Barney Cam Returns

December 15, 2004 10:08 AM

Where is Miss Beazley?[Large WMA file] President Bush's dog Barney has a new home video this year. The president has asked Barney to look after their new dog, Miss Beazley. It's a bit hokey, but still amusing. Includes a cast of various administration officials.
posted by BradNelson (48 comments total)

Your tax dollars at work.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:14 AM on December 15, 2004

They showed this video in its entirety on CNN this morning. I was really offended that any video straight from the White House could be broadcast in its entirety without comment, let alone this piece of asinine rubbish.
posted by bwerdmuller at 10:18 AM on December 15, 2004

"First scandal, how come it is Miss Beazley instead of Mrs. Beasley? (Think Buffy on Family Affair.) And what about Mr. French? Family values indeed. Harumph. :-)"
posted by thomcatspike at 10:19 AM on December 15, 2004

Ha ha, oh this is funny. Seven Marines died this weekend in Iraq. Oh, ha ha, please stop, no more...a movie with a dog and the White House staff shrugging - this just slays me.

Now to have the press roll-over and be all jolly with this and we'll the perfect comedy to show the world. Ha ha, oh this is funny. Perhaps they can show him looking under the tree for WMD.
posted by fluffycreature at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2004

in other news....people are starving on the street
posted by Hands of Manos at 10:30 AM on December 15, 2004

This post is utterly worthless.
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 10:34 AM on December 15, 2004

Ha ha, oh this is funny. Seven Marines died this weekend in Iraq.
Along this theme, I think all comedians should preface their acts with all the sad/depressing news of the day in a completely serious manner. They really have no place telling jokes while people are dying, homeless, and sick.

I don't celebrate Christmas, but I assumed that this so-called Christmas Spirit might have transcended upon MetaFilter. What was I thinking? You're simply perpetrating this "liberals=the Grinch" myth that we conservatives have just because you hate Bush...and Barney by association.

It's a movie about a dog. Stop being such a whiner.

This post is utterly worthless.
Well, it seems to meet the basic standard.
posted by BradNelson at 10:41 AM on December 15, 2004

Karl Rove certainly is enjoying himself taking the blue balls off the the tree and replacing them with red ones. Way to promote unity!
posted by monkeyboy_socal at 10:42 AM on December 15, 2004

And yet, it was high-larious when Clinton did the exact same thing. Don't you all remember the video about his last days in office? Lotsa people dying and suffering while Willy mugged for the camera with Kevin Spacey.

Of course, what is interesting is that Clinton's video was legitimately really funny, while Bush's is incredibly lame. You can tell a lot about a man by his sense of humor.
posted by Simon! at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2004

Along this theme, I think all comedians should preface their acts with all the sad/depressing news of the day in a completely serious manner.

Bush is not a comedian. He is the president of the United States. A little gravitas would be appreciated.
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2004

Bush should absolutely be allowed to tell jokes. But this is really awful. How can anyone watch that video for 5 minutes and not become really snarky about it?
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:48 AM on December 15, 2004

Glad to see people are continuing the jackass theme.

I think Bush is a moron, and this video isn't all that funny, but it's certainly not an "utterly worthless" post. As Simon! pointed out, Clinton did the same thing a few years back. In fact, I think it's some sort of White House Chirstmas tradition now.

Just because he's The Prez it doens't mean he can't show his staff, and America, that he's human. An unfunny human, but still human.

If he didn't make this film those Marines would still be dead.
posted by bondcliff at 10:48 AM on December 15, 2004

Bush is not a comedian.
Bush should absolutely be allowed to tell jokes. But this is really awful.

Umm...this is Barney. The dog. Not Bush. You did catch that, right?
posted by BradNelson at 10:51 AM on December 15, 2004

Actually Simon, it doesn't matter which president does it, this is a giant piece of crap. We didn't re-vote this guy into office to get another video did we?

Of course, we at MeFi didn't revote this guy into office. I know that.
posted by graventy at 10:54 AM on December 15, 2004

Sorry BN, (& conservatives) nothing personal. For the record, I would likely have said the same thing regardless which political party was perpatrating. You guys got your damned christmas present anyway (hooray for record national debt and the new and improved fiscal conservatism!) The rest of us should be allowed a little grinchiness, I mean all we got is this crappy lump of coal :[
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 10:57 AM on December 15, 2004

this is Barney. The dog. Not Bush. You did catch that, right?.

