Inspiration For Much-Mocked Cornyn Video Revealed!

Yesterday, we brought you word of the video that John Cornyn's staff - apparently while in the grip of some degenerative mental condition - produced for the Texas Senator as an introduction to the Republican Party of Texas state convention. The results were something of a disaster. But as it turns out, it may have at least been an inspired disaster. As someone pointed out to me today, the Cornyn video bears a striking resemblance to a satiric commercial produced by Saturday Night Live, in which Will Ferrell portrays a giant lumberjack who makes feminine hygiene products out of woodchips. Compare the two videos below:

Comments

[U4IA]

Why do I feel like I need to eat some sausage after seeing that ad?

[Counterglow]

You owe me a keyboard, you swine! I burst out laughing and spit coffee all over it when I read your post.

If Larry Craig saw it, he'd already be booking a flight somewhere.

[HamletsMill]

I watched the campaign video. My cousin had a fringed jacket like that back in '69. Right off of David Crosby on the CSN&Y Deja Vu Album and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. It was badass. My cousin looked damn good.

Is that how Dealey Plaza looks now where those wild horses were running?

You folks elected GWB Governor of Texas twice.

WTF is in the drinking water down there?

[EngineerBill]

ROTFLMAO! The John Cornyn video was so gay. (not that there is anything wrong with that). I'm sure Larry Craig asked for a personal copy.

[thundermummy]

Please tell me the voice over wasn't Sam Elliot but someone who sounds like him! I'd hate to think he's a right wing tool.

[nathananderson]

There's no way Sam Elliot would do a video like that. You consider who he's worked for: The Cohen Brothers, Phillip Pullman, and you get the sense that his views would most likely be more to the left (or libertarian) than anything.

[gage]

Jason, time for an update with a correction. Your post is inaccurate.

[kfdan]

Yep, Big John is bad ... very bad ... so, why keep pumping up bad guys? I'm really sick of seeing these corny commercials ... heaven forbid, the elites in both parties think we among the unwashed are idiots!

[Deidroni]

Cornyn thought it was okay when a judge in Chicago was threatened awhile back.
He is so far right as to be a fascist and he's the ultimate Bushie.
He gives Texas a really bad name. Texas should secede, Good Riddance.

[Sparty1]

I'm here in TX and when I moved here in '84, friends from up North would ask me if we had to ride horses to get from point a to b. In looking at this commercial, I seriously think I'll be asked that question again.

I've missed these type of cowboys in Dallas. Unless of course, they drive their Mercedes during the week and ride horses on the weekends.

[proudloudlib]

Yeah, and I haven't owned a fringed jacket since I was a hippie! Not all Texans fit the stereotype.

[gage]

Yeah, I've gotten those questions, too. I've always been astounded at how ignorant people in the Northeast used to be. As my dad says, some of them were very provincial. We used to tell them about singing the cattle to sleep every night, oil wells in the back yard, you name it, and they believed us.

[Julie24]

And so you see how ad's such as these perpetuate that stereotype right?

[shockmagog]

What an embarrassingly stupid campaign video. And as fantasy, it's incredibly boring to boot.

[mainmonkey]

I see other commenters have already pointed out - this was a big song in the 60s

Big Bad John

-Artist: Jimmy Dean
-the # 14 song of the 1960-1969 rock era
-was # 1 for 5 weeks in 1961
-Words and Music by Jimmy Dean

[LOL123]

sorry mainmonkey have to tag on to yours...ag­ain this won't let me comment but can add. Anywayyyyy­........wa­tched the video, did anyone else notice the little Jewish guy with the Yamika on about half way through the video standing behind Cornyn and the horses? What's that all about.The song is correct...­"Big Bad John", Austin has been prosituted out just like America as a whole. They should have had him sitting on his horse at townlake (i mean Lady bird Johnson Lake) with all the condo's and apartment bldgs so high you can't even see the Capitol...­no wonder the lady at the top of the Capitol has a ugly face and looks pissed off.....Bi­g bad JOHN. lmas off.

[T]

I suspect the real inspiration for both of these videos is the 1962 Jimmy Dean song "Big Bad John."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_John

[gage]

Jason, son, I guess you're too young to remember.

This video and the SNL video are both based on the old Jimmy Dean song from 1961. It was one of my favorite songs when I was kid. Are you serious, you never heard of it? You've got to be kidding.

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

[gage]

You'll want to update your post with this correction.

[MicahD]

Big John will arm wrestly ya', kill a bear and chop yer wood and ... WTF. Give me a break.

[TXfemmom]

Well, I never underestimate the idioacy of Republicans and Cornyn, in TX. However, if Noriega can turn out the Hispanic vote, and Obama turns out the African-American vote and they keep up their registration drives, which were huge for the primary, Cornyn can be beaten, provided the Dems get in there and fight to keep the PUKES from stealing the election. They need to organize and watch them like hawks before, during and after the election when the counting starts. The Party needs to see that the Republicans do not throw out registration cards as they did in Florida in 2000 and make sure that a fair number of voting machines are allotted to permit people to vote. They will try to suppress the vote by sending two or three machines to a heavily Democratic precinct, when there should be ten or twelve machines. The only way to prevent it is to get involved now, and to point out the increase and the numbers for the primary and go to court, if necessary to get the machines allotted.

[barackobama4prez]

I hope Senator O is on top of that. the repugnates can only cheat this year if they have a shot at this.

[atila]

so freakin' hilarious but at the same time pretty sad...we are in the 21 century and they still want to keep this Country in a wild west mood...