Hate for sale: the thriving BDS industry
Yesterday I was in one of those stores that proliferate in the streets of the coastal resort towns of New England featuring items that aren’t at all needed but might be desired by the roving tourist with a heavy wallet: tavern puzzles and hacky sacks, retro postcards, windup toys from Asian countries, ironic baby shower gifts for cynical young folk who are nevertheless reproducing themselves, rubber (or maybe nowadays they’re plastic?) turds for the classic jokers among us.
And, of course, Bush memorabilia. Or rather, Bush paraphernalia of the hate variety: an amazing assortment of stickers, cards, paper dolls, and—most plentiful of all—refrigerator magnets featuring photos of the President with sayings describing how dreadful he is and, by implication, how infinitely wise and compassionate the buyer/displayer is.
They were various riffs on that old and always-good-for-a-laugh theme: Bush=stupid. Every now and then Cheney came into the picture as well (Cheney≠stupid; Cheney=evil). And there was a new theme—at least new to me, because I guess I don’t have my finger on the pulse of popular Americana: the countdown to the 2008 election.
Like prisoners scratching out on a dungeon’s gloomy walls their time yet to be served, those suffering from (or reveling in) Bush-hatred are charting the hours, days, minutes, and even seconds until their longed-for liberation. Here, for example, is a site devoted to these products and prominently displaying the hopeful countdown clock. Emblazoned with the glorious day, 1.20.09, are the bumper stickers, mugs, t-shirts, keychains, dog biscuits, and combo packs to purchase for the self or for the liked-minded friend or loved one.
I try to think back to other times of Presidential disfavor. Clinton, of course, as well as Nixon, must have had their products of mockery. But I can’t remember anything remotely resembling this cottage industry of ridicule, so casually and readily available in almost every shop. I wonder how well the products are actually selling, and whether people actually find the repetition of the same one-note themes endlessly amusing, or whether they tire of the knick-knacks almost as soon as the goodies are brought home.
I also wonder whether Bush-hatred will survive the retirement of its object from the Presidency on that long-hoped-for and long-delayed day. Will the products go on, always good for a superior laugh? Or will they be tossed into the dustbin of history, the owners not having Bush to kick around any more?
The larger question is whether, on that day of all days, the Bush-haters will get that Democratic President they so desire. If so, will the present BDS wares be replaced by new products featuring the next electee—say, Hillary, who certainly has her share of haters? Or will there be a surprise for the Democrats, and will Giuliani or McCain or Romney or fill-in-the-blank become the new focus of ire and the entrepreneurial spirit associated with it? I guess we’ll find out in (as I write these words) 618 days, 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 49 seconds.
That’s the beauty of it, Neo: For the Bush-deranged, Bush will _never_ be gone . He may leave office, but he will always be there to indict, to sue, or at least to abuse. For many, probably most, BDS sufferers, the sense of shame and dishonor – in the sense that you and your colleagues “Dr. Sanity,” “Shrinkwrapped,” and SC&A use the terms- connected with Bush’s assumption of the Presidency in 2000 and his reelection in 2004 is simply too great to be assuaged by his mere departure from office. They are compelled to pursue him to his destruction, because for them as for the Palestinians and Islamists there can be no future until the shameful, dishonoring past is undone, and any who supported him must be pursued with him.
The accusation of having toadied to Bush – or having gibbered and capered with the Bush-deranged, for that matter – will be the currency of our political “discussions” for a generation.
Bush the Eternal. Get used to it.
I was watching a British movie on DVD the other day with the commentary by the director turned on. He remarked on the anti-Bush joke in the movie as almost a de rigeur requirement for a movie today. He called it the third cheapest laugh in movies, so I don’t know that he had a lot of respect for it but yet apparently he felt compelled to include it nevertheless. (I can’t remember what he termed the second cheapest laugh in movies but he included that one, too, earlier in the film.) He never did say what he considered the cheapest laugh in movies.
In any event, the one thing he probably succeeded in doing was dating his movie, because the rest of it couldn’t be pegged to any specific time period. All in all, it seemed rather pathetic to me, in that it was gratuitous and immature and had zero to do with the plot. But, then again, I’ve never understood anti-Bush comments appearing in the Home & Garden section of the New York Times or whatever odd parts of the newspaper they’ve shown up in.
Are you kidding? I’m sure, when President Guiliani is sworn in, that the lefties will scream that Bush (and Rove, the “real” power) rigged the election in order to avoid the justice he surely deserves, and would have gotten if a Democrat had achieved office.
Oh, did I forget to mention Woolfowitz, Perle, Feith, Kristol, and the Israeli Lobby?
nationalnightmare.comthese so-called “hate items” are selling quite well, and you can get yours at http://www.nationalnightmare.com
You can get a Bush Countdown Clock at
http://nationalnightmare.com
cafepress.comThe right has its share of liberal hating products, too:
http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingstuff
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was made by the same company that makes the BDS products.
