Radar Aims High, Hits

Well, no one is ever going to accuse Radar of elevating the discourse: For this month's issue they go lowest common denominator via the tried-and-true custom of superimposing heads on other people's bodies who happen to be naked. In this case, they are inflicting the execrable Tom Ford/Keira Knightley/Scarlett Johanssen Vanity Fair cover on us yet again, this time with images of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani. Ew. Though it has obviously achieved the desired effect — Radar's Tyler Gray has already been on MSNBC twice this morning to discuss it (and the politics-themed issue it graces). Folio's Dylan Stableford notes that it's a gimmick that works (he calls it a "Roshan tradition" thanks to the Tom Cruise/George Lois cover, though really the tradition seems to be photoshopping, given the Paris Hilton/George Bush, Prince Harry and Colin Farrell covers), but the question is, will it actually sell? It's not a very, er, appealing cover image — MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski looked at it, expressed revulsion and said "Get it off the screen" — and she tasked Gray to come back to her after it had hit newsstands to report on whether people actually bought it, because she had her doubts. There's no question that it's a mesmerizing image — you really can't look away, possibly because Rudy's head just looks so natural on Tom Ford's skin-crawlingly skeevy body — but it will be genuinely interesting to see how that translates into sales. So far, not surprisingly, it's translating into buzz. The devil's in the follow-up.

p.s. In case anyone's wondering, I don't particularly feel like Hillary's being objectified here — it is clearly a spoof, and hey, she looks pretty good. It's actually Obama who comes off worst, smooth and feminine and clearly not part of the conspiratorial whispering going on quite literally over his head. Sort of not something that emphasizes his raw strength as a candidate — a message that targets one of his weak spots. Whether or not that was intentional, that's an element Radar captured surprisingly effectively.

Hot On The Trail [Radar]

Related, because I can never erase that searing image:
Tom Ford's skeevy, lecherous Vanity Fair [Tomatoes Are Delicious]

Also related in superimposed heads on magazine covers of naked-ish people:
ETP Photoshops Radar, For Kicks [ETP]

Comments

[andyboy]

Hi-camp. Fun and fresh.

I was struck by a feeling that these three were but different permutations of the same being. David Bowie.

Barack as the Diamond Dog. Rudy the Thin White Duke and Hillary as Aladdin Sane of course or perhaps Pin-ups.

I saw David once and he shot a laser beam into the seats and started one on fire. For real. It was awesome. He had his own spaceship too.

The more I look at 'em the more of a sinking feeling I get. 1984 actually looks pretty damn inviting about now.

[Veronica]

Totally. Barack as "1972 David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust tour," Rudy as "1980 David Bowie from the music video Ashes to Ashes," and Hillary as "1986 David Bowie" from the movie Labyrinth."

Cheers if you get that reference.

[Crozier]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Skull_and_Bones_members

[munster]

I think it's disgusting. Is there not anything else that Radar could find of interest to put on their cover?

[otispfudpucker]

How about Mr. Big Love Romney and his family nude? I bet he has more than one wife... She or they are probably in the basement. with his 30 other kids.

[brooklyncitizen]

THAT would be funny.

[tkk]

Oh good, now the liberals are going to start showing everyone that they really are hedonist, reprobates the Republicans accuse them of being.

Keep it up. by the time the '08 election comes around, you'll have the soccer Moms scared over to the Republican Party again.

[lawyeredup]

I thought it was in bad taste to.

[Crozier]

Soccer moms are more afraid of their Republican husbands who use a wide stance while using airport bathrooms earning their executive salaries by platinum level travel yearly.

[otispfudpucker]

Maybe we can have a nude shot of Craig doing his tap dance.
I feel bad for the guy actually, you can see why he is a toilet stall gay, have you seen his wife. Now that's some beef. Or maybe Pork?

[curiousasheck]

Bread and circuses has come to be a derogatory phrase that can criticize either government policies to pacify the citizenry, or the shallow, decadent desires of that same citizenry. In both cases, it refers to low-cost, low-quality, high-availability food and entertainment that have become the sole concern of the People, to the exclusion of other matters: e.g. the Arts, public works projects, human rights, or democracy itself.

