Wednesday, October 10, 2012

PBS and Big Bird Funny Part of Election Message

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via gifsfln


PBS asked Obama yesterday to stop using Big Bird in his campaign even as the campaign launched a new ad featuring the feathered fowl. I think Obama can make the case that Big Bird is a cultural icon and a public persona, and therefore fair game (no offense to game birds).

From NBC News First Read
In a statement, Sesame Workshop objected to the ad: “We have approved no campaign ads, and, as is our general practice, have requested that both campaigns remove Sesame Street characters and trademarks from their campaign materials.”
. . . President Barack Obama has seized on Romney’s Big Bird comment to argue that his Republican challenger would crack down on beloved American institutions such as Sesame Street but would allow Wall Street to run wild.
Speaking to a crowd of 15,000 in Columbus, OH the President said, “Today (Romney) decided we’re going after Big Bird. Elmo’s making a run for the border and Oscar is hiding out in a trash can.”
Emphasizing the Sesame Street theme, recording artist will-i-am kicked off his performance at the Ohio event by playing the Sesame Street theme song.
. . . the Obama campaign stands by its strategy.
“The point we’re making here is that when Mitt Romney was given the opportunity to lay out how he would address the deficit … his first offering was to cut funding to Big Bird and that is absurd and hard to take seriously,” Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

This ad is hilarious - I don't understand why PBS would object.




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