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06/26/2008
The Gray Ambition Tour
Don't just stand there, let's get to it, AFTER THE JUMP...
(via daily dish)
Posted 8:10 PM EST by Andy Towle in Election 2008, John McCain, Madonna, News | Permalink
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Wow, this is clever, if sloppily done.
The thing that bugs me is that I get the feeling that it was done (badly) by some 20-something who thinks Madonna's "Vogue" is so laughably ancient and ridiculous that that's a huge part of the alleged joke. That McCain is as ancient as Madonna.
I'll grudgingly admit- I turn 40 in October. But I was indeed once a bright young thing when "Vogue" premiered, and it is still a brilliant song and video by David Fincher, and I remember it electrifying the dance floor on the cusp of 1990. I remember dancing to it (not vogueing) along with trannies and musclemen at places in NYC like Mars . It's still a brilliant song and video.
I just hate that such a gorgeous, defiant declaration of gay aesthetics and beauty is being tied to old, ugly McCain, by some 20-something somewhere who wasn't around then, and has no idea that "Vogue" was sort of radical in its day compared to the rest of the pop charts.
The mockery in this video is equally towards Madonna, and it's a thoroughly ignorant and unearned mockery. Who is this meant to convince?
Posted by: Arun | Jun 26, 2008 8:54:04 PM
Arun,
This contest was created by Stephen Colbert, dubbed Project "Make McCain Exciting," so people have to find a way to make McCain fun. They have used Elvis, Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, etc., so I don't think it is a slam against Madonna.
Posted by: Andre | Jun 26, 2008 9:08:17 PM
After most of his positions they should have called it "Vague"
Posted by: Scooter | Jun 26, 2008 9:16:27 PM
Scooter, I don't think we have much leeway to call McCain vague when his competition happens also to be vague... The video was great, though. I think it's the best one out there.
Posted by: Bran | Jun 26, 2008 9:54:31 PM
And McCain endorses the DOMA Amendment in California.
I guess Im going to write him off this year.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/399653.aspx
And I dont like Obama either :(
Posted by: Matt from California | Jun 26, 2008 10:11:56 PM
Something is telling me ARUN was a Hillary supporter, who is actually going to make good on the crazy threat to vote for McCain.
Posted by: bendskier | Jun 26, 2008 10:39:10 PM
McCain "as ancient" as Madonna???
WTF?
He could be her grandpa!
Posted by: bendskier | Jun 26, 2008 10:41:00 PM
I'm sorry, but I'm one of those 20-somethings who thinks that vogue was (and remains) incredibly banal and tasteless, like most of Madonna's music. This video speaks to a superficial culture that I refuse to relate to. I can understand your nostalgia Arun, but I resent your assumption that youth equates to bad taste and thoughtless disrespect.
Posted by: scientitian | Jun 26, 2008 11:09:11 PM
Hmmm...it seems SOMEONE is in serious need of "40's therapy."
Posted by: Wayne | Jun 26, 2008 11:59:49 PM
And Scientitian...sit down for a little while and really listen to today's popular music. Talk about banal and tasteless! At least Madonna reinvents herself every few years. She may fall every once in a while, but at least she's keeping herself relevant.
Posted by: Wayne | Jun 27, 2008 12:02:39 AM
Madonna currently sucks with a capital-S (corporate whore!!!), but she was great in the past. Vogue was a great summer song and the video was awesome too. I Like Wayne says, most music today sucks -- it's a desert out there.
Posted by: Trimspa | Jun 27, 2008 12:37:12 AM
I thought this was really well done. McCain is awfully conservative, not very intelligent and really confused about priorities. He's an "expert" on war and tax cuts, and not much else.
Obama, on the other hand, is relatively liberal, has no desire to BAN gay marriage (as McCain advocated at the state level), has more than a few brain cells to rub together, is well liked by the left and the center, is RESPECTED internationally, was AGAINST the war from the outset and is so much further from Bush's ideologies than McCain has ever been. And the fact that Obama is black is such a plus - it's about time that minorities were represented on a federal level.
BRAN - how is McCain's competition vague?