Barney looks like a dog. Bush looks like a monkey. I can tell the difference.

I was obviously referring to the entire administration when I said 'Bush'. So, the video is a joke, put on by his administration with him in the video. So, yes, Bush is telling a joke.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:58 AM on December 15, 2004

It's not coincidental that the current administration has both a tin ear for diplomacy and a tin ear for comedy. The two are related. It just makes it more obvious that they are living in an incestuous world of their own making, where everybody loves them.
posted by Pliskie at 11:05 AM on December 15, 2004

"but it's certainly not an 'utterly worthless' post"

Really? A link to some whitehouse propaganda aired in it's entirety on CNN and no doubt ad nauseam on the other networks is somehow the "best of the web"?

*unplugs modem*
posted by 2sheets at 11:10 AM on December 15, 2004

take it to meta, 2sheets.

god, i hate this president.
posted by quonsar at 11:16 AM on December 15, 2004

Much of the white house is decorated for the holidays by volunteers - this is a fun way to showcase that effort. Also, who doesn't love a spazzy little dog and his soccer ball? This was a much better movie than the 'Barney Reloaded' which is also on the whitehouse.gov/holidays site.

God help us when liberals become humourless. "Maybe Miss Beasley is in Ohio, Barney. We spent a LOT of time in Ohio." Comedy gold :)
posted by kristin at 11:18 AM on December 15, 2004

and once more with feeling...
an incestuous world of their own making, where everybody loves them.
posted by danOstuporStar at 11:27 AM on December 15, 2004

Of course the seven marines are still dead. What's the point?

My point is we are continually reminded of a "war on terror" - read: we are at war. So we are told. The last "fun" video had Bush looking under his desk saying "No weapons of mass destruction here." Sorry, laughing at your lapses in judgement instead of critical debate are not what I expect from my government. This is frat boy mentality and this video dribble is just more of the same.
Humor is great, but I would love some balance. No debate is taking place on anything, how about the coming vote in Iraq; instead we have his dog. Semper Woof.
posted by fluffycreature at 11:29 AM on December 15, 2004

Hokey, but cute.

Or perhaps I have been suckered by INSIDIOUS PROPAGANDA! Damn you, Karl Rove -- you win again!
posted by Guy Smiley at 11:42 AM on December 15, 2004

Hey Kristin: if OBL released a video of his pet Chihuahua playing with a soccer ball, would you put all differences aside and call it 'cute'?
No?
Where's your sense of humor then?
What this video is saying is: "Bush: he's really OK. He's allright. Just an ordinary guy like you and me. Not a dangerous man who starts wars, etc" If you can't see that, you're a fool.
posted by buddhanarchist at 11:43 AM on December 15, 2004

I am disappointed that Miss Beazley never made an appearance, other than the photographs. I thought Willie the cat did a nice job, would have liked to have seen more of the cat. And, less Lynne Cheney.
posted by jefbla at 11:44 AM on December 15, 2004

I wish I'd been one of the production assistants who got to whip the red ornaments at Karl Rove. Aim for the head, boys!
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:44 AM on December 15, 2004

This post is utterly worthless.

obviously not utterly worthless, else there would be no comments to the contrary.
posted by kamylyon at 12:16 PM on December 15, 2004

buddhanarchist, are you even talking about the same thing? I didn't get that out of the video at all.
posted by BradNelson at 12:29 PM on December 15, 2004

This post is utterly hilarious. I think maybe my difference in opinion is because I don't watch TV and hence am not subject to the horribly degrading experience of seeing this video fawned over multiple times daily that I expect is currently unfolding on the airwaves.

I mean, come on, this has the production values of a high-school level at best, is completely purposeless, includes tons of officials (unenthusiastically and poorly) acting out mundane subject matter and was (I'd guess) paid for with tax dollars. And on top of that, it's just otherwise, really, really bad. What's not to love? Needless to say, I'm ripping this post-haste. It's too bad he's not just our Minister of Kitsch.
posted by nTeleKy at 12:34 PM on December 15, 2004

I guess the fact that these fluffy little dogs are fostering a political dialogue in our great nation...thus healing the wounds of a divided electorate, means that it in fact has some value. Fine.

