Barry’s Bootcamp? Barack Obama Airs a TV Infomercial
October 29th, 2008 Paul Lucas
Recently, I saw an infomercial for a video exercise workout program called Barry’s Bootcamp. I thought that “Barry’s Bootcamp” would be a great title if Barack Obama ever wanted to create his own infomercial and get across to the American public what his presidency would mean to the country.
I then saw this video online:
So, there really is a Barry’s Bootcamp!
Although it will not be called “Barry’s Bootcamp,” a 30-minute ad featuring Obama will air tonight on several TV networks. The press is calling this program an “infomercial,” presumably because it is a half-hour block of paid programming—as opposed to the half hour of unpaid programming Obama receives from the networks’ nightly newscasts. So in addition to “Community Organizer” and “Junior Senator from Illinois” Obama can add “Infomercial Host” to his résumé—a distinction he shares with the likes of Ron Jeremy, Klee Irwin, and Kevin Trudeau.
What will Barry’s infomercial feature? Will viewers be offered free bonuses if they cast their vote in the next 10 minutes? Will Obama give us a free trial or a 100% money-back guarantee if not completely satisfied? Will there be a cooking demo with Ron Popeil, Chef Tony, or Cathy Mitchell? After promising the public yet another government handout will Barack shout, “But wait, there’s more!”? Will he let people pay his higher taxes in “3 easy payments”?
Obama is not the first presidential candidate to air a half-hour infomercial on network TV. In 1992 Ross Perot did the same thing. I also remember that in 1988 political oddball Lyndon LaRouche—who had no chance of winning anything—managed to scrape up enough money from his deluded followers to buy thirty minutes of airtime on CBS.
In 1988 Michael Dukakis bought a 15 minute block of time that aired immediately after a Geraldo Rivera special about Satanic cults! The Massachusetts governor discussed foreign and domestic policy issues but never addressed the matter foremost on his viewers minds: What, exactly, was he going to do about the scourge of Satanism sweeping the nation? What a missed opportunity!
Update: Found this very funny image of Barack as Vince from ShamWow at JammieWearingFool:
His whole campaign’s been about as substantive as the average infomercial.
Comment by Dominic — October 29th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
No, I think John McCain has cornered the market on undiscriminating and uninformed voters.
Comment by Mel — October 29th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
whoops, indiscriminating.
Comment by Mel — October 29th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Jeff Pual has a new infomercial with 2 new sets of boobs and more internet millions
Comment by duurrr — October 30th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Hey. Lets all just agree that all politicians suck and they should all be ridiculed. Especially when hosting an infomercial.
Comment by Fiar | Conservative Political Humor — October 30th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Apparently the infomercial world is unimpressed: http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302008/news/politics/tvs_top_ad_stars_pan_bam_135962.htm
I don’t know if Obama should feel insulted or proud.
Comment by Joel — October 30th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Saw most of the ad. It does share some properties with infomercials, but is a lot more tasteful. I probably would have liked it more if Barry appeared in a polo shirt wearing a headset mic on a kitchen set touting his tax cut plan: “Isn’t that amazing!” And how his plans for reforming the budget “really knocks out the fat!!”
But alas, Obama actually has some intelligence and didn’t do that. Thank heavens. What this ad DID remind me of were the solicitation ads for Save The Children and other charities, only subbing in broke-ass middle American white people for the starving brown-skinned toddlers that Sally Struthers and Laurie Metcalf need to show us.
That, my friends, is marketing brilliance. And guess, it worked. He won the election.
Comment by Scott Mercer — November 16th, 2008 at 3:11 am
By going out of the US less than a week before the election, I missed this one.
However, thanks to you (and Wikipedia), I now know a bit about “political oddball Lyndon LaRouche” (to quote you).
Comment by Znkp — December 28th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
It obviously worked for as compared to against him. He’s our President now.
Comment by Nancy — January 28th, 2009 at 9:43 am