"Clinton does late-night"

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" yesterday and read the Top Ten list, titled "Top Ten Hillary Clinton Campaign Promises."

10. Bring stability and long term security to "The View."
9. Each year on my birthday, every American gets a cupcake.
8. You'll have the option of rolling dice against the IRS for double-or-nothing on your taxes.
7. Having trouble getting a flight and Air Force One is available - it's yours.
6. My Vice President will never shoot anybody in the face.
5. Turn Gitmo into a Dairy Queen as soon as possible.
4. For over a century there have been only two Dakotas - I plan to double that.
3. We will finally have a President who doesn't mind pulling over and asking for directions. Am I right, ladies?
2. I will appoint a committee to find out what the heck is happening on "Lost."
1. One more pantsuit joke and Letterman disappears.
from Newsday.com August 31, 2007
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/nation/ny-uslett315353318aug31,0,2672995.story


At the end of August former First Lady and Presidential candidate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on the Late Show; the perfect guest to not only interview but also theme that night's Ton Ten List.

Letterman took this opportunity to play on the fact that the United States has never had a female president and if Clinton did take office the kind of changes we could expect throughout America. For some this could be seen as controversial, as many still don't believe that a woman could run this country; however, Letterman's audience tends to be fairly liberal and in turn able to see the sarcasm in Letterman's list. The list could be construed as a faulty generalization of all women. One could place all women in a group that enjoys baking and watches prime time dramas, though we know this is not true.

I believe that Letterman is trying to appeal to the emotions of his viewers; hoping they will see the obvious chauvinistic views that many Americans attach to women by playing on those very opinions. Letterman has taken the job duties of the most powerful person in the world and whittled them down to 10 simple tasks, almost implying "What does the President do anyway?"

As the list progresses the campaign promises get more outrageous and less about politics, this is Letterman's way of keeping his audience engaged. The final promise truly takes the cake! As a women in a man's world many female politicians and business women choose to wear the ever popular pant suit. Is this a comfort issue or an issue of trying to be consistent with the dress of the male professionals and politicians? Letterman could be simply making reference to Clinton's choice of clothing or he could be making reference to Clinton be willing to take on the country in a way that no woman has ever been able to do before.

Through humor Letterman has addressed the issue that we do in fact have a female running for the position of President of United States and that she can handle the bigger issues at hand if she has these 10 simple campaign promises!

Caramel deLites, not so delightful

image from www.ConsumerFreedom.com

Fall is just around the corner and neighborhoods are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their local Girl Scouts to feed their cookie cravings. The CSPI, Center for Science in the Public Interest, would like consumers to take a moment and consider what they are buying before diving into that second stack of Thin Mints. By taking a nutritional stand against Girl Scout troop cookie sales around the country, the CSPI has brought a great deal of criticism upon their supposed good intentions.

A website devoted to consumer freedom created the above mockery of the CSPI's stand on Girl Scout cookie sales. The comic is ridiculing the CSPI's view that Girl Scout cookies are unhealthy. He or she has turned a Girl Scout cookie drive into a nutrition and health information session claiming that in this instance the CSPI has gone too far. The comic portrays, through definition, ways to make the cookie sales healthier and more acceptable to the CSPI's nutritional standards. An obvious use of sarcasm is the comic's way of telling the CSPI that they have entered uncharted territory that will most likely not succumb to their nutritional facts and figures. The over the top proposed changes tell the reader that the comic disagrees with the stand that the CSPI has taken regarding a favored National "treat".

Sarcasm is a strong style in which to take on this topic; as it is able to fairly easily discredit the CSPI while promoting the Girl Scouts. Claiming the CSPI is extreme, "Eat them, but know they'll kill you." It makes it seem as though they are an all or nothing organization and that there is no "Anything in Moderation". Through this sarcasm the comic connects with an even larger audience than just the Girl Scout Organization, because who ever thought a cookie or two could kill you.