7.19.2006

That Guy.

Mark Morford writes that Bush thinks he's That Guy, the "one everybody just loves to have around, the one who sincerely thinks his goofy charm is so appealing and so innocuous and so licky-puppy friendly that he can get away with all sorts of casual infractions and weird gestures that no one else would care to attempt lest they appear, you know, dorky as a knob." In fact, as his bumble-laden appearances at the G8 Summit suggest, he's That Guy, "the best man at the wedding party who is standing in the center of the room, casually and cluelessly telling off-color or racist jokes that offend everyone but that he thinks are hilarious":
Israel and Lebanon are burning. Iraq is in tatters. North Korea is spitting on the world. Global leaders are gathered to discuss the most pressing and violent issues on the planet, many of which Bush had a clammy hand in exacerbating. Might not be the best time
for the leader of the free world to give a cheesy frat-guy neck rub to his German gal-pal in front of the world media. You think?


Bushit: Bush's slip of the S-bomb at the G8 puts network TV producers in a quandary: if they air the president's utterance as news they face a $325,000 fine, unlike their cable counterparts, thanks to a post-"wardrobe malfunction" broadcast indecency law the president signed last year.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:00 PM

    I thought I would add a little correction, since your post had me confused. Broadcast networks can't air the expletive, while cable channels can. The FCC regulates broadcast content, but not cable content. (I'm a grad student in media studies at UT-Austin, so this is something I frequently explain to undergrads.) The article says, "While cable networks are free to air Bush's quote in its entirety -- and it has been burning up the Internet -- broadcast networks risk fines and even their licenses by airing it without bleeping the word." FWIW, "broadcast" is usually used to describe media that go over the airwaves like radio and old-school TV, so "broadcast cable" is sort of a contradiction in terms in the world I work in.

    Anyway, I enjoy your blog; I just thought I would clear a few things up.

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  2. Paul Schmelzer6:39 PM

    D'oh! Thanks for catching that. Corrected!

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  3. Anonymous10:41 PM

    I used to be shocked by Bush's behavior. But, I think I've developed some kind of emotional scab. Still, an unbelievable act for anyone, let alone the President of the U.S.

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