THE PHONE IS RINGING

Nothing grabs your awareness more than a ringing telephone. Unless of course it is a ringing telephone late at night when the noise might wake up your sleeping kids.

That’s the hook for a new ad the Clinton Campaign hopes will be a wake up call for the 8% of Texas and Ohia Dems who are still undecided. You can see it here.

This style of political ad, known as “Red Phone ads” after a 1984 ad run by Walter Mondale, are all about the moment awareness that allows the hero to prevail. You never know when that “Use the Force, Luke” moment will come for a Hero – or a President – but you know it will.

Predictably Obama’s camp initially cried foul calling Clinton’s “fear mongering”, but then pivoted smoothly and came out with an ad of its own (see it here) that asks “Wouldn’t you rather have the person taking that call be the one that keeps you out of war rather than the one that got you into one?” Very nicely done.

But it doesn’t really answer the core question. Who is better prepared to be Commander in Chief? Luckily JACK NICHOLSON, on this own dime apparently, has weighed in with one of the really great ads of the year. It is more than worth a watch. It is worth two or three. It is great political filmmaking by a great filmmaker. Click here.

The line I really love? When Jake Gittes says, “What can I tell you Kid, when you’re right, you’re right, and you’re right,” which neatly puts to bed the whole issue of the vote to authorize force then moves on, to stirring martial music, towards a “makes you want to salute” close. If Hillary had done that months ago we could have cut to the chase a lot sooner. Nicholson’s ad is brilliant political story telling. Now watch it again.

Comments

[Cam Beck]

Not sure I see what's so compelling about that video. Jack Nicholson does not have the greatest reputation from either a personal or a political standpoint. Which of the 5 elements does he really cover?

[Max]

Hi Cam -

What I liked about it was it adherence to the basic story model of "a fact wrapped in an emotion." He constructed his message very simply out of vignettes which stated a single fact and were highly emotional in how they did it, then used the film makers art of montage to make it work. In doing so Nicholson did run through the elements, but like a film maker, not like an exercise in political rhetoric. The way I read them they run like this:

Passion - The Joker says it is all about "Who do you trust?" This is the irreducible core argument Nicholson will be making - and to make sure it grabs our attention he adds "money, money, money" which may or may not be a dig at the big spending spree Obama is going on in Texas to try and end it quick. But it is a firey performace, isn't it?

Then he goes to the ground of his argument - a very earthy moment. "Things could be a whole lot better, Floyd." He is guy in a bar, a bit down and out. Could be everyman. A hero with a problem. Maybe a guy talking to his bartender about who he is going to vote for tomorrow? Anyway, a point of view it is hard not to empathize with.

Now emotions - Antagonist - as a very aggressive Marine Colonel says "As officers we have a responsibility to make sure that the men and women who defend our country are trained professionals. Yes, I'm sure I read that somewhere" It is emotional, it is clearly the point of his argument, and his presentation is cocky and sarcastic enough to make you want to take as swing at him - a confrontational, antagonstic moment. It gets your adrenaline flowing.

Then we need to have that moment of awareness that makes it clear how we should proceed in order to prevail. "I'll make this as easy as I can for you..." And the message is provided on the attached card "We need Hillary Clinton for President." BTW, having us need to read the card, rather than just listen, makes it an intellectual exercise and reinforces this as a mental process - again Awareness.

And that brings us to Transformation - hey, having a female commander in chief might actually be a sexy change. Maybe the military would even enjoy it?

But the bottom line is I thought it was very fun film making.

Of course, it is a directors cut. It runs 1 minute 18 seconds, too long to show on TV!! Which just proves my point - it wasn't really a political message at all because the messenger who approved the ad - Jack - isn't a politician. And I am a big Nicholson fan - like who isn't right?

What can I say - it can't all be about politics. But it is always about story.

[Cam Beck]

"But it is a firey performace, isn't it?"

In some ways... but it's difficult for me to take the words out of the context in which they were originally given. In at least three of the clips, Nicholson was playing, in each case, a unique psychopath (Batman, The Shining, A Few Good Men).

In fact, the statement from A Few Good Men was wrapped around a very misogynistic commentary -- hardly at all supporting the point he was trying to make in this case.

I don't know. I guess how you view it depends on what you're looking for.

[Lori Steed]

Nicholson has that Mona Lisa quality to him, so the way I look at it, he's having a lot of fun playing with the American public and politics, both. Good for you Jack. I sure wouldn't make my decision based on his video, and I sure don't think that was his intention! I could be wrong...
Peace.

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