Post away. I'll try to brace myself, maybe I can move the nice Costco sized bottle of vodka from the freezer right out here to the desk, take a swig or two before checking MF, and then everything will be alright.

Merry Christmas President Bush you cute little monkey! God bless us every one.
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 12:40 PM on December 15, 2004

It's ripe for a parody. Imagine Alberto Gonzales pausing mid-cameo to electrocute someone's testicles. The only challenge will be to make it even cheesier than it already is. Anybody got a Handicam and iMovie? Let's get crackin'!
posted by fungible at 12:47 PM on December 15, 2004

The worst thing about it was how boring it was. Do you think anyone actually cares about seeing your puppy jump around for four minutes straight, Laura?

What was up with the joke about the seventy-nine cent tinsel? I didn't get that at all.
posted by painquale at 12:54 PM on December 15, 2004

Really? A link to some whitehouse propaganda aired in it's entirety on CNN and no doubt ad nauseam on the other networks is somehow the "best of the web"?

I'd hardly call this propaganda.

I thought it was cute for what it is and I wouldn't have seen it had it not been posted here, because I weaned myself off of TV news, so thanks to the poster.

Since everyone's a critic...I would've liked to see some aspects played out a little more; they could've done some funny stuff with Scott McClellan ("Barney, I reject the premise of your question...").
posted by ssmug at 1:03 PM on December 15, 2004

I thought this was for kids to look at the cute, little dog and the decorations.
posted by probablysteve at 1:05 PM on December 15, 2004

I thought this was for kids to look at the cute, little dog and the decorations.

I bet the kids liked the scene with Karl Rove. His Q rating is off the charts in the 7-12 female demographic.
posted by Arch Stanton at 1:17 PM on December 15, 2004

buddhanarchist, so you're saying George W Bush is the same as Osama Bin Laden? Really?
posted by jonson at 1:36 PM on December 15, 2004

different puppets, same puppeteer.
posted by danOstuporStar at 1:43 PM on December 15, 2004

so wait a minute... on one had the Bush Administration is working to create a 'climate of fear' with crazy terror warnings and warmongering, yet on the other hand we can't have any thing lighthearted as "Seven Marines died this weekend in Iraq."

Yeah...
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 3:46 PM on December 15, 2004

different puppets, same puppeteer.

And the name of that puppeteer is.....







Merv Griffin.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:56 PM on December 15, 2004

As someone who enjoys watching infomercials, Christian television, and Sabádo Giganté, I feel that this video is a top-notch production.

Also, Clinton's Holiday Video
posted by LimePi at 4:33 PM on December 15, 2004

not equating OBL with Bush: stating that in times such as these, we should not let either hide successfully.
posted by buddhanarchist at 5:03 PM on December 15, 2004

(actually, what I meant to say is that I equate Miss Beasely to Bush, due to a childhood trauma I'd prefer to keep to myself).
posted by buddhanarchist at 5:37 PM on December 15, 2004

as bad as this is, can you imagine how un-funny a Kerry xmas video would be? ick!
posted by b_thinky at 5:59 PM on December 15, 2004

It is just like that asshat to appoint someone wholly unsuited to the task. I mean, come the fuck on.

Still, I feel certain that Barney is the best of the Bush clan. I'd get a beer with that dog any day.
posted by Tullius at 7:03 PM on December 15, 2004

are you even talking about the same thing? I didn't get that out of the video at all.

blinders tend to narrow the view.
posted by quonsar at 7:37 PM on December 15, 2004

Thanks for posting this... it's silly.

No reason the folks in charge can't have a little fun... kinda like all those rad pics of bush floating around with him wearing a poncho. But really, WHERE IS MS. BEAZLEY????????

(She didn't make an appearance at alll... how weird is that?)

More importantly, does Mrs. Bush consider herself to be Barney's mom?
posted by ph00dz at 4:33 AM on December 16, 2004

blinders tend to narrow the view.

Zing!
posted by BradNelson at 9:42 AM on December 16, 2004

zing indeed
posted by buddhanarchist at 11:56 AM on December 16, 2004