reinforces the right-wing meme that Kerry is a "flip-flopper". It also reinforces the left-wing meme that Bush is a "nutjob" and a "dumbass".

Our meme happens to be right.

Theirs is wrong.

We win.

[thebigidea]

60. Jon Stewart is a brilliant comedian and at the top of his game...

this video was boring crap that'll be forgotten next month.

[Selwynn]

63. It's not just you, but its also typical and unsuprising.

If we weren't a few months from an election where we are in a statistical dead heat with someone who's given us four of the worst years in recent history vs. someone who can stop that insane tyranny more people would have laughed, more people would have ignored it, and not many people would have freaked out about it.

But we are,so they will.

[emulatorloo]

65. Hey, I can point out when Jon Stewart is repeating repug talking points

For cheap laughs. . .Frankly I thought he could do better than that re his day 1 convention coverage.


But that doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humor about dems.

[GiovanniC]

69. I'm Talking About

-- and if you didn't see this thread, you can find it by doing a search on the words "FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM" -- to the guy that was so angry at Jon Stewart because he made a joke that we are getting bashed over the head with Kerry's Navy service that he said he would never watch the Daily Show ever again.

Because everyone knows that Jon owes it to us to elect a Democrat and ne'er to speak ill of Kerry.

[emulatorloo]

75. Yeah I saw that one. . .extreme reaction. . .

seemed a little flamebaitish to me . . .

[Selwynn]

73. I think his coverage has been great.

I think its good to laugh at ourselves.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaand dancy party!"

That cracked me up.

[emulatorloo]

76. Dance party was FUN!!! equating Clinton's Monica Mess with Bush Doctrine

not so much!

Can't they do better?

I found the smackdown of Clinton's speech the worst and lamest part, i.e., Clinton attacks Repugs for being the same as Clinton. Equate Bush Foriegn Policy with Monica Affair (Clinton says Wisdom and Strength not opposing Values, Jon in smirky ho ho voice - Yeah, not like Power and Self-Control)

you can watch it here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/

Click on "watch" by this text:
The Daily Show Headline
"The Kerry/Edwards plan for America's future kicked off in Boston lacking only Kerry, Edwards or a plan for America's future."

Even that sounds like it came from Bush "Truth Squad"

[Selwynn]

77. If you're talking about what I think you're talking about I LOVED IT!

Are you talking about the bit where he played Clinton saying "strength and wisdome are not opposing values" then Jon saying, "like say..... power and self-control."

Man that was awesome. I about spit my coke out in laughter.

"The Kerry/Edwards plan for America's future kicked off in Boston lacking only Kerry, Edwards or a plan for America's future."

Well, that's about what the convention has been so far. Long on rhetoric, which believe me - I APPRECIATE. But short on clear, detailed steps of a plan. There's a lot of "we have a plan to x..." not a lot of description of what that plan really is. I'm hoping that's Kerry's job tonight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the convention. It's been stirring, but not necessarily "substantial" in terms of policy.

[emulatorloo]

80. Got it. . .but I appreciate Louis Black's misanthropic take on Dems better

than Kerry has no plan, Kucinich is a garden gnome, but Clinton LIED!!!!!!, etc etc

Jon Stewart et al are capable of great satire. . .why stick to repug and naderite talking points for cheap laughs???

IMHO, of course. And maybe it will get better!

[Cocoa]

66. the evenhandedness is false

even the idea that evenhandedness is a good thing is questionable. Since when is satire supposed to be even-handed?

This is something that came up with Michael Moore. One of the points of "controversy" was that his having a point of view was somehow damning.

Aside from that, it's not even even-handed.

[GiovanniC]

74. Yet Michael Moore Was NOT Even-Handed, And Said As Much

These guys are fairly even-handed, but let's say they aren't.

Let's assume that they are far right-wing radical shills for the Bush administration who want to deliver us to neo-Nazism and fascism. Maybe even agents of Karl Rove HIMSELF. (A notion that should strike you as ridiculous.)

Is that not their right?

Should they be censored for not agreeing with you?

These guys slammed Bush and they slammed Kerry (neither of them particularly hard, either) -- but say that they got Bush 40% and Kerry 60%. What difference does it make? If you don't like it, ignore it.

But I can guarantee you that if you go around flipping out over how some stupid little web-toon was anti-Kerry because it criticized him slightly more than it criticized Bush, your insecurity will hurt Kerry a hell of a lot more than this little animation will.

[DS1]

78. because we're in a room full of people that have severe emotional

attention issues they need to work out, or need to be in some sort of anger-management therapy/on meds.

Period.

[DS1]

79. YYEARAARAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

FUCK YOU DS1 YOU'RE (sic) MAKING FUN OF MENTAL DISORDERS AND PROMOTING BIG DRUG COMPANY AND HMO CORRUPTION WITH YOUR INSENSITIVE RAMBLING AND INANE ASSBUCKETRY!!! I'M NEVER EVER EVER EVER CLICKING ON ONE OF YOUR THREADS AGAIN!!! :argh:

(which is exactly what I'm after :eyes: )

[Selwynn]

64. (In Martin Sheen saracstic voice)

"You know I was gonna vote for that Kerry fella, but then I saw that jibjab video...." :eyes:

[Cocoa]

68. you're missing the point

I'm not suggesting such a thing, and I don't think anyone else is.

[Selwynn]

72. No I don't believe I am.

But since no one is suggesting that, it doesn't matter, and shouldn't warrant such an overreaction and lack of humor. Lack of humor doesn't just mean that because a person didn't personally find it funny they don't have a good humor. Lack of humor also means an obsessive overreactions humorlessness toward things other people do find amusing.

Some though it was amusing. Big deal. To those who didn't, fine - but its still not a big deal. Making it a big deal just looks amazingly stupid.

[LWolf]

71. Yes.

Use your star, and do a Lounge search. You'll find the backlash.

:evilgrin: