Weekend Art & Politics Links

1. James Maybe assembles a small gallery of Sarah Palin art. Some is pro, some is anti, some is NSFW.

2. Whitney Phillips looks for the origins of the Obama/Joker image and finds the hidden hand of 4chan.

Comments

[Elemenope]

The McCain/Palin "morning after" painting was the best of the lot.

[PantsFan]

I was always sure Palin would be a shaver.

[Ray Gardner]

I think it odd that 1) Palin scares the Left so badly, and 2) the fact that they don't try to disguise that fear. If she was as clueless as they portray her to be, she would be up there with LaRouche and Nader as far as coverage goes, but she's always headline material.

She scares my fellow libertarians simply because she's pro-life, but I haven't seen anything that would indicate that she's a moralist legislator. From her most recent statements, it would seem she has a decent grasp of individual rights, but I don't know how genuine any of that is yet.

More to the point of artwork, if anyone likes that in and of itself, here's a link to one image by Jason Seiler.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VFdUDzTjekQ/SMh3TSiyGOI/AAAAAAAAA8k/9JIw_p8ge84/s1600-h/mccainpalin.jpg

Seiler is my personal favorite, but there's also Ismael Roldan, Jan Op DeBeeck, and more if anyone is curious to just check images out.

[Tulpa]

Hmm, I would have expected an Obama-as-Pedobear image in that case. Try to spin THAT as racist!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Palin/4chan in 2012

[zoltan]

She scares my fellow libertarians simply because she's pro-life

Too true. Couldn't be the foaming-at-the-mouth support for the Iraq War.

[squarooticus]

Couldn't be the foaming-at-the-mouth support for the Iraq War.

With evidently an utter lack of understanding of the issues involved, and no interest in getting beyond Rethuglican talking points.

What primarily annoys me about her is the confident ignorance: she doesn't know much about anything beyond her own tiny sphere of influence, and seems to be proud of giving off that impression. Yeah, that's what we need: another politician holding her ears closed, screaming "LA LA LA LA LA! I can't hear you!"

[hmm]

Academics, that I'm fairly sure are out of touch with most things internet, analyzing 4chan. I found it funny.

[Bingo]

Palin bugs me because she went for the demagogue-populist approach and appealed to the lowest common denominator of the GOP. Reactionary and dogmatic isn't very appealing.

BTW... Radley Balko has a great little piece on his blog about the Whole Foods healthcare blowback. http://www.theagitator.com/2009/08/15/whole-foods-2/

Worth checking out, I picked up some beer from there this evening to show my support for a libertarian business!

Funy how the Professor thinks /b/ and "birthers" are somehow mutually exclusive

the lowest common denominator of the GOP

The libertarian faction?

I think her appeal is wider than that.

[ransom147]

Bingo:

thanks for the link. more interesting than the other two combined...

[Tulpa]

I've only been to Hole Foods once, when I had to pick up something very specific for a person with severe food allergies. The entire place reeked like diarrhea. I mean, 10x worse than the worst Wal*mart or McDonalds I've ever smelled. Yet all these well dressed suburbanite soccer moms are walking around smiling like nothing's wrong. I wanted to scream "CAN'T ANYONE SMELL THAT? HOW CAN YOU EAT ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM THIS SHITHOLE?!"

So, in short, I'm not patronizing that place even if Mackey goes full Rothbard and campaigns for street privatization.

[Elemenope]

You never go full Rothbard!

Cherry Bomb

Joan,Lita,Sandy,Cherie...

[Warty]

Whole Foods is worth going to for bulk steel-cut oatmeal, as long as you don't have a dirty hippie food co-op nearby. And their pies are the best store pies I've ever had (which is like saying that their toilets are the nicest toilets I've ever had the squirts on). That's about it.

[Bingo]

Noticed that since Weigel is no longer around, the politics and prog thing has fallen on the wayside. But you guys gotta check out the new Muse single, "Uprising".

[Dr.Ludovico]

the Obama/Joker is pretty tits, despite how much pointlessly hyperventilating press it's getting.

