Brother, Can You Spare A Job? (short version), 2003
An animated short by Tom Neely
Narrated with George W. Bush’s own words from Presidential radio addresses, this short cartoon is a scathing political indictment of the Bush Administration’s economic policies, made in a style reminiscent of the depression era.
Watch a consummate display of wit, the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Today (Saturday, April 29 at 7 pm ET.) The sitting President is usually roasted by top shelf comedians, sometimes mercilessly, and traditionally bears this indignity with good humor. This year Hasan Minhaj of the Daily Show delivers a much anticipated speech.
President Obama mastered the medium, but this year President Trump opted out of the popular and time-honored event.
The red carpet event kicks off at 5 pm, the dinner at 7 pm, and the awards and speeches by 9:30 pm.
Photo: By DoD News photo by EJ Hersom – https://www.dvidshub.net/image/2573392/obamas-and-bidens-open-uso-show#.Vy-qefmLTIU, Public Domain, Link
In 2013, Jimmy Kimmel first sent his crew into the streets to ask ordinary Americans if they preferred Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act. The results were both hilarious, and sad. After all, they are the same exact thing. Surely most Americans know that one is merely a nickname for the other? No, they didn’t. And it makes for a funny video segment. But it’s also scary.
Well, Jimmy Kimmel just did it again, sending a fresh crew out in 2017 to ask the same ridiculous leading question. Apparently the American People haven’t learned much. Person after person appeared to actually think they were separate, mutually exclusive plans. Watching the clip is a forward slapping experience, to be sure. What’s up with Americans? Is it a lack of education, or just a kind of apathy? Does it perhaps show that an over reliance on social media, fake news and flimsy websites for information is actually turning out to be the disaster we always feared?
It’s not clear how many people Kimmel’s crew asked in order to glean these comic gems. Perhaps most people really do know the score, and Kimmel just edited his footage to showcase the few uninformed who walk among us? Maybe so, but it’s still a sobering clip to watch, for sure.
We need to redouble our efforts to teach history, civics, and current events to our students, and to get quality news to our adult citizens. Fake news, biased sources, and unadulterated fluff may in fact be hurting our nation. We face many threats, from global warming to ISIS that require quality information, and a mature understanding, to properly address. A poorly informed citizenry is a chink in our defensive armor that we can’t afford. After all, Citizens vote. Won’t poorly informed citizens vote poorly?
