If Olbermann made completely baseless accusations against McCain, he needs to admit his mistake.

[BlueStater]

Olbermann said this on his show two days ago:

OLBERMANN (8/4/08): It seems like the celebrity ad continues to echo and Bob Herbert of the New York Times was on this network pointing out something—I don`t know that anybody noticed before—this morning: That not only in that McCain ad were there two underdressed blondes mixed with the black guy in the ad, but there are also images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Washington Monument, and the Victory Column in Berlin, as Bob Herbert put it, "phallic symbols"—three phallic symbols, two blondes and Barack Obama."

Even if those structures were in the ad that sort of comment would be quite a stretch but they weren't even there at all. If Olbermann screwed up he needs to admit it.

There's a ton of legitimate things to attack McCain over rather than this sort of nonsense (like the fact that he bothered to make such a dumb ad in the first place).

[TwilightGardener]

1. ??--yes, the "phallic" monuments WERE in the ad. For some weird reason.

[BlueStater]

7. But not the structures KO said they were (the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Washington Monument) n/t

[TwilightGardener]

31. I saw all of them. So both me and Bob Herbert are smoking crack, I guess.

[BlueStater]

37. The structure was the Victory Tower in Germany. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

45. Well, it was a leaning silhouette--assume that's what I thought was the

Pisa tower. It really doesn't matter which tall, skinny monuments were there, Herbert's point was, why show them at all? They had to go out of their way to include them. It's arguable that it meant anything, but it's not like he was just making stuff up out of thin air, as you alleged in your post.

[BlueStater]

48. The bigger issue is this "phallic imagery" nonsense.

Obama chose to speak in front of that tower so that's why it's in the ad.

[TwilightGardener]

49. OK, that's your opinion. But don't say it wasn't there--in multiple separate shots.

[BlueStater]

53. The Victory Tower was included three times in the ad.

I think Herbert and Olbermann were confused and thought they were three (or two) different buildings. Two of the three appearances of the Victory Tower are of the same shot - a huge overhead shot which I think was to emphasize the size of the crowd. Another shot was a close-up of Obama's head and it would have been rather hard not to include the tower as it's directly behind Obama.

I just think WAY too much is being read into this.

[blondeatlast]

46. Oh. My. God. What is wrong with the media in this country? How can we keep our panties in place

when they mislabel a piece of architecture?!

[Olney Blue]

2. I remember seeing them in the ad.

[tabatha]

3. He was quoting Bob Herbert.

Check out the ad yourself.

[BlueStater]

17. Then they're both wrong.

This sort of thing makes them look likes kooks. There are plenty of reasonable things to attack that warmongering old idiot over. This definitely isn't one of them.

[Democrats_win]

4. No worries, if McCain was wronged the wholly owned subsidiary of the GOP, the MSM, will correct it.

[cliffordu]

5. Ah, bullshit. (tm)

[blondeatlast]

6. "I'm John McCain and I approved this message." Sorry, BS, no sale (and the imagery

was there and intentional).

[BlueStater]

10. I can barely buy the racism charge (isn't the guy who made the Harold Ford ad on McCain's campaign?)

But the whole phallic imagery thing just sounds totally insane and bogus.

[ObamaIL]

14. Seriously? You Missed the Tower and Young White Sex Objects?

I don't think it helps Obama to go pointing out this subtle stuff, but there isn't any doubt in my mind it was intentional. I mean the imagery is hard to miss.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

21. Not bogus. Read "Isis Paper" by Fraces Cress Wellsing (hope I spelled her name right)

She explains about the power of subliminal sexual symbols and their impact on the subconscious, particularly as they pertain to race issues. It's not bogus or far-fetched. That's the brilliance of the symbols; they're not support to make an impact on a conscious level, only a subconscious one. And Repukes are experts at that!

[ObamaIL]

27. I Know They are Used...And this was rather blatant but I didn't think they worked

There is some Psych 101 study about the concession stand and flashing a coke ad or something and the sales went up. But I didn't think there was much evidence backing this stuff up.

[MonkeyFunk]

13. No, the imagery wasn't there

there's no leaning tower of Pisa or Washington monument. It's the Victory Tower in Berlin, and it was shown because that's where Obama gave his speech.