Tearing down America’s former heroes is good business on both sides of the political spectrum.
“Will the products go on, always good for a superior laugh? Or will they be tossed into the dustbin of history, the owners not having Bush to kick around any more?”
Products like these are called “ephemera” for a reason. They are ephemeral and vanish quickly.
For another example of this phenomenon, see:
http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2007w16/msg00208.htm
I quote:
“Right after 9/11, U. S. flags were displayed everywhere […] – most noticeably on a majority of cars and shown on many windows. Many of these were by immigrants, fearful of being seen “as different”. This also took place throughout the United States. But […] with the ongoing Iraq War and occupation, the flags started to come down. While some were due to weather and wear, the vast majority were taken down by people, who were now uncomfortable, with it appearing, that they were supporting the ongoing occupation and GW Bush in particular.
When the decline of public flag waving occured, in late 2003, several of the manufacturers, were starting to complain, about the slowness in their profits, over the previous period following 9/11.
It was then, that some of these manufacturers, began to promote the yellow ribbon, to show support for the troops (and really for the war and occupation) – in a more subtle way to try and prop up support for patriotism and the war effort and of course support for the U. S. political leadership.
Now there are fewer “support our troops” decals and yellow ribbons flying as well, as this occupation has become unpopular.”
http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2007w16/msg00208.htm
The ‘liberation’ has become unpopular — the Left can’t face their own capitulation of their basic values and new alliance with the isolationist far right. It’s the Lefts absence of solidarity for the liberation of Iraq, don’t forget it — history won’t.
“They started complaining about their profits.”
That’s just hilarious. What lala land are you living in?
On another note, the yellow ribbon has been a symbol as least as far back as the 1970s with the Tony Orlando song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’round the Old Oak Tree.” It symbolizes separated family members and the hope of a reunion – no more, no less. It has nothing to do with the troops, per se, except in that they are family members separated from their loved ones. It has absolutely nothing to do with war or occupation or anything along those lines. Yellow ribbons have been used for the (non-military) hostages in Iran, for kidnapped children, for all kinds of situations where family members are separated. The yellow ribbons came out in 2003 not because they had anything to do with 9/11, but because that’s when much larger numbers of people were separated from their families.
You sound like you might not be an American, so perhaps your misunderstandings are understandable. There was a very ill-informed British columnist who claimed that yellow ribbons were displayed for the victims of 9/11. That was just plain wrong. Yellow ribbons are about separation, not death. Another columnist claimed that the “I heart(love) NY” advertising campaign was invented at the same time to promote New York City after 9/11. Of course, that came as news to everyone who has heard and seen that campaign (and gotten the T-shirt) since the 1970s.
And just one last point – if you honestly expected that the same amount of flags you saw in the immediate days after 9/11 would remain flying five years later then you understand nothing of the human condition or everyday life. Regardless of any political event in the following years, the number of flags was going to decrease and you know it. It says nothing directly about any particular political event. People mourn and then move on, they get on with life, they go to work, they raise their children, etc. To make that sort of comparison just shows you’re not serious. Since the death of my grandmother, I don’t believe she’s been getting funeral bouquets every single day like she did after she died. I guess it must mean people don’t love her any more.
Thanks for the chuckle.
I remember similar countdowns in 2004. It was inconcievable to the Left that the American people would be dumb enough to re-elect Bush, and it blew their minds when it happened. Hence the escalation of BDS since then. They’re just lashing out at a world gone mad around them.
So now we have the countdown to 2009. If a Democrat gets elected I’m sure there will be a rousing performance of “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” and Democrats will be happy because the good guys are back in power and all is right with the world again. Anything bad that happens will be retroactively blamed on Bush for years to come (to be fair, the same seems to happen to Clinton from the Right). Mainstream Democrats might not even be unhappy with Giuliani or McCain since they pander so much to the Left anyway.
It’s way too early to say now BUT if January ’09 brings us President Fred Thompson look for the wailing and gnashing of teeth to continue for four. more. years.
“She wore a yellow ribbon, she wore it for the one she loved, in the US Cavalry”
John Ford western, circa 1942 give or take a few. It became big in the 1970’s and yes it is only about separation, and like a lone, lighted candle in a window, that the one gone return safely.
kcom is much more accurate than the previous commenter and those he cited as to what has actually gone on regarding flags and ribbons. To draw any conclusion other than kcom’s is rubbish.
I see Deshawn Q. Williams at May 13th, 2007 at 7:14 pm uses Marxist sources for his imformation. Not that the information is automatically wrong, but it certainly shows where he’s coming from.
