Gray Davis’s crappy commercials
This morning I was watching the news and I saw a really great commercial from the “No Recall” forces. In it, they listed a series of accomplishments by Gray Davis and the Democrats on the environment, workers rights, etc., followed by the warning “The Republicans opposed every one of these reforms. If this recall goes through, what will they try to recall next?”
This was by far the best anti-recall message I’ve heard yet from anyone. They’re clearly keeping this thing in perspective and reminding people that if Davis is recalled, they’re just opening up the state to all sorts of Republican garbage.
As I was watching the commercial, I was thinking to myself “Gee, it sure would be swell to post a link to this neat-o ad on my site!” (Yeah, my inner voice sounds suspiciously like Opie Taylor) Unfortunately, they don’t have the commercial posted on their site. Since there was a number on the bottom of the page, I figured I would try calling them to see if they had any plans to post the ad.
As I spoke to the receptionist and explained my situation, she seemed really puzzled that anyone would be calling about one of their commercials, but she forwarded me to the press office anyways. The woman from the press office, unlike the receptionist, was a total bitch. She kept asking me “Who do you represent?” and once she figured out that I was a nobody, she gave me some bullshit about how “the political office” would need to answer my question (even though she never bothered to ask why I was calling). After taking my number, she hung up up me.
Well, bitchy press office lady, I was trying to give you guys from free publicity. Since you wouldn’t give me what I needed to write some good things about your commercials, here’s a couple bad things about your commercials :
1. Don’t you people have spell-check?
- Take a look at this frame from their “If 50% plus 1 vote yes on the recall” ad :
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of a “firfighter”
2. Stop stealing from my friend Kyle
- In their “Newspapers are calling it a circus” ad, they stole a picture from my friend Kyle’s website Ostrich Ink :
Here’s a clearer copy of the pic from his interview with Angelyne.
Now, I still totally oppose the recall, but it wouldn’t hurt for their press people to show a little courtesy, even if I don’t “represent” anyone but myself.
6 comments
Copy link for RSS feed for comments on this post
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
you think YOU’RE feeling snubbed? how about the 10 or sohealth clinics davis closed down? how about the battered wives that finally killed thier abusers who’ve spent so long in prison that thier victims families are begging for parole?
i know first hand that davis’ people are smug. i called his campaign office every day for weeks last year demanding he allow camejo to debate and his office was downright condescending.
i’m voting no on recall, but im not doing any campaigning. and im a pretty good grass roots campaigner. and i’ll be bummed to see arnold in sac, but it’s cool to see davis (and mcaullife and all) eat the whole f-ing humble pie.
this campaign is a direct result of the DAVIS camp subverting democracy by devoting money and energy into making sure riordian didnt get the rupublican nomination. every action has an equal and opposite reaction. i wish others on the left would stop calling this obvious farce a tragedy of democracy while failing to point out davis’ own electoral fuckeries.
Comment by josh — October 1, 2003 @ 10:27 am
I guess it could have been worse. They could have used my naked picture of Arnold from last month’s issue.
Comment by Kyle — October 1, 2003 @ 1:19 pm
this campaign is a direct result of the DAVIS camp subverting democracy by devoting money and energy into making sure riordian didnt get the rupublican nomination.
I’m no fan of Davis, but I don’t see his anti-Riordian campaigning as “subverting democracy”. In the end, it’s the Republicans, not Davis, who are responsible for nominating a weak-ass candidate like Bill Simon.
And if you think what Davis did was bad, you’ll love what Bush ends up doing with his $200 million campaign war chest during the latter period of the Democratic primaries.
Comment by greg — October 1, 2003 @ 2:33 pm
Kyle,
Here’s an idea for an Ostrich Ink article : Call the “No Recall” office and raise hell about their theft of your picture for their ad. Go on and on about how it’s a copyrighted image that they’re illegally using, that they’re making a mockery out of your preferred candidate (Angelyne), threaten them with a lawsuit, etc. just to get them to squirm.
Assuming that you’ve got a legal case to stand on, they’d be completely screwed if you got lawyers involved. Considering that this is the last weekend of the race, I guarantee that they’ll be playing that commercial 24-7. Combine that with the fact that it’s probably way too late to pull the commercial or replace it with another one, they’d have no other choice but to do what they can to shut you up.
Even if you don’t have a case, if you complained to the media or Schwarzenegger’s campaign, you could probably get some free publicity for Ostrich Ink.
Comment by greg — October 1, 2003 @ 2:41 pm
its dirty wheather it’s bush or davis. you don’t have to convince me repubs darkness runs deeper, we just should hold those in other parties to the same standards we judge the evil-doers.
by the way, i was listening to the kpfk (90.7 fm) noon report yesterday and terry mcaulaffe called in to stump for “no on recall, yes on cruz.” you KNOW things are bad when kpfk starts getting calls. usually people like terry and gray and cruz avoid kpfk like the plague.
on that note, nov 2000 looked just as bleak for dems and clinton made a similar call to the k’s sister station wbai in new york on behalf of al and hil. to hear what happened when bill was cornered by a real journalist go to http://www.democracynow.org go to archives and listen to the i think nov 5 (day after election day) show.
Comment by josh — October 1, 2003 @ 3:02 pm
Many people have suggested that I ring up the ad people and put the hurt on them for stealing my picture, but the problem is that we at Ostrich Ink steal pictures all the time. It’s that guerilla zine mentality. Admittedly, it feels different when a major organization steals from me, but I’m not sure I want to invite the bad karma by attacking them for this. And I honestly thought they had to be paying me some sort of minor tribute, because, come on: there are 8 zillion other Angelyne pictures they ought to have used. It tickles me that they used the only picture in existence where Angelyne is sharing the frame with someone else.
Comment by Kyle — October 1, 2003 @ 10:37 pm