Even Paid Speech Isn't Free

This post is not about me, or complaining about what happened to me. I'm doing fine. This post is just another snapshot of life in this nutty country.

You may have noticed the ad here in the HuffPo for my new record of songs about Bush administration members. The title is "Songs of the Bushmen," the cover art is a smiling GW with a bone through his nose (this exposition is necessary for the story to come). Neither HuffPo nor TVNewser, a blog covering, what else, TV news, had a problem with the ad.

But we also bought some ads on digital billboards, the kind that change messages every few seconds, in Chicago, and on digital screens in coffee shops and other retail establishments in LA and SF. The goal was to make that cover image kind of ubiquitous, as ubiquitous as it could be on a small marketing budget. The billboards were owned by Clear Channel, the good people behind Rush Limbaugh and other forms of bad radio, and those folks were ultra-eager to take our money and suggest that we spend more with them in other cities -- until they saw the artwork. At which point, the tone changed from oleaginously friendly salesman to angry schoolmarm -- the art was "not acceptable," a curt email informed us. There was no explanation for the grounds of unacceptability -- wrong kind of bone? -- just the loud sound of the only provider of digital billboards in Chicago slamming the door.

Meanwhile, out west, this hip little startup in San Francisco, DaNoo, was equally happy to sell us space on their digital screens. They were happy with the first week, in which just the art appeared, with no explanation. They even wanted to use our campaign as some sort of success story for their outfit. But suddenly, when the name of the record (and my name) appeared on the art, they pulled the plug. Their "venues" -- i.e., store owners -- had said some patrons had complained.

Let's review: GW Bush has an approval rating lower than Richard Nixon on his worst day in office. If a normal risk-averse corporation looked at those numbers, it would intuit that now, if ever, would be an okay time to let such ads be shown. And, yes, Clear Channel can easily qualify as, in Donald Rumsfeld's felicitous phrase, "dead-enders." But this hip little company, with digital screens in hip little places in hip little SF and LA?

Maybe this is just another application of what I'm pleased to call Shearer's Law -- the more people you seek to talk to, the less you can say to them.

To read more about this on HuffPost, Click here.

Comments

[wbramh]

Actually Harry, It's Ambrose Bierce's Law at work here.
"If you leave your mind sufficiently open (Clear Channel et al) somebody is going to throw some trash in it."
Years ago, I recorded a radio spot for a large Bakery that wanted to hawk a new diet bread. The copy featured two women and mentioned the upcoming Summer vacation. One said she used to be a size 12 but was now a size 8 (thanks of course to the diet bread). Weeks after the ad started to run all over New Jersey, I received a phone call from the Ad Agency requesting that I edit out the size 12 to size 8 reference. I was shocked, but assumed some overly zealous lawyer in Corporate thought it might smack of false advertising. Not the case. In fact , a single listener called a radio station to complain that the statement was demeaning to Fat... the Weight Challenged. The station called the company, the company called the agency - and the agency called me. In a State of nearly 9 million people, one person's bloviated and over-weighted opinion caused a wave of absurd overreaction.

Ever helpful, I suggested we change the line to "I used to be a bloated Jersey Cow until I tasted Blank Lite." The AE declined but thanked me for my valuable input and told me to run off another 30 station dubs, this time with a :55 second long :60.

[mlaiuppa]

Get used to it. When the Republicans eliminate net-neutrality, you won't even know what's being censored.

[L. Rozner]

It's interesting that you bring up Clear CHannel because I always find it contradicting on what positions it takes.
On the one hand, they own several stations that broadcast Air America in some cities (including the one I live in, Los Angeles.) and as far as I can tell, they pretty much let the broadcasts go uniterrupted.
On the other hand, though, they were the company know for having six stations dropping Howard Stern's show because they claimed it was "innapropr­iate." Well, that's kind of up to debate, but I don't believe his show violated the FCC's Pacifca ruling on profanity, so I do think some sort of censorship was in play (Ironically, I believe I read somewhere that Howard Stern's a Republican­.)
There's also that no-play list they allegedly put out after 9/11 which banned the broadcasts of nearly three hundred songs that had some sort of reference to fire, explosions, airplanes, flying, even patriotism.
Oh, and then the Rush Limabaugh thing, as well.
It's a very odd company, and an example why we really shouldn't have deregulated media ownership because now we're going to be stuck with the Jack FMs or Bob FMs and what not.