Incidentally, if you want to avoid that overrun with your URLs use a link-shortening site, such as:
http://snipurl.com/
neo:
“I also wonder whether Bush-hatred will survive the retirement of its object from the Presidency on that long-hoped-for and long-delayed day. Will the products go on, always good for a superior laugh?”
When Ronald Reagan died, patrons at a popular local liberal tavern cheered and sang out “Ding-dong the witch is dead!”
So, Id say it was a fair bet the BDS products will continue to become very cherished heirlooms for the Birkenstock crowd.
Remember, folks: it’s not hate speech if it’s uttered by a liberal.
I will admit I have learned something from this post, though. Apparently I need to be careful of those evil profit-seekers known as “Big Ribbon”. (They’re like Big Oil but with only 1/10,000th of the economic clout.)
Because liberals are the only ones who do this?
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2005/06/hunting-of-liberals.html
“Because liberals are the only ones who do this?”
Not at all, ‘somebody.’ But the right does not, as a rule, believe that imbecilic stickers and shouts of “Pretzeldent Chimpy” are death-defying acts of bravery in speaking truth to power in BusHitlers Rethuglikkan Reich. Neither did it – when the Syphilitic Hillbilly and his consort were in office – have daily attacks of the vapors pretending they were Sophie Scholl valiantly trying to wake up the American people to the fascism all around them.
In any event, Neo, I’m from Massachusetts. As you know, you can’t swing a cat without seeing one of those morally smug fools with their ‘1.20.09’ stickers, usually next to a tattered Kedwards sticker. I mentally deduct 50 IQ points from any driver of a car thus outfitted.
But, should the American people be foolish enough to put Hillary back in the White House, it will be interesting to see how the MSM – which sees presidential assasination movies as chic, which cheers Alec Baldwin on as he screams for Henry Hyde to be publicly stoned, which completely ignores Howard Dean’s “I hate Republicans and everything they stand for” will suddenly recoil in horror at the least bit of criticism of Madame President, bemoaning the “rise of the politics of personal destruction” and the “return of Clinton hatred.”
Yeah, I’m sure if the Clinton Restoration occurs in 2009 there will be a return to civility in public life: say nothing nasty about the First Woman President, and for godsakes say nothing about the 22nd Amendment. This New Civility will be backed up, I’m sure, by a reimplemented Fairness Doctrine (the Make Talk Radio Behave Better Act of 2010) and a budget uptick for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Much of Bush-hatred is social, rather than thoughtful – a sign/countersign to show that you “get it.” BDS is an identifier that one is a certain sort of person. It will remain something of a cheap joke for years after he is gone, but the new energy will be devoted to tearing down some other person on the unhip side of the culture war.
I recall stupid and tasteless anti-Nixon paraphernalia from my teen years, and the sneering condescension of liberals was what first pushed me rightwards. But the viciousness has accelerated since 1994, when the progressives felt they had been robbed of their rightful inheritance. Win or lose the White House in 2008, they will go on social and emotion-based attacks.
AVI:
“Much of Bush-hatred is social, rather than thoughtful – a sign/countersign to show that you “get it.”
Al Gore’s shlocumentary “An Inconvenient Truth” includes a short “Simpson” like Matt Groening cartoon about global warming and how industry guys dont get it.
Message? You are hip and cool because you like “The Simpsons” and Matt Groening obviously endorses Al Gore.
Even for the Goreacle the propaganda value was blatant. You couldnt sell just the facts or the science or even stick with the polished dramatic look that they had tried so hard to cultivate.
Its like as usual, some committee had to advise him that he needed a Matt Groening aside to emphasize the hipness factor, or you have to devote a snipet or three bashing GWB and the Republicans, (you know, throw a little meat in there for the faithful).
I had to admit a little disappointment here. I was waiting for masterful deception, but it seems the target audience was deemed to stupid to notice or care anyway. Just slip a cartoon in there. You’ll hook the 5-45 audience.
Depressing.
People took down the flags because they got worn out and tacky looking. They were put up as a small defiance, a gesture, an emotional shout… served their purpose. No real reason to replace the tattered ones.
And those who did (most certainly) prominently display flags because they feared what angry neighbors might do… aren’t so afraid anymore.
To say that this has to do with unpopularity or growing unpopularity of *anything* is seeing what the people saying so expect and want to see.
I found the best way to shut down boorish BDS rants, starting up at inappropriate times, is to just tell the person to stop being a hater. Let go of your hate. Why do you have such hate in your heart?… blaw blaw blaw…
A: it works. A lot of people (even some democrats) don’t like them. They’re basically a lefty loyalty / litmus test that you’re forced to comply with. Re: the boor wants to find the heretics and or feel the power of intimidating everyone into not counting their rant..
B: I love the delicious irony.. They want to move a ‘debate’ away from facts and reason on over to subjective personality traits… of Bush… well, fine, lets move that microscope back to them and their hate issues…
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