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...and antipathy to those who are not like them. (3:58)
Eliot Caroom - New York, NY
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The Pitch:
"Bitter-gate" was a defining moment in Barack Obama's journey from golden boy to a very mortal candidate. Obama's campaign was lifted because he said the right things and avoided saying the badly wrong things. Despite far greater play of the Rev. Wright issue, I'm convinced that "Bitter-gate" isn't just an issue that rattled around the world of cable news and the blog-o-sphere.
"and antipathy to those who are not like them." The final words in Obama's lone divisive gaffe weren't widely reported. I believe the MSM paraphrase of the quote read like this: “small town Americans are bitter because of their economic circumstances and cling to guns and religion." But this is not just a question of semantics.
In talking to partisan liberals, I've found many defend Obama's remarks. These liberals hold that like negative Al Gore and John Kerry soundbites from 2000 and 2004, Obama poorly expressed an underlying truth: poor Conservatives are voting against their interests because of wedge issues.
My video, "and antipathy to those who are not like them," will be an in-depth look at the real meaning of a comment that is too important to leave to the pundits.
Ultimately, the comment's meaning will be decided by America. Not by Chris Matthews or Bill O'Reilly. Not by big-city liberals. And not by the NRA or Evangelicals. Obama's pivotal sound bite, and his campaign, will be determined by America—together.
The format I'd like to use will be flexible, but will be based on the 2005 documentary, "The Aristocrats."
The documentary, as described by IMDB, “is about a joke. It is a joke only told by comedians to other comedians. The joke is that a man tells an agent he has a family act. He then describes the most obscene acts possible. The stunned agent says, "And what do you call yourselves?" and the man answers, "The Aristocrats." Each comedian describes how he tells the story. Each is different, each tries to get an element of surprise out of their fellow comedians. The joke is told in parts, and in reverse order, by men and by women. Each makes the joke his or her own.”
What I like about “The Aristocrats” is its quick but deliberate pacing, its fluent use of a numerous and diverse cast, and a powerful unifying theme. These are the elements I will adopt as I interview, shoot and edit my short video.
I have roots across the country, and I’d like to focus on areas where I have contacts and places to stay—California, Washington, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and New York. This, and access to tripods, a Panasonic GS300 and the Sony PD-170, will allow me to spend the bulk of the $2,000 allowance on secondary travel—I’ll stretch this money until it snaps with train tickets, bus tickets, and sparing use of rental cars.
Each interview will start with a request for the subject to read Obama’s quote off a card.
The Pitch:
"Bitter-gate" was a defining moment in Barack Obama's journey from golden boy to a very mortal candidate. Obama's campaign was lifted because he said the right things and avoided saying the badly wrong things. Despite far greater play of the Rev. Wright issue, I'm convinced that "Bitter-gate" isn't just an issue that rattled around the world of cable news and the blog-o-sphere.
"and antipathy to those who are not like them." The final words in Obama's lone divisive gaffe weren't widely reported. I believe the MSM paraphrase of the quote read like this: “small town Americans are bitter because of their economic circumstances and cling to guns and religion." But this is not just a question of semantics.
In talking to partisan liberals, I've found many defend Obama's remarks. These liberals hold that like negative Al Gore and John Kerry soundbites from 2000 and 2004, Obama poorly expressed an underlying truth: poor Conservatives are voting against their interests because of wedge issues.
My video, "and antipathy to those who are not like them," will be an in-depth look at the real meaning of a comment that is too important to leave to the pundits.
Ultimately, the comment's meaning will be decided by America. Not by Chris Matthews or Bill O'Reilly. Not by big-city liberals. And not by the NRA or Evangelicals. Obama's pivotal sound bite, and his campaign, will be determined by America—together.
The format I'd like to use will be flexible, but will be based on the 2005 documentary, "The Aristocrats."
The documentary, as described by IMDB, “is about a joke. It is a joke only told by comedians to other comedians. The joke is that a man tells an agent he has a family act. He then describes the most obscene acts possible. The stunned agent says, "And what do you call yourselves?" and the man answers, "The Aristocrats." Each comedian describes how he tells the story. Each is different, each tries to get an element of surprise out of their fellow comedians. The joke is told in parts, and in reverse order, by men and by women. Each makes the joke his or her own.”
What I like about “The Aristocrats” is its quick but deliberate pacing, its fluent use of a numerous and diverse cast, and a powerful unifying theme. These are the elements I will adopt as I interview, shoot and edit my short video.
I have roots across the country, and I’d like to focus on areas where I have contacts and places to stay—California, Washington, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and New York. This, and access to tripods, a Panasonic GS300 and the Sony PD-170, will allow me to spend the bulk of the $2,000 allowance on secondary travel—I’ll stretch this money until it snaps with train tickets, bus tickets, and sparing use of rental cars.
Each interview will start with a request for the subject to read Obama’s quote off a card.
Note: video is included to demonstrate production style and may not represent the content of the pitch.
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