Subliminal Violence Messages Against Obama In McCain Ads?

[Waiting For Everyman]

Dr. Michael Shaw, a psychologist, does a series on Huffington Post called "Reading the Pictures".
A link to all of them is here...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/

Below are several which are very disturbing when thought about a little further. I noticed this last week, and wasn't going to bring it up just yet, but then just in the last few days there have been 2 reports of threats against Obama in the news. What I see is this, and it's just my own personal view but I think it's real... I see McCain making the case subliminally (and more pointedly to closed groups), especially to RR militia-types or veterans, especially to those of his own Vietnam era (in the "yellowing" of the "Dollar Bill" ad), to assassinate Obama. That's what I see, and I thought so before there were any reports of any incidents about it. You have the "Celeb" ad with both racial/sexual incitement along with the previously unnoticed violence message... you have the (sorry to use this term but it's what the ad intends to convey) "gook"/yellowing in the "Dollar Bill" ad (and personally I think it may also be overlayed onto Manson's face, I'm not sure but something more is wrong with the eyes than just the "x's" in them)... you have the Anti-Christ message in "The One"... and the unionist/worship message in the "Outfitting The Swiftboat" ad. I don't like it. Given all the illegal acts we know about, that the Republicam machine has already actually done to create violence on the level of the Iraq War, its love of the brutality of torture, along with with major subversions of our justice system, I think it would be hard to assert that they'd have any compunctions about inciting this level of violence intentionally. Yes, I think "elite money" would go that far to see that "their guy" McCain is President to keep their billions flowing. I don't find that farfetched at all.

Also about a week ago, I was looking into McCain's POW past because I happen to have a big problem with his undercover sealing of records during the 1992 POW/MIA hearings. I ran across something I didn't think much about before seeing these Shaw blogs - that McCain was called "the Manchurian Candidate" among some POWs. I don't know specifically why they said that so long ago, back when they were fellow-POWs, but it's creepy.

Subliminal programming is real, and it's not new. It was a big subject of interest when I was in college in the early 1970s, the first decade of TV. One of my textbooks for a Philosophy course then is a good early resource on the subject, it's called Subliminal Seduction by Wilson Bryan Key, 1972. Another one worth reading is Propaganda by Jacques Ellul.

Below are Shaw's pages I'm referring to...


1)
July 31, 2008 Huffington Post, Michael Shaw
"Reading the "Celeb" Video: Exploding Obama at the Subliminal Level"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-celeb-video-e_b_116009.html (with link to ad video)

"I think we are really being played if -- in analyzing "Celeb," the McCain Obama-attack video -- we go so far as unearth the racist sexual stereotypes but overlook the possible allusions to violence itself...

Again, following the Rovian admonition to block out the words (removing and freeing up the fuller visual value of the imagery from the advertisement's oral/textual envelope), I don't even want to think what this looks like to me -- except to say that, I wouldn't count Hillary as Obama's only political assailant with the instinct to turn off the electricity."



2)
August 1, 2008 Huffington Post
"Dollar Bill McCain"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-pictures-emdo_b_116451.html



3)
August 4, 2008 from BagNewsNotes
"Outfitting The Swiftboat"
http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com/bagnews/2008/08/floating-the-sw.html

"Rove -- through his disciple, McCain campaign manager, Steve Schmidt -- has now set in place the framing designed for Obama's popularity, charisma, freshness, youth and religiosity to turn on itself. Not to say there aren't refinements to be made, and more stages to come. Still, two-thirds of phase one has already been accomplished, involving the formulation of the key visual terms and their injection into the political bloodstream. The next step -- and you can bet the surrogates are already in place -- is just to repeat it over and over again.

And if high-minded Democrats -- responding from the left brain -- either dismiss it, or insist it isn't going to work, I'd say, it's already working.

For example, take a look at these two random wire images from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees convention on Friday. Given the rhetorical viruses launched last week, and ironically, but not accidentally, boosted into high orbit virtually free-of-charge by both the left-wing internets and the media (plus, recruits Britney, Paris and Charlton Heston), it is hard to look at these images -- which would otherwise have been so uncomplicated and adoring two weeks ago, and not sense the new overlay."

[FrenchieCat]

1. The thought of McCain as the Manchurian Candidate

coming from former POW is creepy indeed!