Posted by: Hmm | Jun 27, 2008 5:52:56 AM
I love how people are talking as though McCain's conservatism, his anti-gay and anti-woman positions, his incompetence when it comes to policy, and his ignorance when it comes to economics are somehow new. They act as though he used to be some nice middle-of-the-road person who's moved hard right in order to be President--he's always been hard right.
Just like the so-called feminists who would vote for a person whose policy positions are completely anti-woman, any gay man who thinks McCain isn't our enemy is a foolish Uncle Mary.
Posted by: MAJeff | Jun 27, 2008 7:57:36 AM
McCain/Madonna '08. My 2 favorites this year.
Posted by: john | Jun 27, 2008 8:09:51 AM
Majeff
yepp
Mccain has always been very right. He just was able to bamboozle the complacent media with the whole "maverick" schtick. If it had been any other person without the puffed up back story, then the media most likely would have called him out on his BS about not being a typical conservative.
Vogue? Ughhhhh I have to agree = banal puff
Almost everything from "Ray of Light"? Her masterpiece in my humble opinion.
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Jun 27, 2008 8:24:03 AM
PS
Pre "Ray of Light"
Madonna's best piece was "Like a Prayer" The song was/is great and the video takled Racial issues and pissed off the catholic church (always a good thing) due to her kissing a Black saint in a church.
Vogue? again... light fluff
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Jun 27, 2008 8:27:17 AM
Light fluff, yes, but in the best American tradition of appropriating black subcultural forms and popularizing them for broader white audiences. Madonna brought those forms of black drag culture into the mainstream (let's be honest, she had a far larger audience than Jennie Livingston) like Elvis did for rock and roll.
Posted by: MAJeff | Jun 27, 2008 8:34:57 AM
ugh, you people. 20something music can be amazing - yeasayer, annie, even peter bjorn and bloody john. this video isn't a slam on madonna, honestly, clearly that comment is about your birthday. we've (and by we've i mean you've as in americans) have fucked the future to the point that we've got to take a big gamble and go with obama.
and vogue is fucking timeless.
Posted by: brad | Jun 27, 2008 9:10:27 AM
also, this was so funny.
Posted by: brad | Jun 27, 2008 9:11:08 AM
majeff
You are making me think twice about Vogue
Though it can never compare to "Like a Prayer"
I just rewatched the video, and the story being told for 1989 was cutting edge.
A black man tries to help a victim of a crime , caused by a white man, something that would be considered "saint-like" gets arrested because he was the nearest person of color. Madonna's character rises above her fear of the white criminal getting revenge on her for her doing the right thing after having an epiphany in a church. The whole kissing of the black saint in church (pissed off the pope). Brilliant for 1989.
To think it was all part of a marketing plan by pepsi and madonna for both. The premiere was part of a new roll out for pepsi. You got to love america. Art + poignant social commentary + controversy + marketing scheme = 1989 "Like A Prayer"
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Jun 27, 2008 9:35:15 AM
Oh MY GOD..there are so many repressed, disgruntled, pseudo intellectuals posting today. It's a damn spoof. It used Madonna's Vogue video. Get over it. It's funny and on-target. Enough rambling about whether it upset your ancient bones. Now get back to bitching about which pictures offended you on Andy's blog. One mention of Madonna or Cher and you get 500 posts bitching about this and that immediately.
Posted by: Wonderball | Jun 27, 2008 10:11:05 AM
Old MacDonnald relevent? When? she's always been calculated opportunist with the good sense to capitalize on underground talents. Count me in the minority of gays over 40 that have never been a fan of hers. I used to work in the East Village clubs back in the 80s, and "Vogue" was mocked from the day it was released.
There's some great music coming out now and a lot of crap--true today and true back then.
Posted by: Mark | Jun 27, 2008 10:17:01 AM
This banter is between Gen X and Gen 0 is so ridiculous. I feel like RickRolling all the 20 somethings who have posted today, but why perpetuate the bad video stereotype with a truly bad video?
Posted by: DKNATL | Jun 27, 2008 10:56:51 AM
Wonderball
You become a psuedo intelectual yourself when you critic others for being psuedo intelectual.
DKNATL
Rickrolling was passe a long time ago.
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Jun 27, 2008 12:31:41 PM
Amen to that, Wonderball.
Posted by: MATEO | Jun 27, 2008 2:19:15 PM