I like Jon Stewart's take on it. Scroll down for video:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Daily_Show_Media_simultaneously_offended_and_0805.html

[texastoast]

8. Subliminal images

are very powerful. If they were there (and I didn't see it), they were placed there on the recommendation of a psychologist to manipulate the audience.

Sheeple are easy.

That Olberman recognized and brought it out is a good thing. We can all benefit from his observant intellect.

[ObamaIL]

16. From What I hear they don't work well but use them all the same

Look in ice cubes in ads. The lights usually will melt ice so they need to use plastic and illustration...lots of fun things drawn in the ice. Almost always sex.

[texastoast]

57. Self-Delete

[anonymous171]

9. O'Reilly wouldn't, neither should KO.

This is war, not journalism. Until the media is broken up I'll take what shills come our way.

[ObamaIL]

11. I AM SO OUTRAGED HE MISLABELED THE PHALLIC SYMBOLS?????

Not that they weren't there, but that they just didn't label the stone work correctly! I have never been so upset!

Show some respect for the phallic symbols for godsakes. KO do you have no decency?

[MonkeyFunk]

26. If it's an obvious phallic symbol

why did Obama choose to speak in front of it?

This whole argument is stupid. Jon Stewart's take, linked elsewhere in this thread, was right.

[ObamaIL]

36. Seriously?

Obelisks, towers and such have a long history. In Greece you actually see giant penises at random places and you're like WTF? But that victory tower is a giant erect phallus of stone. Trajan has his...

Now why did Obama speak in front of it? Well I think he was given two choices, that or the Gates and the gates everyone got all upset at him using and the Prime Minister said something nasty Bush had asked her to say. So it was a matter of a big open space. But, I'm sure he didn't mind a symbol of power behind him.

But none of that condones using photos of it in such a way to suggest he likes to bed young white sex objects.

I don't think it's fair to blame him at all.

[MonkeyFunk]

52. I don't think the ad in any way suggested

he likes to bed young white sex objects.

I agree with Jon Stewart:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Daily_Show_Media_simultaneously_offended_and_0805.html


Hilton and Spears were used because they're the very epitome of vacuous celebrity. McCain was trying to paint Obama with the "vacuous" brush - not trying to portray him as a violator of white virtue. I think calling the ad racist is absurd, and I think claiming the use of the victory tower was a sexual sign is also absurd. It's in the ad because that's where Obama chose to give his biggest speech to date.

[eshfemme]

58. Thank you for that link. That made my day.

[Egnever]

12. Why?

[BlueStater]

15. Why? So you have no problem with liberal pundits making false statements? n/t

[ObamaIL]

18. Not I Sir. I am so With You. This here is an issue of importance.

How dare Keith call the Victory Tower the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Has he no shame?

[Gabi Hayes]

28. really....WTF is with these people? are they that naive? they did NOT have

to show the the victory tower....there were myriad other ways to show those crowds. how 'convenient' for those towers to be in the show

and what of all the other 'subtle' references to Obama's 'otherness?'

terms like 'exotic,' 'out of the mainstream,' 'not like,' 'different,' etc. how is he exotic? how is he out of the mainstream? how is he different? if you don't think they're playing the race card with terms like those, why do they insist that Obama's, uh, playing the race card when he comments on the way they're using 'he looks different than those guys on the dollar bill?' cause they USED his picture on a dollar bill, maybe?

man, do they know the FIRST thing about marketing?

EDIT to get rid of 'subliminal,' which isn't what I meant to say, seeing as their use of phallic symbols is anything but below the threshold of ordinary perception

[ObamaIL]

39. Well I was being sarcastic

Although I am curious about the subliminal stuff. I read a book out it back in middle school and have spotting dirty images in ads ever since. It's fun, but I didn't think there was really any science backing them up.

[Gabi Hayes]

55. I know, and I like what you've said on this thread,

but these messages are NOT subliminal

they're BLATANTLY obvious, and meant to be so. devious, disinenuous, calculating, projecting, etc., is what these marketing geniuses are, to be sure, but SUBTLE, they're not, at least to anyone with half a brain

subliminal message work at a level beneath ordinary perception, affecting other areas than the conscious brain. those who call these mesages subliminal don't know what they're talking about

[Egnever]

29. Not this year I dont

Smear the fuck out of the pukes, lord knows there's plenty of smearing of the dem going on. Little turnabout suits me just fine.