[C_U_L8R]

2. Messages work on all kinds of levels

but that book "Subliminal Seduction" is a bunch of nonsense.

[Waiting For Everyman]

3. I'm surprised that you have read a book that was published in 1972

But I'm relieved to hear that these McCain ads are nothing to worry about.

I guess then too, the recent Fox News photoshop visual smear wasn't intended either.
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/7/fox-news-we-photoshop-you-decide#slide_4

I get the distict impression this kind of thing is S.O.P lately.

So there's no such thing as subliminal messages, then? For as superficially cynical as the public is these days, it never ceases to amaze me how in fact, deeply gullible it is.

[C_U_L8R]

5. Yes i have read it and it is complete nonsense

Naked people in ice cubes.. real or imagined... never sold one single bottle of scotch.

Again, messages work on many different levels.. from rational to visceral and emotional.
(vote for obama) the premise of subliminal seduction that concealed messages and images
can make people act beyond their will is pure bullshit (vote for obama). If it worked, every communicator
in the world would be doing it. In thirty years in this business, I've actually seen some chumps
try it... but they wasted their time and their money and they didn't last very long in their jobs
(vote for obama).

[dansolo]

9. "make people act beyond their will"

That isn't the issue here. The issue is that the subliminal messages encourage people who may already be inclined to fantasize about violence to act upon it.

[Waiting For Everyman]

22. Oops (I put this in the wrong place)

[EC]

4. Even right-wing columnist Kathleen Parker had an

article in today's paper talking about this. She didn't insinuate the urging of violence but she did point out the subliminal. She even sees it and calls him on it. I can't find it on line though. I really am surprised at how she seems to like Obama, this isn't the first time she's written something in his defense...I usually can't stand her...

[Waiting For Everyman]

6. Here's another McCain example of it

from back in May. What a surprise, Fox News. I wonder if they got a talking point directive to do this?

"Fox News Caught Flashing TV Subliminal"
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2008/051308_mccain_subliminal.htm

...
"James Vicary's infamous 1957 claim that he could get New Jersey movie-goers to buy more popcorn and drink coca-cola by flashing the words "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Hungry? Eat popcorn" for 1/3000 of a second at five-second intervals during a film is the subject of much controversy. Vicary asserted that sales of popcorn and Coke in that New Jersey theater increased 57.8 percent and 18.1 percent respectively, but the accuracy of the results has long been disputed.

However, a 2006 New Scientist investigation concluded that "Researchers have shown that if the conditions are right, subliminal advertising to promote a brand can be made to work."

23-millisecond subliminal messages for "Lipton Ice" resulted in 80% of subjects choosing Lipton Ice Tea over other drinks brands in an experiment conducted by Johan Karremans at the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

An investigation needs to be conducted into how the image appeared during the Fox News intro sequence and if a deliberate motivation to engage in mass public deception is found, authorities should consider revoking Fox 5's broadcast license or at least handing out a gargantuan fine.

The use of subliminal advertising in the UK, Australia and the US is a criminal offence.

It is the mandate of the FCC to clamp down on such an egregious attempt to sway public opinion by means of subliminal psychological influence, especially when the brand being pushed is not merely a soft drink, but a presidential candidate. If evidence comes to light that it was deliberate, then serious questions need to be asked."



Maybe it would be better to look into something like this before an actual assassination attempt happens?

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. I guess my point is

Evidently it IS being done.

And rather frequently lately, too. So again evidently, whoever is doing it must be under "the misimpression" that it does work. That "somebody" would appear to be McCain and/or the right-wing.

[Gabi Hayes]

12. looks like Jones lifted much of what he posted from the Straight Dope

column I linked in post 11

I looked up that stuff the other day, and almost every other site shown at google asserts the opposite: subliminal messaging doesn't work.

I was trying to find out if it did (I thought it did at the time), and, after checking, came to the conclusion that it's really difficult, and would have to be done under conditions similar to the Ludivico technique, where the subject is basically held captive





oops....Manchurian Candidate, anyone

[Hekate]

8. I think they're right. Now what? nt

[Hekate]

10. Needs a kick

:kick:

[Gabi Hayes]

11. the yellowing of image, and the x's in his eyes are NOT subliminal

they're blatantly out there for anyone to see, not flashing away for 1/3000 sec

besides, pretty much, subliminal doesn't work, according to most experts in the field:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_187.html



course, they really have tried it:

WOW....slow it down if you can...remember?>>>

http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/12/bush.ad/rnc.rats.ad.30.4.4.mov

[Waiting For Everyman]

17. Castellanos admitted it in the "Rats" ad

(This refers to the second link provided by GH above.)


