Inane: The Obligatory “Subliminal Messages in Hillary’s Commercial” Post
posted at 5:03 pm on March 1, 2008 by Patterico
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Ann Althouse says the new Hillary commercial has a subliminal message: a kid is wearing pajamas that seem to have the letters “NIG” on them. It’s at :12 here:
This is, of course, exceedingly silly. The only interesting question is whether Big Media will run with it or not. The answer: possibly. Since it hurts Hillary and helps the Messiah, why not?
Once the subliminal craziness starts, my friends, it never stops. I am now receiving e-mails detailing alleged Jewish references as well:
Opening shot: light allegedly resembles Star of David.
:04 — six-pointed stars on the girl’s pajamas.
:19 — design of sheets resembles a tallit or an Israel flag.
A blue and white tinge to the opening scenes supposedly references the blue and white flag of Israel.
Once you go looking for subliminal messages, you’ll see them everywhere. But it’s fun to discuss. And if this issue makes it into the Big Media bloodstream, it’ll be fun to watch Hillary deal with it.
I have a more detailed discussion of the “NIG” controversy at my site here, including an embed of the Bush “RATS” commercial from 2000. And I have a post about the alleged Jewish references here.
– Patterico
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Huck opened this door IMHO with the cross commercial.
bbz123 on March 1, 2008 at 5:07 PM
That explains why I’ve been oppressing coloreds more than usual the past couple days.
exception on March 1, 2008 at 5:10 PM
The cameraman looks kinda jewish. Does that count?
stonemeister on March 1, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Darn and here I thought it read NWO
William Amos on March 1, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Good Night say the PJ’s.
Besides, if it were to be relevant it would have read…HUS. It is much more racist to hint at Islam than the old KKK crap when it comes to Barry O’Bama. Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance and can not be questioned.
BL@KBIRD on March 1, 2008 at 5:14 PM
The difference between historical and hysterical, on video, is just one letter…
Entelechy on March 1, 2008 at 5:14 PM
You’ve misspelled ‘insane’ in your heading.
Asher on March 1, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Sorrty, should have been “on audio”, not video :(
Entelechy on March 1, 2008 at 5:15 PM
More coffee needed…
Entelechy on March 1, 2008 at 5:17 PM
I heard what I read. :D
Kini on March 1, 2008 at 5:28 PM
What is NIG?
National Institute of Genetics?
Chakra Hammer on March 1, 2008 at 5:31 PM
And now, from the “too much time on thier hands department……..”
ThePrez on March 1, 2008 at 5:32 PM
I doubt anyone is taking the “subliminal” thing seriously here, but for what it’s worth, I suspect the “NIG”, is likely the word “NIGHT”, as in “GOOD NIGHT”. I believe I can actually see parts of some of the other letters.
RightWinged on March 1, 2008 at 5:33 PM
I’ve gotta ask, why isn’t more being said about Obama’s gaffe concerning al Qaeda in Iraq? There sure seems to be pretty clear evidence that al Qaeda was in Iraq before 2003. George Tenet wrote a letter saying so in 2002. Why isn’t Obama being called out on this?
JohnJ on March 1, 2008 at 5:33 PM
By the way, who is that person sneaking in the door towards the end supposed to be? Is it the mother? Or is it supposed to be a pedophile and Hillary is somehow going to protect the kids by answering the phone? (And I’m really kind of honestly asking, because I can’t quite tell what that person is up to, and whether they’re male or female). If it is the latter scenario, shouldn’t we be calling Chris Hanson? I don’t know about you, but I’d be more scared seeing him bust in saying “Why don’t ya have a seat right there? What are you doing here today?” than have Hillary smirk and say “I don’t feel no ways tired!” (after telling a southern black church that she comes there as a “sister in worship”) or have her proclaim that the GOP has run Congress “… like a plantation, and you know what I’m talkin’ about!” (in a Harlem Church, with Al Sharpton, on MLK Jr. Day)
RightWinged on March 1, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Althouse’s commenters are, by and large, notoriously nutty, conspiracy-seeking, and, though it’s not germane to this issue, rather nasty people. I like her site, but never read the comments anymore. Unfortunately, perhaps they’re rubbing off on her.
exlibris on March 1, 2008 at 5:41 PM
I knew it, she is a RACIST… It’s all that time spent in Arkansas.
SARCASM
Rick on March 1, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Because Tennet was one of the Bush cronies..