[milo9]

It's just another example of class war: your message is stifled, my message gets aired.

This message got aired.

http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/16879916/detail.htmlindex.html?currentSlide=3&taf=orlc

[eden4barack08]

Outrageous!

[LibDrummer]

The people behind that billboard ad might as well have helped the terrorists on 9/11. They are taking credit for the disaters and using it to their politcal advantage, just the same as the terrorist did. They should be arrested for making terrorist threats, that is all this is.

[Redrover666]

Be a little mores specific. I read the billboard three times and darned if all I saw was an appeal not to vote for a democrat.

[111]

That's a laugh -

The Republicans were in office for almost a year before they allowed us to get attacked. The Bush Administration had the intelligence handed to them about the attack well in advance but they ignored it and let us get attacked. When we were attacked under their confused leadership not one, not two but three targets were hit because our military didn't respond. The fourth one was stopped by people on the plane - the military didn't protect us from any of them.

If you don't want a repeat then don't put the same party that was in office on 9/11 back in office. They are likely to be so focused on data mining information on Americans they'll ignore all warnings again.

[research]

break up the media monopolies:

One media outlet per owner.

bring back the fairness doctrine.

[milo9]

Agreed!

[davidword]

the cartoon is offensive to bushmen (and bushwomen). comparing them to any president would be bad enough, but to GW Bush...!
it is a cheap pun with no political relevance. what does mass murder have to do with putting a bone through your nose?
as for showing respect for the office of the presidency­... respect??? try revulsion.

[LibDrummer]

I can not wait to hear all the right wing nut zelots screaming for respect for the president when Obama tkaes over. You want to talk about Flip flopping, just wait !

[Nooneyouknow]

Actually, I kind of agree with that one. Harry's idea seems pretty disparaging to actual Bushmen (the San people of Southern Africa), who are possibly the oldest and most peaceful culture on the planet. They aren't bone-throu­gh-the-nos­e savages.

[TomR]

----
They were happy with the first week, in which just the art appeared, with no explanation. They even wanted to use our campaign as some sort of success story for their outfit. But suddenly, when the name of the record (and my name) appeared on the art, they pulled the plug. Their "venues" -- i.e., store owners -- had said some patrons had complained.
----

I don't get that. They were fine with the picture of Bush with a bone through his nose for a week and then only after seeing your name did they decide to complain? Perhaps you're on a blacklist and they didn't immediately connect your name with the image.

I once saw a list of several prominent American corporations who agreed to never advertise on Air America. Disturbing, these events are.

Harry, may the Force be with you.

- Tom

[bluehorizon]

I'm for Obama through and through, but you can't complain about the New Yorker cover, and not find similar offense to this image of our president.

[eden4barack08]

Oh come on, it's no comparison!

[JustMyWords]

I have to go with bluehorizon on this one. If satire about one is OK, so is satire about the other. And, incidentally, the New Yorker cover wasn't satirizing Obama, it was satirizing the ridiculous misconceptions that are continuously being spread about him. Whether it worked for people or not is another matter - personally, I thought it was funny.

[ESerafina42]

I agree. On the other hand, I'm just imagining the reaction on this site if anyone put up art of Obama with a bone through his nose. Can you say ballistic? Yeah, yeah - I get that this is a pun on Bush and bushmen, while doing it with Obama would be "racist," as of course any criticism or joke about him is.

Incidentally - a pun (good or bad, and there are very few good ones) is not the same as satire. The New Yorker cover is satire, and would probably be better satire, as people have said, if it were contextualized, say a box drawn around it and either an e-mail heading put at the top or the Fox logo at the bottom.

[lionqueen]

Hi Harry,
A bushman with a bone in his nose isn't funny.
Obama dressed as a Muslim isn't funny.
Satire isn't funny.
Satire isn't supposed to be funny?
Satire is supposed to make me think?
Thinking isn't funny.

You're welcome.

[razajac]

A little muddled, lionqueen; but thought provoking nonetheless. Thank you.

When people have established thought/behavior patterns that are fundamentally immoral, it is precisely those media expressions that have the power to force people to confront the harsh reality of those patterns that causes emotional anguish.

It's one of the ironies of media; we all want media to give us the truth, and bitch and moan that it seems 99.7% of it doesn't. But I know I don't like the truth; I don't want the truth.