But I prefer Obama as Akhenaten
All Hail the Bomma-Aten!

[hmm]

Well hell if we are going to post music. I give you Steel Panther "Death to All But Metal". (Language NSFW)

I know at least one person who posts here that will watch the whole thing.

[Bingo]

hmm:

Ironic hair metal attitude peaked like 2 years ago! Although that video had some nice scenery 😉

[John G.]

Washington, D.C., August 9, 2009: "In the last few years, there has been a huge proliferation of what the media likes to call "social networking internet sites" and after the eruptions in Tehran recently, the whole juvenile internet crowd is, to make a pun, all atwitter about how effective their new toy was in "getting out the real news." Actually, a good number of twitters were total fakes and utterly useless as news sources. It is my business to review news articles and to see that the really truthful ones get sent to the proper office but I do not ever look at the blogs or the twitters or whatever because they are, in my professional opinion, as useless as tits on a boar pig. These "social network" concepts were initially designed for little girls to use to chatter back and forth with each other about their new clothes, about new movies geared for the children and adults with childish minds and in general, to help them feel important. Predictably, adults with childish minds eagerly seized onto the business and now the whole nation is atwitter with endless chattering, gabbling, gossiping and airhead nonsense. This is also clogging up portions of the Internet and this can have serious problems with security issues. Just for fun, I took a small box, made in Finland, with my self and my fifteen year old nephew, down into the tourist traps of our beloved national capitol. The box, which is illegal for use in the United States but growing in popularity daily, automatically shuts off all so-called cell phone calls within a 300 yard radius, depending on the surroundings. It's not quite as effective inside buildings but works well in larger areas like malls or big government buildings. My nephew, who shall remain nameless here, and I had a wonderful afternoon, creating havoc wherever we went. We would go into the Capitol building, filled with noisy tourists and equally noisy members of Congress and their aides and when there, turn on the box. It was purely wonderful to hear shouts of 'Hello! Hello!" coming from large numbers of jabbering people. "I got cut off!" was the usual cry followed by more cries of, "Hello! Hello! What the fuck is the matter with these assholes? I can't get a signal! Hello!" Wonderful to behold. And then to a big mall in Maryland where we had a similar experience only with squealing girls instead of airheaded Congressmen and their butt kissing staff members, not to mention the slack-jawed morons from Bad Seepage, Ohio on a trip to Our Blessed Buildings of Dishonor.. After the mall, we went out to Dulles and listened to the harassed arrivals and departures screaming because their phone conversations were shut off. I suppose the airport was not particularly wise location but as no incoming aircraft crashed into the concourses, I think no harm was done. Just think, as I told my nephew who was screaming with laughter, blessed silence. The chattering, yelling and whining sounds all stopped, at least while they were within range and we could hear wonderful canned music and various garbled messages about arriving flights or wonderful sales of Chinese-manufactured douche bags, laden with poison waste, in Ladies Accessories on the second floor. I let my nephew use it while we were driving around and it was a delight to watch fat, red-faced idiots soundlessly screaming into their dead phones. We need more of this, not less, and there ought to be some part of the United States where we can send these congenital idiots for corrective therapy.. We don't need to make soap or lampshades out of them but some place down on the Mohave Desert might be very instructive. But if the idiots can not longer twitter, can we reeducated them? They might learn to read books. Not comic books but books with real pages and smaller type. Ah, well, we can dream on and the last thing my nephew said was: "Jesus, let's do that again, OK?" Yes, we certainly will."

[PantsFan]

nobody does ironic hair-metal like the germans;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gGPcvteEu4

[$]

I only went to Whole Foods once, too, and it also smelled like some kind of bowel horror.

Is it the invisible hippies?

Do politicians' and bankers' wives smell like grizzly shit?

Is "Whole Foods" sly code for "Unventilated Scat Dungeon?"

A mystery.

[PantsFan]

crap. wrong video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoTiXI4vYc

[Warty]

I know at least one person who posts here that will watch the whole thing.

Is it bad that I recognize most of the stolen riffs in that song? Metal rules.

