Comments on: Don't cry for me, I'm already dead

Don't cry for me, I'm already dead

Flashman — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:14:34 -0800

:an anti-suicide bombing commercial is soon to be unleashed on all those jaded Iraqi couch potatoes.

By: La Cieca

La Cieca — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:25:21 -0800

They recently transformed an industrial block in downtown LA into a busy Baghdad square, filled with fruit stands, shoe repair shops and rug dealers. At least 60 extras dressed in hijabs, kaffiyehs and polyester-wool blend slacks were herded onto the set to simulate an average shopping day. . . . . Onlookers were later asked to stand back as the pyrotechnic crew blew up a poor old Yugo coupe and stunt men and women, padded under their Arab garb, were thrust into the air with ropes and pulleys to simulate the impact of a bomb exploding. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are already filing suit for copyright infringement. (Derka, derka, derka!)

By: Mr. Six

Mr. Six — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:29:19 -0800

By: mkultra

mkultra — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:34:07 -0800

It's good to see some fresh ideas being brought to the table. Maybe what they really need is a talk show, where Shiites and Sunnis can hash out their differences on camera. I hear Geraldo likes to go over there.

By: spacewrench

spacewrench — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:42:12 -0800

I hear Geraldo likes to go over there. Now that there's some TV I would watch: Shiite-Sunni cage deathmatch. With firearms and Geraldo. "Three will enter, only two will leave. Who will be first to destroy the sleazebag with the mustache?"

By: languagehat

languagehat — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:46:29 -0800

I'd pay money to watch that. But I have this terrible fear that Geraldo would emerge triumphant at the end, with the fearsome Sunni and Shiite warriors holding back tears and wondering what just happened.

By: bardic

bardic — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:57:35 -0800

Teenage Martyrdom: Don't Do It.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:06:59 -0800

Geraldo says "I've seen a hell of a lot more combat than John Kerry." A few highlights.

By: saraswati

saraswati — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:12:14 -0800

So is this basically the US admitting that they can't control the insurgents? It seems like on the administration's list of ways to deal with suicide bombers that trying to reason with them would be the very last one.

By: bardic

bardic — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:21:08 -0800

So is this basically the US admitting that they can't control the insurgents? Actually, it's all of Baghdad throwing a ginormous turd into the punch-bowl that is the Iraqi occupation.

By: matteo

matteo — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:25:39 -0800

if only they had electricity they could totally watch this. unhelpful Iraqians.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:27:25 -0800

'Just Say "No, I Won't Blow Myself Up"' I'd wear that shirt. Unironically.

By: rks404

rks404 — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:28:48 -0800

Not to undermine the occupier's message, but only pussies back out from suicide bombing. Are you a pussy? Well? And don't do drugs.

By: Mr. Six

Mr. Six — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:33:10 -0800

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:34:17 -0800

Despite all the secrecy surrounding the project, NEWSWEEK has learned that the high-tech PSA will cost over $1 million to make and may even air in other Middle Eastern countries. This pricey and unorthodox attempt to subdue the violence is backed by a group of mystery donors. "I call them an independent, non-governmental group of scholars, non political people," says Plotkin. "Some may live in Iraq, some may live abroad. For a variety of different reasons—from safety concerns to wanting the focus to remain on the issue itself, they decided to remain anonymous." Hold it. What's up with that? Why is it legal for anonymous groups to have such wide reach into our media? Ignoring the glaring cultural issues, what of the legal ones? For instance, if the FCC wished to fine those financing this advertisement, who would it fine? Would that, too, be a classified matter of national security? God, this is so incredibly annoying.

By: bardic

bardic — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:34:51 -0800

What Would Rumsfeld Do? To the XTREME!

By: Bugg

Bugg — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:39:58 -0800

Something tells me this ad won't hit the target audience they think it will. But hey, you know what might be effective... an ad on Fox News depicting an American soldier torturing an Iraqi prisoner.

By: hangashore

hangashore — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:42:00 -0800

Does Anyone Really Expect To Keep Kids From Blowingthemselvestobits!

By: Mr. Six

Mr. Six — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:42:17 -0800

Where is the "Committee to Liberate ~~Iran~~ ~~Iraq~~ ~~Mystery Donors~~ Petrodollars" when you need it?

By: me & my monkey

me & my monkey — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:43:55 -0800

What's up with that? Why is it legal for anonymous groups to have such wide reach into our media? Ignoring the glaring cultural issues, what of the legal ones? For instance, if the FCC wished to fine those financing this advertisement, who would it fine? Would that, too, be a classified matter of national security? Presumably, they're buying ad time. If I wanted to buy ad time, and I wanted to run an ad that didn't fall into the category of political advertising, why shouldn't I be allowed to be anonymous? Why would the FCC need to fine me - if they objected to the ad, they could fine the station running it, which could in turn file a civil suit against me if they haven't indemnified themselves first? From the article, there's no obvious "classified matter of national security" - it's just a Lebanese film company with anonymous donors.

By: thirteenkiller

thirteenkiller — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:45:50 -0800

link?

By: tomplus2

tomplus2 — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:46:15 -0800

I really wish the mystery donors would be discovered. I think you'd all find that they are not who you think they are. This ad seems a bit touchy feely to me.

By: bardic

bardic — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:49:58 -0800

I've heard some Afghani suicide bombers are already questioning the credentials and swiftboating the Iraqi ones. It's nasty stuff.

By: cell divide

cell divide — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:29:14 -0800

THis would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

By: zouhair

zouhair — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:30:09 -0800

And how about a commercial to let people understand that receiving an American Blessed Bomb on the head is A Blessing From God ? and if your all family is killed it's not a problem they'll all go to Paradise ? Fuck this makes me more and more angry

By: cardoso

cardoso — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:15:31 -0800

"See. Ahmed? I told you it was cool! Just like that infidel movie, The Matrix. You'll go in a blaze of glory, full 3D with infidels blown away all around you. Gee (or the equivalent in farsi) I was worried, Uncle Sahid warned me about pain and blood but that's not what I see". Hollywood-style is NOT the right style to portrait real-life effects of a sucide bomb, a carcrash, a shot in the chest or come on, even sex. Let movies be movies, don't pretend they portrait reality better than reality.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 23:40:31 -0800

Big time stupid. Wow.

By: telstar

telstar — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 14:09:46 -0800

Kids, don't become suicide bombers. You could get hurt.

By: Doorstop

Doorstop — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 14:19:19 -0800

see... now if they blew up a kid... had his limbs fly off visibly, and blood spatter the TV camera... i would say its more of a detriment... but they alread know this. its what they want... ugh.

By: moonbiter

moonbiter — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 04:44:41 -0800

This will almost certainly work because Iraqis have no idea what the effects of a suicide bomb looks like. I'm sure a Hollywood-produced commercial will bring it home for them, right into their air-conditioned living rooms on their big-screen, high-definition televisions. Or, as they say in sitcom land: "It's so crazy, it just might work!"

By: FormlessOne

FormlessOne — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 18:43:51 -0800

"Just Say No To Semtex!" If anyone can talk with experience about a series of useless bombs, it's Hollywood.