[Crozier]

Panem et circenses has been used by the ruling elite since time immemorial.

[jpshotwheels]

This just goes to show what an ugly disrespectful country we have become. We have no shame, no morals, and no respect for anyone. We care more about Anne Nicole babies Daddy, then the Constitution being shreaded into tiny bits of paper. They should have done pictures like this with Bush in his Skull & Bones outfit attending one of his secret ceremonies, and maybe we wouldn't be where we are today.

[Crozier]

Yes, the whole list of Bonesmen include notables on both sides of the same coin....since Democrat and Republican mean Corporatist Party of the USA- in the leadership of both parties who care not at all for their core constituencies...the real liberals and conservatives of other days.

All the Yankee Brahmin families who attended Yale as undergraduates were invited to Skull and Bones. All legacies were included as well.

[Steamboater]

Obama smooth and feminine? Get over it. Just because a guy isn't a bear doesn't make him in any way feminine.
As to the cover, this is really going over the top and is inexecusable. And I thought Rodney Dangerfield was the only one who didn't get any respect.

[jneems]

Giuliani is the scheming serpent in the Garden of Eden. The other two have the naked innocence of Adam and Eve. You can almost hear the serpent whispering to Hillary, "Take the apple...".

[Zhonni]

You do have an interesting take, but I think the picture is a disgusting one.

[otispfudpucker]

I kinda of heard Rudy asking Killary, ya want it in the rear. Ya know she does have some large rump roast in real life back there. Ahhh Haaa the light just went on. Now I see what Bill saw in Monica, she and Killary both have large rump roasts.

[repubesnivel]

It took a real genius to come up with that cover. I could do a better editing job than those pukes.

Worse than the bad cover is Huffpo's putting it up as a featured thread. Geez

[DavidBeckham]

Jesus, what a bunch of humorless literalists...the cover is funny and it's a parody of a well-known (at least to hipsters) image.

Reading all this symbolism, ethno-class warfare and other stuff into it is amazing to me.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[noamjunior]

amazing because you don't really understand it?

[DavidBeckham]

I understand it just fine -- I just don't choose to let everything in my life be run by it or a fear of it.

"Bacon's up 5 cents a pound -- it must be because we didn't do slavery reparations!"

My god...

[OneWoman]

"Reading all this symbolism, ethno-class warfare and other stuff into it is amazing to me."

Some would argue that the hallmark of critical thinking is the ability to see beyond the obvious.

[DavidBeckham]

And some would argue that seeing ghosts under every bed is a sign of paranoia.

[groucho]

Disgusting new lows in discussion. That's what happens with a privately funded, way too long presidential election campaign.
We need more education in this country and publicly funded campaigns.

Rudy is dressed cuz he's the pimp.

[Destin]

Hillary should just go ahead and pose in Playboy. Everyone wants to see it. ;) I bet she could be a sexy older woman if she wanted to. Rather than wearing those plain powersuits and looking too reserved, she should loosen up and also loosen up her image. Maybe put on some dresses, show a little leg. She got a nice big round ass, so some tight pants with a shirt that doesn't cover it up, would go a long ways as well. ;)

[Tr0uBle]

For GOD sake, will someone please burn that gross shyt it hurt ma eyes..................!

[lip11]

Triple Ewwwwww!

[TimT]

Two obvious points:
1. By having the Republican fully clothed and the woman and black person naked, the cover puts Democrats in the weaker position. The cover also plays into some deep, weird stereotypes.

2. None of these pols looks anywhere near this good naked. Obama probably isn't too bad. But the image of a naked Rudy or Fred Thompson could permanently fry brain cells. My guess is if people saw just how pathetic the contenders look naked, no one would vote at all.

[blindyone]

Exactly, stereotypes. Hillary is nothing but a ...... and Barack is nothing but a ..... For you younger folks, check out the movie Mandingo, if you are wondering who the Republicans are scaring, and appealing to. And to the liberals at Radar-thanks for pretending to be "out there and cutting edge" while you reinforce the status quo.