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/americas/2000/us_elections/election_news/923335.stm

Alex Castellanos, who made the ad for the Republican National Committee, has fuelled the controversy by apparently changing his explanation as to how the word "rats" came to appear in his advert.

Renowned as a maker of attack ads for political campaigns, Mr Castellanos claimed initially that the use of the word was "purely accidental".

By Wednesday he had admitted that the word "rats" was "a visual drumbeat designed to make you look at the word bureaucrats."



Um hmmm, as if having people remember the word "rats" alone, wasn't the objective.

[CitizenPatriot]

13. every image

in big dollar advertising is manipulated and pre-planned to the nth degree. It may not be subliminal, but it is designed to generate an emotion and to hide the attempt to manipulate you and me into having that emotion. They want you to just feel it organically. Ask anyone in Hollywood about the details of a set to wardrobe to bg images to music to colors. It is all there on purpose.

I wonder if any of these hate mongers will be held accountable for the right wing crazies who are coming out of the woodwork lately and acting on LIES which have been fed them -- propaganda in fact -- via msm.

[Gabi Hayes]

14. exactly.....know about Freud's nephew? have you read the following:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/bender2.html

Karl Rove & the Spectre of Freud’s Nephew
by Stephen Bender

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country… We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized… "

So opens Propaganda (1928), one of several strikingly frank analyses of western social psychology written by Edward Bernays. This nephew of Sigmund Freud founded the public relations industry in the United States.

Mr. Bernays lived a fascinating life. He first got involved in high stakes politics when he "warmed up" the dour Calvin Coolidge by arranging the first presidential celebrity photo op in 1928. For the private sector, Bernays engineered a most notorious publicity stunt for the American Tobacco Company, by single-handedly neutralizing the taboo against women smoking in public. He organized a "Torches of Freedom" march down Broadway by ten smoking debutantes during the 1929 Easter Parade. With the help of feminists – some of whom understood the "right to smoke" as libratory – Bernays expertly publicized this spectacle, thus setting in motion the expected stir on op-ed pages across the land.

For Bernays, truth in public affairs did not exist per se. Rather, truth was the product of the "public relations counsel" forging prevailing "public opinion." It should be said that he readily recognized the ethical implications of his work, as witnessed in his later anti-smoking advocacy, after the dangers of cigarettes became known in the late-1950s. He could also be, in his own curious way, a humanitarian – as reflected in his work promoting the NAACP and anti-syphilis public education.

For Bernays, however, the necessity of controlling the public mind was a crucially important matter confronting the better element, a group in which he clearly included himself. In his first work, the hugely influential Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923), Bernays noted that the establishment of public education and the gradual extension of the right to vote caused consternation among western elites. The use of public relations techniques, then, was a way for the minority to "so mold the mind of the masses that they will throw their newly gained strength in the desired direction."

.....................

the best part of this piece is that he goes on to show how Goebbels and Rove have mastered these techniques, and how essential they've become today. they've obviuosly been refined to a faretheewell, to the point Orwell would certainly be very 'jealous'

[Waiting For Everyman]

16. GH, that's one of the best articles I've read in a long time

There's a lot more in it which everyone who is interested in politics should definitely read. Just another bit from it...

"In Crystallizing Public Opinion, Bernays related how governments and advertisers can "regiment the mind like the military regiments the body." This discipline can be imposed because of "the natural inherent flexibility of individual human nature." He also instructed that the "average citizen is the world’s most efficient censor. His own mind is the greatest barrier between him and the facts. His own ‘logic-proof compartments,’ his own absolutism are the obstacles which prevent him from seeing in terms of experience and thought rather than in terms of group reaction."

This is what people like Rush Limbaugh reinforce and build on. It goes on to more aspects of it which are part of the whole picture of this propaganda dynamic.

