Les Misbarack Viral Video Ignites Online Culture War

The latest political viral video sensation is an uplifting and ambitious musical number that's inspiring Obama supporters and bringing out the worst in McCain fans. Les Misbarack was directed by JD Walsh, founder of the Los Angeles improv troupe Ultimate Improv and features actors from the group.

Les Misbarack shot to prominence when popular blogger and Obama supporter Andrew Sullivan posted it with the cryptic comment "Whatever happens, the McCain campaign could never pull this off. Patience, steel... triumph."

This set off right wing blogs, including Amercian Digest, who titled a post "Effete Elite Urban Metrosexual Liberals Running the O-Campaign? How Dare You, Bitch?" which concludes by counter-programming with country singer Gretchen Wilson's music video for Redneck Woman.

Apparently, working in an office is elite but owning seven homes or using your political office to settle personal vendettas is folksy.

Here's Les Misbarack

Comments

[situationcritical]

Yeah...NOT a fan of musicals.

And music with run-on wording, sung on one high note is just awful.

So it meant zero to me.

It's okay, I don't like any of the other musicals either, Rent, Hairspray, etc.

So what do I know right?

I like "The Count of Monte Cristo", however.

[Eric8869]

Remind me not to buy theatre tickets with you. Bet you loved BLUE MAN GROUP tho. Philistine.

[AvgPseudoIntellectual]

I love it.

[elmundo6]

Bravo! I loved it!

[RobinSeattle]

Metrosexual?

Somebody needs to tell the wingnuts that Charlie Crist and Lindsay Graham had nothing to do with this video.

[samval]

Sorry, I don't get it. I'm an Obama supporter but I have know idea what this video is supposed to mean. I saw the movie version of 'Les Miserable' and I still don't get it.

[brueso]

It means 'Keep up the fight".

[Eric8869]

Yes "one day more...another day another destiny" is real hard to figure out.

[M1]

HOW WONDERFUL.....NOW ROCK N ROLL!!!!


DONATE.....DANCE.....DONATE.....SING......DONATE.....TALK TO FRIENDS......REGISTER YOUR

FRIENDS....DONATE.....KNOCK ON DOORS......DONATE.......DONATE.......DONATE....YES WE CAN!!

[mlaiuppa]

No wonder they're going ballistic.

One has to wonder why the Republican Party is so threatened by people who are educated, knowledgeable and practice critical thinking.

[MOregon]

Great!!!!! Bravo!!!!!! Fantissimo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My all time favorite play! This will resonate with the middle-aged and above especially as Les Mis has been an inspiration for years.

Oh Lord on high, hear our prayers.......

[BeNew]

ATTENTION LIBERALS:

STOP SINGING & CRYING! GET OUT THERE AND REGISTER VOTERS! MAKE PHONE CALLS! KNOCK ON DOORS! DOWNLOAD FLYERS FROM OBAMA'S WEBSITE & POST THEM AROUND YOUR TOWN! WE'RE WINNING, BUT WE CAN'T SLOW DOWN NOW! IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!

Join the Grassroots Effort:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter

Download Flyers & Signs:
http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/

DON'T CRY OVER OBAMA, LEAVE THAT JOB FOR MCCAIN!!!!

[Barbyrah]

Just saw it a second time after seeing it on Andrew's blog. And I'm crying again. Thank you JD Walsh and improv troupe. You are all...exquisite.

[globalcandy]

I Guess I'm a sap too; I loved it! BRAVO!

[citadelgrrl05]

THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND MOVING WHAT A GREAT IDEA. ANYONE WHO SAW THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED...OBAMA/BIDEN 08...I AM PRAYIN THIS COUNTRY LIVES UP TO ITS GREATNESS

[KansasMamaforObama]

Bravo! I loved it.

[publanski]

Thanks, but no thanks.

My ignorance of musicals/opera (along with with, probably, 95% of all other Americans in this country) may be preventing me from enjoying this.

But then again, I (along with probably, 95% of all other Americans in the country) are ignorant for a reason. We don't like operas and musicals. They sound fruity and effete.

Everyone who enjoys operas and musicals is already voting for Obama (Or voting Republican for financial interests that won't be changed by a cute little video).

Sorry, but this seems like it would drive away more possible Obama voters than attract them.

I know we're only the poor, uneducated masses, but Obama needs us to win. And that video ain't no winner.

And to the suggestion that they play this on Saturday Night Live, I say yes. It's about as crappy as most of the stuff on the show.

Sorry, but this will lose Obama more supports than win any.

[Rolf618]

95% of America doesn't like musicals? America invented musicals. Hairspray, Annie, Grease, The Sound of Music, Rent, Chicago, West Side Story, the South Park movie, and just about every Disney film ever made are all musicals. Are you telling me you don't like any of these? Wow, that's really sad.

I thought this was really funny and clever.

[BeNew]

You know what else is fruity? Blogging. And... knowing stuff.

If you're blogging, then you have access to a computer & internet, so I doubt you're poor. Not only did you use the term 'effete', but your post contains proper spelling, capitalization & punctuation, so I doubt you're uneducated. I'm not sure what section of the population you feel you represent or belong to, but I'm sure they don't need you to speak on their behalf & cast them as one monolithic group. You need to let go of your stereotypes & meet some more people because I have both 'blue collar' & 'white collar' people in my family, both Republican & Democrats in my family & they all know that the culture war nonsense is bull****. We're all voting Obama this year because we're all suffering under this economy, mechanics & doctors alike.

And another thing... If 95% of Americans don't like musicals, then what accounts for the success of films such as 'Hairspray', 'Chicago' 'High School Musical 1, 2, 3...' 'Dreamgirls' 'The Wizard of Oz' 'The Sound of Music' (both replayed on TV every year), the Golden Age of Hollywood, & the Disney empire? Broadway has been completely taken over by Disney musicals that cater to the millions of American families who come from all over to visit NYC every year. And they're probably voting Democrat this fall because the economy has squeezed them so tight they couldn't afford the trip to NYC this summer to see 'Mary

[eden4barack08]

You should speak for yourself, without presumptuously dragging the rest of the 95% of Americans, to your narrow mind.
Who are you to speak for so many?

[publanski]

OK, I was exaggerating with the 95% figure, which I just made up. You are correct in that I was very presumptuous in speaking for "everybody." My personal distaste for musicals and opera was showing. I actually have a very broad mind and broad musical tastes. I enjoy everything from the Beatles and Bob Dylan, to John Coltrane and Miles Davis, to Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn, to Bach and Beethoven, to the Clash and the Ramones. But I really cannot listen to opera and I really dislike most musicals.

I'm from the south side of Chicago where my father worked in the steels mills. He was lucky enough to be able to retire before getting laid off, or he would have been one of those steel workers Obama worked with. I'm now a teacher in a small Midwestern town where I have students whose parents are meth addicts and students whose parents are professionals in the local university, so I have experience with a wide group of people. After 10 years of teaching, I make under $35,000 a year, so while I'm not poor, I'm certainly not rich.

And, I do stick to my original contention that while many people find the video entertaining, it will not bring any new voters to Obama, and, will have the opposite effect. It plays into the Republican stereotypes about liberals, and will turn off more undecided voters than inspire them to vote Obama.

[brueso]

it wasn't done by the Obama campaign. If they did something similar, it would probably be geared towards a larger audiance. But everyone I sent it to loved it!

[Zoolie]

That's ok. Obama's group is all-inclusive!!

[aznurse]

That was GREAT!! (I wish I could sing)

[jhw22]

Call me a dork, but I cried.

Jennifer