And the issue you are talking about is so completely minor as to be a joke.

[BlueStater]

33. I have no problem with attacking Republicans.

But, unlike them with us, I want to attack them over thing that are actually true instead of a bunch of baseless nonsense.

[Egnever]

42. ok white knight!

You do the pristine thing and rail against olberman for misnaming the phallic symbols. I'll spend my outrage somewhere else thanks.

[BlueStater]

51. A bit disturbing that you're not bothered by using GOP smear tactics.

And this whole "phallic imagery" stuff is a pretty damn serious accusation to make against a person.

[nsd]

19. I'm not sure the Republicans deserve fair play.

It's only the beginning of August and how many lies have the McCain people already told about Obama? Not to mention McCain's media fellow travelers and the right wing noise machine.

So I really can't muster any enthusiasm for policing KO. There are more important things to do.

[Median Democrat]

20. Thanks for your concern!

Just chill. We understand that you don't like either Hillary or Obama, now Keith Olbermann? Live and let live.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5872763&mesg_id=5872763

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5872763&mesg_id=5874286

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3897080

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5872763&mesg_id=5873571

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4625740#4625747

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5062664#5062718

[k8conant]

22. Look at the ad for yourself, BlueStater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Za-Mx1y3A

Which structure DON'T you see that is there?

[BlueStater]

30. There is only one structure and it's neither of the ones Olbermann mentioned.

And, as another poster above brought up, the reason that structure was included in the ad at all was because that was where Obama gave his speech in Germany.

[ObamaIL]

41. Depends How Honest You Think the GOP is

[blondeatlast]

43. Oh, noes! That IS serious. Mislabeling a piece of architecture--unforgivable!

:sarcasm:

[ObamaIL]

47. lol

I mean that's the sin right? He called it the wrong tower. And I too thought I saw the WAshington Monument.

[Oilwellian]

54. Are you blind?

I also saw the Washington Monument. Secondly, Olbermann was quoting Bob Herbert's NYT piece. May I suggest you study subliminal messages in ads. It's a science and I'm quite thrilled to see Olbermann call them out on this obvious attempt by the dirty, filthy McCain campaign.

[WA98070]

23. KO has apologized in the past when he was wrong. Although I didn't catch this to see...

if he was wearing his journalist hat or doing a humor bit. He does pride himself in truth first.

[blondeatlast]

24. "Ton of legitimate things to attack McCain over." So do so; if KO gets your panties in

such a knot you'll need meds before November 4th.

[Beregond2]

25. How is that an "attack?"

Just seems like a wry observation to me. Certainly nothing to get excited about.

[Gabi Hayes]

32. what other egregious assaults against truth and decency can you come up with, podnah?

that one ranks way up there with Gore getting the kind of plane he flew over Texas in during the 2000 election

digging pretty deep there, arncha?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

34. remember the word "rat" that came up in that ad? The Repubs use subliminal ads all the time

they are experts in psy-ops.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

35. remember the word "rat" that came up in that ad? The Repubs use subliminal ads all the time

they are experts in psy-ops.

[The_Casual_Observer]

38. He did this with the Canadian NAFTA thing with Clinton. The next night

he did a half ass non-apology with that shitty eyes looking up from the paper pose. There are others as well, but I don't care about the guy anymore to even think about him.

[blondeatlast]

40. Wow, what a keen media critic you are, getting right to the big issues and ignoring the

trivial misleading headlines on polls, deliberate out-of-context Obama quotes--we'd be lost without you. half0-truths! :eyes:

Media Matters called to thank you for your resume and to politely request that you please stop calling them.

[BlueStater]

44. I criticize McCain all the time, smartass n/t

[countingbluecars]

50. This calls for some pots and pans. nt

[NYC_SKP]

56. ***Non-Issue***

This is about as inane as fussing over the "57 states" comment.

So, KO, misnamed the phalluses....does it matter? Is it unfair to McCain, below the belt?

This is beyond silly, KO misnamed a monument and must apologize???