Uhh.. oh yea.. He was first appointed to CIA Director by Clinton..
Chakra Hammer on March 1, 2008 at 5:46 PM
What really bothers me about Althouse’s post is her assumption that white people are a bunch of racism computers, helpless in the face of partially spelled epithets to subdue our bigoted voting impulses.
RightOFLeft on March 1, 2008 at 5:57 PM
The only outright subliminal message is see are the “stars” on the pjs at 0:03 and the “stripes” at 0:08 seconds.
Additionally the guy (or gal) at the end of the add seems looks like they’re 20.
PresidenToor on March 1, 2008 at 5:57 PM
wow, I screwed up the grammer in my last sentence…
PresidenToor on March 1, 2008 at 5:58 PM
All I have to say is…If this were professionally made, there isn’t too much in the frame that isn’t there on purpose…I know, this is what I do in print ads.
Does it mean that’s what it is? No…but, like that “RATS” vid from before, these things are rarely coincidences.
JetBoy on March 1, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Huck didn’t have a ‘cross’ commercial. The media used that commercial as the first incident of ’subliminal’ advertising. Play the commercial backwards and it will look like the virgin mary (like everything else).
Huck gets the bad rap for putting out a commercial that everybody else finds fault with because it is ‘too religious’ even though it isn’t religious at all (it’s a bookshelf).
ThackerAgency on March 1, 2008 at 6:08 PM
How does the world do it? I go through life stumbling and bumbling along, trying to stop the fire that sprung up in my path while at the same time looking around for the car keys that have disappeared. Obviously I’m doing something wrong, I mean, gee everything else goes per the ‘plan’. Everywhere I look people people keep pointing out the ‘message’. Hasn’t anyone else hit their thumb with a hammer?
Limerick on March 1, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Wow, Althouse has really sailed off into Neverland with this one.
Apparently the grim specter of racism ariseth from all things.
Lehosh on March 1, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Stoopid
RobCon on March 1, 2008 at 6:21 PM
I thought this one was kind of funny.
Hillary: Children at 3:02am
Connie on March 1, 2008 at 6:33 PM
Hey Asher, Inane is a word. Try looking it up smart guy.
Rusty Allen on March 1, 2008 at 6:54 PM
What is Hillary doing up at 3:00 AM and still dressed, and in reading glasses. Suppose she had a fight with Bill, and can’t get to sleep?
oldguy on March 1, 2008 at 7:03 PM
Seems to me Hillary is trying to look like former MSNBC (ahem) reporter Ashley Banfield with those glasses.
James Otis on March 1, 2008 at 7:13 PM
It doesn’t say “Nig” it says “Pig”! Hillary is sending a subliminal message to her lout of a husband.
radjah shelduck on March 1, 2008 at 7:16 PM
They’re just trying to distract everyone from finding out Billy Jeff and the Shill are cousins and they knew this before they got married.
shooter on March 1, 2008 at 7:31 PM
I’ve got those same pajamas. They say “GIN”.
RushBaby on March 1, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Matching robe says “Cocktail Onions”
RushBaby on March 1, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Wow. GIN. I didn’t know they made dyslexic jammies. :)
Limerick on March 1, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Now I know why there aren’t black kids in the video. Hillary Clinton hates black people!
/Kanye West
SouthernGent on March 1, 2008 at 7:41 PM
I’m of the opinion that Ann Althouse’s thesis is vaguely possible… although Phil A.’s Jewish stuff is just nuts.
I don’t want to call her stark raving loony… I don’t think she hasn’t made her case, however. To her it’s all so obvious and to me I’m like, “Huh?”
By the way, the single best comment on Althouse’s thread is this one from Paul Zrimsek:
Maybe a rule should be made for future political ads. No shapes, colors, or patterns in clothing: Just
whiteblack… oh, man! I see where that could get you into trouble.Christoph on March 1, 2008 at 7:48 PM
I would concur with those that say that every frame is scrutinized. In this day and age where the internet allows the ability for the general public to do their own scrutinizing, frame-by-frame, of any political ad you can be sure that the creators are looking for elements within the ad that could create a misunderstood intent. The use of soft colors, lighting etc. are all elements controlled so as to create a mood to reveal the message.