The reality is: When people say, "The media lies! The media dispenses comforting delusions so Middle America can get on with their lives! Death to the media!" what they're largely doing is pointing out the fact that they're not the media, doling out dollops of they're own personal brand of comfort. Doesn't everyone want my version of delusion? Of course they do! I know I do....

[111]

Maybe it was the bushmen who were concerned it perpetuates the stereotype among Americans that all aborigine bushmen are mentally challenged.

[Aries198]

Harry --

The Constitution only protects citizens' right of freedom of speech against Government interference. Private entities can do what they will.

And no freedom of speech/press exists outside or inside Corporate American. You just do their bidding or leave.

[Nooneyouknow]

Exactly true, which is why it's time Americans forced their corporatist government to replace current corporate rules with a model that isn't based on victimizing Americans and their rights.

[Redrover666]

Sure, that's called communism.

[MsLiz]

I saw your ad dozens of times here on HP but never clicked on the link. I'm always up for some Bush bashing, but the bone in the nose did not relate to Bush's policies; it was simply a play on his name. Have a modicum of respect for the office of the presidency.

[DocManhattan]

This comment is pretty funny ... like listening to someone from my grandmother's generation in England talking about royalty ... "Have a modicum of respect for the presidency"? Do you believe in divine right, too, MsLiz?

Clearly you are not one of those that believes respect should be earned. Personally, I am. There is no office in existence that makes its holder immune to criticism and parody.

[Nooneyouknow]

I feel that the office of President of the United States is one that deserves at least a modicum of respect. Sadly, Bush's own dishonoring and disrespecting of the office and title have earned him nothing of scorn. They say in the military, "Salute the uniform, not the man." Bush has filled the uniform with excrement.

[CamJam]

I saw the ad and thought, perfect picture of the BONE head but I didn't bother to click it because just to look at that man irks me. Don't even ask what I do when I hear him on the news...

The man has lied so many times, dragged this country and the world through absolute hell. He could care less if he has our respect, therefore he'll never have mine. And I could care less that he is the President (bone head) of the USA he still has yet to act like one.

[Manchurian]

He "could" care less? Actually, I think you meant to say he (and you) couldn't care less.

[bluehorizon]

I agree verbatim. The bone in the president's nose is in poor taste... Well said Ms. Liz

[jfor]

If you call that picture poor taste, then what do you call involuntarily extending the tours of duty of our volunteer soldiers? What do you call starting and then continually lying about a war of choice? What do you call signing a Bill into Law that weakens the Constittution? What do you call a President who supports torture?

[GOP4MoreTears]

Yhe holder of an Office is entitled *ONLY* to the respect s/he brings to the Office that they hold...
And... *Not* one bit more, period!

[eden4barack08]

"Have a modicum of respect for the office of the presidency­." ???

Wait.., you're a comedian right?

[Danny]

Harry --how do we slay this free speech/hav­e-fun-with­-politics enemy? Will an Obama presidency with 3 out of 5 commissioners at the FCC do the trick?

[fogbreath]

Harry,
sorry to see that satire is beyond many in your blog audience.
of course nothing like a litle "cover controversy" to publisize a record or magazine.
even the beatles were forced to change the cover of one of their albums because it showed them in butcher smocks holding pieces of raw meat and doll parts.
don't remeber the title, but it was changed to three standing around an open trunk with the fourth sitting inside.
if you can find one of the early change overs it may have the original cover under the glued on replacement. might be quite valuable.

[research]

The White Album

[3fingerbrown]

No, no: It was "Yesterday and Today." http://www.eskimo.com/~bpentium/butcher.html

[bfbenn]

I always thought it was Revolver..­.

[mightbesane]

You're all wrong. It was Blind Faith's album.

No. Wait a minute. That was nakedness being offensive, not butchery.

[PoliticalCrucible]

Unless we are talking about some borscht belt schlock in the Catskills ("take my wife, please!"), political humor is going to have a biting edge. Harry just isn't this type of comedian (thank God!). Remember, this is the same corporation that denied VotVets an ad. Remembering his years of work, political narrative and contribution to social justice, I am giving Mr. Shearer a pass on this. Hang-in there Harry -- this too shall pass.

[groucho]

Hey, try putting a bunch of half dressed women around him, they might not even notice bushman.