Madison protests get cool Clint Eastwood voice-over in Chrysler Super Bowl commercial
That unforgettable Wisconsin union protest chant, “Say No Thanks! It’s Time! We We Don’t Need Another!”
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Since sifting through dull newspapers, hyperbolic blogs, and overflowing RSS feeds for meaningful news can be an arduous process, News Net catches and compiles both the amusing and the significant reports that were overlooked over the weekend. Here are some things to think about as workweek begins.
• Wisconsin turned up in the Super Bowl last night after all, much to the surprise of pro-union demonstrators who spotted a familiar looking protest (check the 2:17 mark here) in front of the Wisconsin Capitol building in the “Halftime In America” ad for Chrysler. Protesters appeared around the ad’s 50-second mark as the gravelly voice-over of Clint Eastwood described the “the fog of division, discord, and blame.” The subtext was made worse by the fact that all the signs in the footage were edited to display generic, nonsensical slogans. The rest of the ad serves as a rallying call around the redemption of a post-bailout American auto industry—a 60-second, corporate-approved Gran Torino. Still, it’s more uplifting than 60 seconds of Clint Eastwood chasing protesters off of his lawn with a shotgun.
• Speaking of questionable slogans, People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals has one for the National Mustard Museum in Middleton: “Meat Doesn’t Cut the Mustard: Try Veggie Dogs!” The animal rights group offered to take out an ad in the museum bearing the slogan—along with a photo of a woman wearing a lettuce bikini, a cowboy hat, and a confused look on her face—as its way of helping out the ailing museum, which is currently struggling to pay back the $200,000 loan that it owes to Dane County. While museum curator Barry Levenson believes the museum could put the ad on display without taking sides when it comes to eating meat, he could also be playing a dangerous game that could end with a bunch of brat-loving hired goons sending a message by smashing antique mustard bottles in the streets of Middleton.
• In case the densely packed commute every snowy morning hasn’t been a hint, the Madison Metro system has been more crowded this year. Ridership rose 10 percent in 2011, up to 14.9 million rides. The increases were largely due to more commuters ditching their cars and more students using their bus passes than in years prior, made easier due to a rise in use of bus-tracking smartphone apps. Now Madison Metro just needs an official app that will deliver a mild electrical shock to riders who take up more personal space than any normal person requires. It’s for science.