So if, as in this ad, you include a shot of a child with letters printed on their pajamas you make sure that no unintended word/message is spelled out. And IMHO that is the genius of this ad: they get a 2-for-1 special. They have a child wearing some pajamas where the letters N and I are clear while the third letter is either a C or G. So the word being spelled could easily be NICE or NIGHT. I’m sure it’s not NICOTINE. Of course pajamas would tilt towards the NIGHT theory and by looking at the other letters it seems pretty reliable that the words are GOOD NIGHT.
The genius is that, if intentional, the “controversy” has given the ad more play than it would have. At the same time the campaign would easily be able to explain what the pajamas has written on them and would able to play both the “use your common sense” “this is ridulous” cards and throw in the “these are baseless and scurilous charges.” Heck they could a day’s worth of attention by bringing out the pajamas in question to show how silly the whole issue is.
In the final analysis, I believe that every frame is scrutinized and anything allowed to give a nefarious meaning is ferreted out particuarly if the ad is of a little black girl with “NIG” briefly spelled out on her pajamas and put out by a campaign where Bill Clinton, the first black President, decided to take a very visible nap during the annual MLK memorial in a black church in South Carolina.
James Otis on March 1, 2008 at 7:48 PM
Subliminal messages put me to sleep. I’m a bigger fan of overt messages… like Hi, I’m Hillary, I dress up to answer the phone at 3am, and I make damn sure I got my smarty pants glasses on… smarty pants glasses help you understand volatile situations. Thank you for defining your credentials Mrs. Clinton.
Cold Steel on March 1, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Hey you know what…..
From the crowd who were so vocal about the crawl that left the word “rats” on the screen at the end of Democrats, I don’t really want to hear this stuff.
My biggest question is why on earth Hillary Clinton would have approved such a stupid ad in the first place!
highhopes on March 1, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Glad you’re around Patterico.
What happens when it’s played in reverse?
Zorro on March 1, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Ginner?
2Tru2Tru on March 1, 2008 at 9:02 PM
If you stare at Patterico’s post like a Magic Eye picture, you’ll begin to see a swastika.
MayBee on March 1, 2008 at 9:22 PM
There’s an elephant on the sheets. I think they’re accusing Obama of being a Republican.
Christoph on March 1, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Correct me if I’m wrong but to be subliminal the message would be hidden enough so that you simply couldn’t pause at :12? Why, when we put all those suicide messages on heavy metal albums we took the time out to backward mask them, either Althouse is making stuff up or Clinton’s the laziest evil mind controler I’ve ever seen.
Rob Taylor on March 2, 2008 at 1:24 AM
Oh, for F sakes, man! Those who see the offense here are those who would go looking for it.
The word is “Night,” as in “Good.”
They look like nice comfy flannel sheets to me. With stripes. BFD.
Captain Scarlet on March 2, 2008 at 4:04 AM
When I first found out I was pregnant I started seeing babies everywhere. Everytime I turned on the TV, everytime I went to the store, babies and mothers everywhere. Of course they were there all along but I just noticed them more become I had babies on the brain. So someone who is seeing racial slurs everywhere they look…well that says allot more about that person than it does a child’s pajamas or campaign commercial
Keli on March 2, 2008 at 9:28 AM
The next P.J.’s will read “SPOOK[Y]“.
And show KKK-looking white ghost’s with pointy heads cartoons.
That settles it, I’m voting for David Duke!
(Subliminally, at least.)
profitsbeard on March 2, 2008 at 9:38 AM
We haven’t beeN IGnoring this issue. But iF AGonizng over it will heal the nation, I’m for it.
http://www.culturism.us
culturism on March 2, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Well, I think Althouse has had a successful post since the goal here was to bring on more attention.
It is a shame that she has paid so dearly for it in terms of reputation, but that’s what happens when you swap out integrity for a Ron Jeremy moment.
vanderleun on March 2, 2008 at 1:53 PM
A campaign or two ago, remember the libmedia’s heartburn about the word “RAT” at the end of Democrat appearing behind some dem’s head in a Republican commercial? That was substantive.
Akzed on March 2, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Why would we ignore the O G & K and only look at the letters that the kooky conspiracy moonbats want us too?
And is that David Copperfield sneaking into the little girl’s room at the end, or just a breastless, butch mom with a mullet?
Alden Pyle on March 3, 2008 at 7:51 AM
How about the biggest racial overtone of all… the fact that a nice, lilly white family, safe in the suburbs should have concerns about safety relating to a black man at 3:00 AM.
Texas Rainmaker on March 4, 2008 at 5:42 PM