[Warty]

Shut the fuck up, Germany. Leave the metal to your northern cousins.

[Tulpa]

You never go full Rothbard!

Speak for yourself!

$,

I wonder if all that organic food decomposes faster and that's what I'm smelling. Plus they have all sorts of exotic veggies and stuff there that my nose hasn't become accostumed to. You know what they say about anal sex, that it only hurts the first time.

[ransom147]

wtf is all that self righteous tripe John G

[Art-P.O.G.]

I miss Weigel. Anyone who a) likes prog and b) pisses off Lonewacko can't be all bad.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Of course, Deputy Trudi Weigel might be even better than Dave Weigel.

[Art-P.O.G.]

wtf is all that self righteous tripe John G

Um, yeah, Kurt Vonnegut did stream-of-consciousness a lot better than whatever that was.

[coarsetad]

Tulpa and $,
Sounds like you guys were there (Whole Foods) right after Warty decided to drop and use and facilities.

[Elemenope]

Shut the fuck up, Germany. Leave the metal to your northern cousins.

The Danes?

[Joshua Corning]

Academics, that I'm fairly sure are out of touch with most things internet, analyzing 4chan. I found it funny.

Actually he seems to get the general ethos correct....all for the lulz!!...of course it is the same ethos employed by Adult Swim cartoons and found in any teens text message so he is generally wrong when he thinks that 4chan attitude is strictly 4chan's.

Think of it as Gen y's (Gen z's?) thing like irony was Gen X's thing.

[Germany]

Shut the fuck up, Germany. Leave the metal to your northern cousins.

Shut the fuck, up Warty. None of this generic nordic death metal crap could ever hold a candle to Blind Guardian.

[hmm]

I can't believe no one recognized Danger Kitty. You all fail at parody bands.

[Bob]

I was always partial to Playing House, but they didn't include that painting for some reason.

[Elemenope]

I was always partial to Playing House, but they didn't include that painting for some reason.

That's a pretty good one.

[strike through]

Speaking of weekend politics, post-Russert Meet The Press just scored a new low by inviting NBC Deputy Chief Propagandist Rachel Maddow to the adult's table. Desperation, or simple insanity? That formerly respected show has become a sideshow, a cesspool. Spin, Timmy, spin.

[Ray Gardner]

RE: Palin

With evidently an utter lack of understanding of the issues involved, and no interest in getting beyond Rethuglican talking points.

Exactly. She's not so different than any other politician, Left or Right, so why does she come in for such vitriol from both sides?

Pro-life? Lots of people on the Right are, so what? They don't receive the abuse she does. Not being totally clued in on the issues? Obama and Bush both get awards for naivte, and Biden? The gaff machine?

But people are freaking out over Palin despite her not being that different than the others.

That leaves the only real difference between her and her counterparts, and that is values, or at least the perception of values. It goes beyond being demonstrably pro-life.

Long story short, she seems to be living a genuinely average Christian life and that scares everyone witless on both sides. (When the punditry criticized the daughter's pregnancy, they only strengthened Palin's position because of how she handled the pregnancy in the first place. Given the high out of wedlock birth rate in America, it was actually a selling point in the end.)

[strike through]

the only real difference between her and her counterparts...

...is that she's good-looking. Don't discount the envy factor.

[Warty]

Yeah, Blind Guardian is cool. Real real cool.

[Elemenope]

Long story short, she seems to be living a genuinely average Christian life and that scares everyone witless on both sides.

ROFL!

[*]

Some is pro, some is anti, some is NSFW

Nice spin, Jesse. I counted three "pro," two "NSFW" and a disproportionate nine "anti." But it's adorable that you pretended to be fair about it. Not that there's anything wrong with propaganda.

[Warty]

Take THAT, Jesse, you uncounting fuck. You hack. I bet you'll never show your face again, you monster.

[Jesse Walker]

I missed the part where I claimed the portions are all equal. I can't figure out how different portion sizes would make me more or less "fair" either. Is it some sort of affirmative-action thing?

By the way, I'm pretty sure at least one of the NSFW pictures is also pro.

