Greatest hero since Mighty Mouse

You have to read Tom Shales’ review of the upcoming propaganda travesty, DC 911, which, I am happy to see, is being universally laughed at. (Time magazine has referred to it as “militainment.”) This review is hilarious. And depressing.

Nothing in historical record suggests Bush acted particularly heroically Sept. 11, 2001, but Chetwynd’s script has him all but saddling up a horse and riding over to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban man-to-man. When Bush announces he will give a speech to the nation from the White House and aides try to talk him into seeking a safer location, Bush bellows, “If some tinhorn terrorist wants me, tell him to come on over and get me. I’ll be home!”

Bush repeatedly demands he be taken to the White House as Air Force One flies aimlessly about on that horrible September day: “I’ve got to get back to Washington because I’m not going to let those people keep me from getting home,” he barks. And earlier: “Get me home! . . . The American people want to know where their damn president is.”

I also found another review of this fiasco that had me in awe. I hadn’t been to this site before, but I think it’s going to become one of my favorites very soon. The writer, Danny Schechter, looks at what’s actually behind the making of this North Korean-style propaganda cartoon, and in so doing manages to shed a harsh light on how our SCLM functions. DC 911 is nothing but a big free ad, a campaign contribution provided by Viacom to thank Bush for doing its bidding!

So move over Madonna and the Rug Rats and even Leni Riefenstahl, Viacom presents our latest TV superstar: President George W Bush as produced by Karl Rove the President’s in-house Machiavelli with the help of Lionel Chetwynd, a Republican toady, screenwriter and producer. The actual production draws on the cast of Star Trek, a comedian known for his role as “the ripper,” and financial subsidies from Canada where this pro-American patriotic epic was actually made to avoid paying union wages.

This is a long, detailed piece that really opened my eyes. For you Asiaphiles, scroll down to where Schechter talks about Viacom’s shameless efforts to coddle the CCP. Anything for money.

The Discussion: 3 Comments

I wish I could remember where I read a review of it the first time — it was a mainstream publication — but the gist of it was that it was the propaganda machine in full force. However, the reviewers comparison was more akin to Goebbels and the Nazi machine. Quite fitting.

September 7, 2003 @ 6:17 am | Comment

You’re right, Jeremy, it’s right up there with the most shameless propaganda. For all the hype in American politics, this appears to be totally unprecedented.

What I want to know is whether this type of shit will resonate with the public or bring on mass revulsion as it should. The American people have a fairly good history of arriving at the right conclusions and making the right choices — after all, they voted against Bush. So I want to hope they see this for the vulgar, inappropriate, insulting, Kim Jong II-style pep rally that it is. The Top Gun landing backfired badly, and this should as well.

September 7, 2003 @ 6:26 am | Comment

Propaganda in the media? Say it ain’t so! Faux News not objective? You must be some kind of Ay-rab terrorist! Viacom peddling to pocket books? What re-education camp educated YOU?

Anyways, interesting insights on The Shill’s latest work — keep ’em coming.

September 8, 2003 @ 8:41 am | Comment

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