Cinebeasts: Campaign Spots & SPIN- An Election Special November 2, 2010

Come election season, just what are our standards of “electability”? Where did they come from? What does it mean to “look presidential”? As cameras eat more and more information with each passing candidate, what role has televised media played in forging a prototype for elected officials to follow?

This Election Day, UnionDocs teams with Cinebeasts to present a special two-part event that celebrates the special affinity shared between candidates and cameras.

The first half is a smattering of classic campaign commercials, ranging from the Eisenhower days to the wealth of populist YouTube-targeted spots from this year’s midterms. Featured spots include a feelgood ‘70s Coke commercial (with Richard Nixon as the punchline!), Reagan’s morning-workout worthy “Morning in America” anthem, and Wesley Clark’s 5 seconds of Outkast commentary. The Red Phone, the Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, Jesse Helms’ “Hands” – they’re all here.

The second half is dedicated to Brian Springer’s 1995 documentary Spin.
Spin by Brian Springer

The films will be followed by a panel discussion on the evolution of political media language, featuring David Bushman (curator-in-chief of the Paley Center for Media) and “News Dissector” Danny Schechter.

Official Website: http://www.uniondocs.org/cinebeasts-campaign-spots-spin-an-election-special/