[Elemenope]

I missed the part where I claimed the portions are all equal. I can't figure out how different portion sizes would make me more or less "fair" either. Is it some sort of affirmative-action thing?

It's that "equal time" disease, made endemic by 24-hr cable news.

[Syd Henderson]

The main problem with most of the Palin ones is that the artists can't draw.

My favorite of the Joker poster is the one with "JOKE" at the bottom. That could have been used in an advertising campaign. The McCain one is good, too.

[Federal Dog]

"What primarily annoys me about her is the confident ignorance: she doesn't know much about anything beyond her own tiny sphere of influence, and seems to be proud of giving off that impression. Yeah, that's what we need: another politician holding her ears closed, screaming "LA LA LA LA LA! I can't hear you!""

Slap a penis and black skin on her and you've got Barack Obama.

[Elemenope]

Slap a penis and black skin on her and you've got Barack Obama.

Yeah, I definitely get the impression that he positively revels in his ignorance.

What?

[Jim Treacher]

That guy takes a statement about the mockery of Palin's infant son and turns it into "Palin thinks her image is sacrosanct." How about, she doesn't like people making fun of her baby? Is that somehow a controversial stance?

[Jim Treacher]

Yeah, I definitely get the impression that he positively revels in his ignorance.

What?

"Doctors cut out people's tonsils to make a quick buck."

"I don't know exactly exactly happened, but hey, the cop was white, right?"

"I'm not sure what the term is in Austrian."

[Jim Treacher]

Or "exactly what happened," either one.

[Tulpa]

I have to agree with Elemenope that Obama doesn't celebrate his ignorance. He's just blissfully unaware of it.

Not sure that that's any better, though. In fact if we're to believe Socrates, Palin's approach to her ignorance is superior. Though I think he'd have a bone to pick with her stance on gay marriage.

[MonkeeHeadinSouth]

Though I think he'd have a bone to pick with her stance on gay marriage.

Can't see monogamy being one of Socrates big priorities

[*]

I can't figure out how different portion sizes would make me more or less "fair" either. Is it some sort of affirmative-action thing?

Relax. I said there's nothing wrong with propaganda. But let's not be coy about it.

[Elemenope]

Would this be the appropriate time to point out that Socrates was an arrogant ass?

Not that that necessarily counts against him. Some of the best stuff is done by arrogant asses.

[Tulpa]

No, Socrates was a dick. Now Thrasymachus, he was an asshole.

[Elemenope]

No, no, no. Glaucon was a dick. Next to him, Socrates is merely a phallus.

[johnl]

Bingo, about Uprising, Michael Halloran has pointed out that sounds a lot like the Doctor Who theme.

[hmm]

Yeah, I definitely get the impression that he positively revels in his ignorance.

What?

It isn't his reveling in ignorance that is the problem. It's his belief that he is not ignorant that is. He is smart, but like a lot of smart people his ego demands that he believes he knows everything. Our president is a know-it-all. Which is just as dangerous as being ignorant, if not more. The ignorant can learn the know-it-all is generally to arrogant to learn.

Some of the best stuff is done by arrogant asses.

Some of the worlds most atrocious moments were the product of arrogant asses. it works both ways.

[hmm]

ya that was pure html fail

[Elemenope]

Some of the worlds most atrocious moments were the product of arrogant asses. it works both ways.

Damocles was an arrogant ass.

[Dave Weigel]

Deputy Trudi Weigel might be even better than Dave Weigel.

I agree with this.

[Ray Gardner]

An interesting note, I follow a lot of illustrators out of personal interest, and I'm finding very little work produced on Palin for paying customers.

There's not much work on Biden either, but Palin of course attracts much more attention than Biden so you'd think there'd be more actual commissioned work out there on Palin, but there's not.

I don't know where most of that work in this post came from, but most of it appears to not be professionally done, and even the stuff that can pass for professional isn't very good.

Just a curious observation. No big deal I guess.

[Bingo]

johnl -

But that adds to the wonderfully hokey sci-fi aspect of Muse!

[Art-P.O.G.]

I love Muse.

I agree with this.

:p