This is exactly why the religious right continually votes against its own interest!!! The 1% ultra-rich are in control of this country, with only 1% of the vote... this is why they have co-opted religion to deliver the votes they need, and this principle above is why and how it works.

Right now is the best chance to get through to R voters - since there are such horrible tangible effects of these policies right in front of them... losing homes, losing jobs. Still, this cult-mentality is hard to overcome, as we see in Ohio for instance.

We need to get through to them that laissez-faire does not mean socialism (or as they more often cast it, communism) but instead it means no regulation, and that has nothing to do with a functioning fair market. A market will not give itself rules, as we see too clearly today. There will never be a better example of it, inescapable in the news. We need to drive the nails in the coffin on that while we can. No rules in markets is just the same as no rules in trade, and the rust-belt understands that part of it. The Repub policies are no rules. Dem policies are a level playing-field.

It's a start against the brainwashing they get in their churches all the time.

That brainwashing combined with this kind of advertising is so dangerous... as the TN church shooting shows. The use of this kind of ad should be watched closely, and complained about now to keep it from getting worse, IMO.

[barack the house]

15. Well if they are demonising liberals just show the clip of mccain saying "I'm a liberal conservative

that will stop it. Bob Kincaid said after the guy who wanted to kill liberals that it is right wing radio doing this mantra. If Obama puts this in his ad they will cut the crap. Also they should show mccain with his daughter if they are going to be that racist and they might cut that crap too. THey need to stop the shit and stop it fast it's fucked up. I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I BY GOD WILL NOT TAKE IT ANY MORE.

[windoe]

18. Subliminal influence is very powerful

done with sound and imaging, it can have an effect on many people. NLP techniques are used today as well as using symbols for subtle suggestion. You can dismiss these methods outright based on a few badly executed examples and a book or two, but the more sophisticated methods are nearly impossible to detect and are quite effective.

I would love for an expose of Fox and find all the embedded material they put in their broadcasts, now that would be fascinating!!

[elehhhhna]

19. Here's the most blatant yet. Making this its own thread, also.

[Waiting For Everyman]

21. My reply is in your thread

Here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3769819


That's one very peculiar picture!!!

So that makes Huffington Post and now someone at ABC onto asking questions about it. Mike Barnicle, just from his own impression, also raised a question about another ad.

Something's up.

[rasputin1952]

20. I think a lot of this is happenstance, and we often read more into it

than is really there.

Tese ads came out pretty quickly, and even a well oiled crapfest like the GOP slimemachine, needs time to do stuff like this.

It is far easier to manipulate the person working the camera, take the pic of bush wa "halo" from a couple of years back, than it is to edit footage to introduce subliminal imagery.

I'm sure they do it to some extent, but my gut instinct tells me that they are just too damn inept and stupid to take this to levels where they would be effective.

Just my 2 cents, but I am also not the type of person to jump into a Consiracy Theory type thing out of hand.

[CitizenPatriot]

23. I'm not sure

what you mean, but I work in the business and it's not just a matter of manipulating stuff, the entire thing is about manipulating people. there would be NO point if they weren't manipulating people. They do it with camera angles, lighting, color, -- whole books are written about which side the good guy enters the frame on versus the bad guy. Yes, it is a BIG SHOW. The editing-- that's pure 100% manipulation and it is all done on purpose. It isn't about being smart, it's about being savvy. They know what works- they pay huge ad and marketing advisors to know the latest hot buttons and to push them so you and me don't know they're doing it. More money goes into this in ads than in news, simply because there is more control over an ad. more money, more time goes into it.

It's an advanced mixture of psychology, machiavellian and orwellian theory, and the ease in the edit room of manipulating images. You don't think we're seeing the real John McCain in his ads, right? I mean, they're fixing his skin, whitening his teeth a bit, making him more "friendly" looking. This is America. Nothing is what is appears. Look at our pre-package movie stars these days. No talent, just empty vessels, because they taught us that we like it that way. Everyone in Hollywood knows girls and boys shouldn't care about anything but their success. empty vessels. the less intelligent you are the better. they do not want or look for independence of thought.

are we "taught" that in school? not really. The TV is used just like religion used to be used, and still is used, to controll the masses. the numb us with mindless entertainment and teach us to salivate after stupid things like the newest car, the hot chick, the man with the most money who wears the name brand shoes, etc. Why? Because those things keep us working like slaves to afford those trinkets, our buying the trinkets keeps the wealthy making more and more money and it lets them pass shitty laws that screw us over while we're busy watching American Idol.

