Posted on 10/05/2004 11:38:39 AM PDT by FlyLow
NBC's "RATS"? Four years ago, the NBC Nightly News took seriously the appearance of the letters "RATS," in a single frame of an enlargement of part of the word "BUREAUCRATS," in an anti- Gore ad from the Bush campaign. The September 12, 2000 NBC Nightly News carried two full stories on the controversy. Jump ahead four years, and on Monday night the NBC Nightly News displayed the letters "ILIE" for 16 seconds next to President George W. Bush's face in a "Decision 2004" graphic beside anchor Tom Brokaw as he introduced a story by David Gregory.
The letters came from the word "FAMILIES" in a sign on the far side of Bush, which read: "TAX RELIEF FOR AMERICAN WORKING FAMILIES"
At the Iowa event, Bush signed bills to extend some provisions of his tax cuts which otherwise would have expired next year.
The right half of NBC's screen was consumed by a waist-up shot of Brokaw. On the right, at the bottom, the NBC News "Decision 2004" graphic. Above that, a side shot of Bush's head turned slightly toward the TV viewing audience. The letters "ILIE," the MRC's Tom Johnson astutely noticed, ran from screen edge to his Bush's chin. The rest of the background was blank. The letter "I" could be seen, but since it was partially cut off on the lower left side of it, viewers may have assumed they were only seeing part of another letter and so saw "LIE." If they identified it as an "I," then they saw: "ILIE." Brokaw's intro took 20 seconds, but for four seconds Bush's movements obscured the last two letters, "IE."
To view a picture of what NBC displayed, go to the posted version of this CyberAlert where the MRC's Mez Djouadi will place it: http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20041005.asp#3
Inadvertent, I'm sure. Just as was "RATS," for much less time, in the 2000 anti-Gore ad from the Bush campaign. But NBC took it quite seriously, covering it for two straight mornings on Today and devoting campaign stories to it at night.
From the September 13, 2000 CyberAlert, about the Tuesday, September 12, 2000 NBC Nightly News:
Claire Shipman showed the ad and allowed Gore to maintain: "I find it a very disappointing development. I've never seen anything quite like it."
Shipman then took the Gore campaign complaint gimmick quite seriously, trying to nail down who knew what, when: "The Bush campaign says it's a meaningless flash, silly even. But explanations for how it got there are confused. Last night, Alex Castellanos the veteran Republican ad man who made the commercial, says the reference is unintentional but today he suggests he put it there on purpose to emphasize the tail end of the word 'bureaucrats,' but he says he wasn't trying to call Al Gore a rat." Castellanos: "It doesn't matter, all it was was a drumbeat to get you to pay attention to the real thing, bureaucrats." Shipman ominously warned: "A marketing expert on the effects of so-called subliminal advertising says in his experience, this sort of word flash is not accidental and it can be effective." Professor Robert Goodstein, Georgetown University: "I think it was a curious selection of letters to take the last four letters in bureaucrats, in saying Gore's health plan is being developed by rats. I think it's a word that contains a lot of emotions when you're talking about people's health." Shipman concluded by admitting the stunt she was gullible enough to buy: "In public the Gore campaign is trying to stay away from this story, but behind the scenes aides are pushing it relentlessly, expressing shock, passing out background materials on subliminal advertising. As for the ad itself, Republicans say it was due to be pulled off the air today anyway."
Next, David Gregory noted how the Bush campaign was "knocked off message" as Bush was "forced to answer" questions about the "rats" ad. Gregory argued: "Similar missteps last week and the debate over the debates consumed most of Bush's efforts to get his message out."
Gregory surreally concluded: "Today Bush says all of this is just another example of Democrats making quote 'everything out of anything.' Maybe so, but some believe the problem for Bush is that it doesn't take much to throw him off his message or his game."
bump!
Interesting that the graphic was on his left and not right side. Is that normal for NBC? If it had been on his right side, the ILIE would have been between them. Regardless, there is no way I think this was an accident. The graphic is awkward and unprofessional. They chose it for the not so subliminal message. Producers and directors notice stuff like that. It's their job. I guarantee you my husband would have noticed it. He does that sort of thing for a living. This had to make it past the camera person, the person who did the editing (possible the same as the camera person), the director, the specific producer of that specific story, Brokaw, the master control person, and every other person on that set and in that control room at the time. No way was it on accident.
LOL Now this one I like, fake or not.
It is silly and so was the big todo NBC made over the "Rats" story. NBC's hypocrisy needs to be blasted! Recommend they receive a few emails.
I've been referring to Democrats as "Rats" ever since that ridiculous subliminal ad controversy.
Good observation. I'll have to pay attention to how graphics are displayed more.
Prairie
I beLIEve NBC when they say it was unintentional.
I like that one much better! lol
I think it is HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE what's going on across the internet, a kind of political JIHAD, against CBS News that is quite outrageous and certainly an attempt to DEMONIZE CBS News and it goes well beyond any factual information that a lot of them have..the kind of demogoguery that is unleashed out there_____TOM BROKAW
Your screen name is appropriate.
When Brokow retires he can always contact Pravda to see if they are looking for help.
How disappointing that Brokaw does not believe in free speech. I'm crushed.
Is this the same Tom Brokan that was the mastermind of ILIEGATE?
That's no accident.
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