We need more humor and intelligence in the health care reform debate. To people that don't read blogs, the debate is controlled by the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer. Not only is the information full of scary lies, but even worse, it's boring. The only fun stuff on TV is The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. It's not easy finding serious reality based news delivered by somebody other than Rachel, Keith and Bill Moyers, but it's the simple humorous messages that I miss.
If there is one thing that separates progressive reality based people from the regressive freepen' truth benders (liars), it's humor.
It's almost always a success when the reality based community responds to the wingnut propaganda with something funny and thoughtful.
I saw this a week ago:
Wow! How easy was it showing the teabaggers as the shallow uninformed facade that they are?
Any other ideas out there? How about holding Town-hall meetings where there are three rows of moms with small babies facing the others in the meeting, and when the Deatheaters start yelling, wake the babies so they start crying. Prepare a group that is spread throughout the audience start shushing, and saying "baby haters!"? Another idea - ask people at the door if they support, are undecided, or against health care reform. Then divide the meeting in 2 groups, supporters and half the undecideds in one group, and the deatheaters, and the rest of the undecideds in the other group. Have the speakers speak to each group. Film, edit and publish a film "Democracy: Informed choice or angry & deranged?".
Jed made this perfect example:
I would love it, if the Great Orange Satan could create a Rapid Response Creative sub group that would coordinate humorous intelligent and informed responses to the Great Wurlitzer. There is no forum better informed about what's cooking in Wingnutia than the Reality based Community. We new the Teabagger strategy for town-hall meetings before the first meet in took place. It would have been fun to have a bunch of responses ready to set in action, in stead of waiting for our Congressmen and Senators to get stampeded.
If we keep it simple - short - and humorous, then we could use small films as viral videos and also as commercials. I remember the "Underdog" commercial from Ned Lamont's campaign:
Short - 30 seconds
Shot in an afternoon
Edited same evening on a laptop
On the air next day
Informed - witty - woozels - fast response
Even though this was made by professionals, it cost not much more than dog food to make. Some markets in Blue dog districts have cheap ad rates. I've even heard that the Glen Beck Ravaging Bull**it Show has some cheap slots available.
There are a lot of creative, engaged progressive people in our community willing to take up the challenge, and there is no better way to attack the Republican Deatheaters, then to ridicule and laugh at them.