The American Dream. Not much isn't for sale here anymore.

[rasputin1952]

25. I agree w/what you posted...

but in the case of McCain...I like the old adage, "you can't paint a turd".

it is all about manipulation...even the times where things are "live" they are so well scripted it is disgusting to watch.

One of the reasons "Town Meetings" have been scrapped over the years is because candidates and officials are in a quandary when they go "off script". In a debate here here between Fortenberry (R 1st District NE) and Maxine Moul, (D, challenger), no one was allowed to ask questions...just the 3 panelists at the front of the room. After it was over, I asked Fortenberry how he could come in looking like a mortician in his $1000 suit and talk to farmers in overalls and expect to be taken seriously as a "friend to the working man". Fortenberry won by some 3% pts...pretty close for such a red state.

I've always been a Free Thinker, so I look at things a little differently, i can see the manipulation. But in McCain's case...the campaign is so pathetic, I find it very difficult to believe that any professional is in charge of things. This is one of the most pathetic campaigns I've ever seen, essentially because what the GOP has is so pathetic, but McCain is, (fortunately), his own worst enemy...:hi:

[CitizenPatriot]

26. ha ha

I get what you're saying....Good point. They have failed in many ways, and after all that work, that's kinda amazing. I think there's been talk that McCain is a loose canon. They try to run it, and indeed he has Rove and Schmidt who rammed Bush down our throats in 2004, but he's just not on board and paying attention.

another part of it is that the repub party has become so uncool. it's just not something anyone who isn't a multi-millionaire can id with. it isn't the repub party of old, which had some great values. No, this is the party of corruption, big corporations, sex scandals involving children, and other assorted ugliness. McCain kind of represents all of that with his beady eyes and reptile face. In other words, they aint got much to work with:-)

[rasputin1952]

27. Have you noticed it's been years since they've used...

"The Party of Lincoln"?

They can't justify that anymore than they can identify w/TR. By todays standards, Lincoln and TR would be considered Left Wing Liberals. They identify w/Reagan, but there is another goofball that could not get off script or he completely out of his element. I often wonder if Raygun or McCrypt ever thought/think for themselves. In bush's case...thinking is strictly out of the question; the man wouldn't know a thought if it beat him half to death.

[CitizenPatriot]

29. absolutely

Lincoln was a brilliant man; He debated both sides of an issue and came to a conclusion/choice based on careful examination of the implications of each choice. Makes one weep in comparison to bush/cheney/mccain.

Lincoln was for a democracy. He supported the ideals and foundation of this country's government. The checks and balances.

The old Republican party is gone. Remember the country club republicans? Liberal social values and fiscally conservative? as in, really conservative? This would be a "moderate" today, though one could argue that we've become so corporatized that fiscal responsibility is no longer as feasible as it once was. We need to break up the monopolies and admit that free markets without oversight do not work. How I wish Lincoln were here to advise us! The few people speaking with any sense are dismissed as "liberals" with sneering derision. I've become convinced that liberal now means American -- as in, anyone who cares about the 3 arms of govt and not being run by an oligarchy disguising itself as a democracy.

The saddest thing is in history, these morons spewing their ignorance on national TV will be a laughing stock, and imagine, it will be as if we had Hitler's propagandists on tape. Their families, et al will not be able to live down the shame.

[rasputin1952]

31. Breaking monopolies and gov't transparency and obligation

were what TR was about. Conservative as they come on foreign policy, his ideology on gov't doing good for the people and preservation would be considered Progressive today.

Warren G. Harding, Calvin Collidge and Herbert Hoover might recognize the current situation, but Eisenhower wouldn't. The Times, They Are A-Changing...;)

[Waiting For Everyman]

24. Here's the low-down on McCain's adteam, Foxhole Productions

Including, Alex Castellanos.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/mccain_expands_media_team.html

[CitizenPatriot]

30. now it makes sense

that reads like the line-up in GM;'s last 20 years of failed policies -- design by committee.

"Foxhole" productions? Ewww.

[Hekate]

28. kick

:kick: