Confirmed: DVDs that Obama gave Gordon Brown are the wrong format
posted at 4:50 pm on March 19, 2009 by Allahpundit
Via Media Blog, one final cringeworthy indignity from the gifts that keep on giving. Until now I thought Obama’s team had spent about five minutes brainstorming on what to get Brown. I was wrong. It was more like two minutes.
What’s that term The One’s been using for his foreign policy? Ah, right. “Smart power.”
Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.
The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words “wrong region” came up on his screen. Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship – or “special partnership”, as we are now supposed to call it – by registering a complaint…
A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him and he was still looking into the matter when my deadline came last night.
By the way, when Obama’s unlikely gift was disclosed, a reader emailed me to ask if Clueless was among the films. Funnily enough, it was not.
What’d he get the Irish PM for St. Patrick’s Day, a kilt? Exit question: Seriously, as minor as this is, doesn’t someone deserve to be fired for it?
Update: Iowahawk e-mails to remind me that he called this 10 days ago, but, he says, “In Obama’s defense at least they weren’t Betamax.”
Blowback
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Good lord . . . this guy is embarrassing.
rplat on March 19, 2009 at 4:52 PM
maybe they kept the gift receipt.
lorien1973 on March 19, 2009 at 4:53 PM
God bless you AP….
giving him the correct format DVDs…cheapskate boor
Giving a man going blind DVDs of the wrong format…..
“priceless”
sven10077 on March 19, 2009 at 4:53 PM
You can’t make this up, if comedians had any nerve they could crucify him over this.
rob verdi on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
The gift that keeps on giving.
jimmy2shoes on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
most technologically aware administration, evah!
lorien1973 on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Seems as if the slight worked even better than planned.
Vashta.Nerada on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
I called it the moment I heard about the DVD’s.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
No,no. Obama is giving a 2 part present. When Brown comes next year, Obama will give him a VHS VCR player with DVD adapter.
portlandon on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
I’m sure if Bush did this the media would cut him some slack.
RobCon on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
There are more clowns in the Obama “Administration” than in a three ring circus.
At this rate, they’ll have to establish a new Department of Corrections, to mend all of the boo boos the Bed Crapper in Chief’s guys make each day.
Only cost a few hundred billion or so.
Hope and Change.
NoDonkey on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Yes. The President.
Seriously, they need to maybe hire someone who knows a thing or two about diplomatic gift giving. Is Emily Post available?
rbj on March 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Uhmmm, isn’t it the Scotish who wear kilts Allah?
And yes, someone should be fired because we need another major distraction from what’s really hiding behind the curtain.
Knucklehead on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
But how the hell do we fire Obama?!!
RedSoxNation on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Wow… you’d think our Citizen of the World Precedent would know about his…
or…. not…
Romeo13 on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
A sash and derby!
ddrintn on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Yes, Obama.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
At the next meeting Obama will give him a region 1 player. One of those $30 Walmart jobs. It will come with a note that says, “Sorry Gordo, but I didn’t have enough time to go out and buy two AAA batteries for the remote, but I’m sure you have some laying around #10.”
Mark1971 on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Stupid, stupid, stupid… and these idiot liberals have the gall to refer to Bush as chimpy. If we even came close to mentioning Obami’s ancestry we get called racist.
I’m so disgusted with my minority friends who voted for this idiot.
BoomJunkie on March 19, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Obama will be in London soon. I wonder how PM Brown will get him back?
RobCon on March 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Overcharge
CDeb on March 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM
“Jolly No Show!”
elderberry on March 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM
I thought Obama and his team were supposed to be worldly and sophisticated. Puleeeze.
blink on March 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Inevitable.
Karl on March 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Four-leaf clover, a sack of potatoes, and a beer stein.
Oink on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Gee, I wonder if Leno will bring this up tonight when Obama makes his campaign appearance on the Tonight Show?
Probably not. There was something about Bristol Palin in the news last week, need to milk that some more.
malclave on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
pphhhWAAA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!!
Daddy-O on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
I wonder if the entire world won’t declare war on us after 4 years of this foreign policy change.
AUINSC on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Well that really sucks because the Brown family can’t even re-gift the dumb things if they don’t work in the UK. I wonder if this has embarrassed Barry and Michelle into replacing them….
anniekc on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
I think I will wait until Axelrod’s Ambassador to Hot Air, i.e. getalife, gives us his official statement on this matter.
Surely, there is a rational explanation for this that makes Obama and his paladins look good or, at worst, blameless.
A Balrog of Morgoth on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Surely the 30 day return policy is about to expire.
lorien1973 on March 19, 2009 at 4:57 PM
What a bunch of dumbasses occupying the White House.
jencab on March 19, 2009 at 4:58 PM
A pack of cigarettes and a pregnant sister.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
And you KNOW this, man……
Sponge on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Absolutely. And since Hillary did the same stupid thing as Obama they should both be fired. Immediately.
Guardian on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
I think you may have meant “An Irish seven-course meal… a potato and a six-pack.”
teke184 on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
DVDs of that great American classic, Amos ‘n’ Andy.
ddrintn on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
I hear the next state dinner with Felipe Calderone will be at Taco Bell.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM
I just saw Steven Crowder walking down the street with a hammer and a bag of nails.
I say we all pitch in and buy that guy a couple of railroad ties.
ScottMcC on March 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM
I hear the next state dinner with Felipe Calderone will be at Taco Bell.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Colin Farrell movie DVD’s also in the wrong format.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM
He has, unfortunately, been President for ~60 days. So we are ~30 days too late.
WashJeff on March 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM
I am already tired of saying “if Bush did this,” but seriously, can you imagine if Bush gave a foreign leader who was blind in one eye and losing his sight in the other a MOVIE package that only worked for American DVD players?
RedSoxNation on March 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Do you really need to ask? Eligible for free shipping.
malclave on March 19, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Well, Michelle is cheap. That would some pricey firing indeed.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Oh lord…oh god…I’m out of breath.
That was so good. Sweet, delicious schadenfreude.
MadisonConservative on March 19, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Maybe he had Biden buy them for him.
bdeitrich on March 19, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Angela Merkel at Der Wienerschnitzel
Mark1971 on March 19, 2009 at 5:02 PM
this is something a 3rd world nation would do
jp on March 19, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Brown should take back his gifts.
John_Locke on March 19, 2009 at 5:02 PM
in fairness, Telemprompters only have 1 Region code
jp on March 19, 2009 at 5:02 PM
What still hasn’t been released is the fact that all of the DVD’s were purchased used from Hollywood Video.
PBoilermaker on March 19, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Nope. “Leprechaun In The Hood” on BetaMax.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:03 PM
John Kerry would never make this mistake -
Wander on March 19, 2009 at 5:03 PM
At least Madame Albright had the damn basketball inflated before she gave it away to Kim Sooon I A Looney.
BobMbx on March 19, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Obama and his staff were not ready on day one…and still aren’t. Pray this fool Obama gets his act together when it comes to foreign affairs.
dugan on March 19, 2009 at 5:04 PM
“A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him. . .”
How racially insensitive!
Wander on March 19, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Next time the President and the PM exchange gifts, I think the PM should give BO a copy of “Diplomacy for Dummies”.
In American English, of course, so he doesn’t get confused by words like ‘centre’.
SPCOlympics on March 19, 2009 at 5:07 PM
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Chuck Schick on March 19, 2009 at 5:07 PM
He regifted his gift from P.M. Brown?
Knucklehead on March 19, 2009 at 5:08 PM
More useless information while Rome burns.
Christine on March 19, 2009 at 5:08 PM
The sun never sets on the Doofus Empire.
EMD on March 19, 2009 at 5:08 PM
you can’t make this stuff up. What a loser. The problem is that BO doesn’t care about foreign leaders, he thinks he is the rock star and should be giving out the autographs. He is not impressed with dignitaries, only basketball stars and hollywood types.
I can’t even go to the site that shows how many more days of this keystone cop administration….makes me drink too much.
Ricki on March 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Bushis turning the nation into a laughing stockjp on March 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Advanced Ivy League Education. Ready to Lead, Huh?
Pitiful. Just Pit-i-ful
kingsjester on March 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Gibbs mentioned that Teh One will be taking Silvio Berlusconi to the Olive Garden for their next summit.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
“wrong region”, it starts to feel that way..
the_nile on March 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
what if his real goal is to completely re-arrange the World Order?
that would start with tearing the UK and USA apart
jp on March 19, 2009 at 5:12 PM
I wonder how Hu Jintao will like his kimono.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Obama’s Domestic Policies are Region 2 as well, however he’s determined to make them play in Region 1 and ultimately make it all Region Free code.
jp on March 19, 2009 at 5:13 PM
“A White House spokesman
sniggeredsnegroed when I put the story to him. . .”carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Thoughtless or intentional? I’m really not sure.
Vashta.Nerada on March 19, 2009 at 5:14 PM
The most technologically-savvy White House….evah.
Right.
BobMbx on March 19, 2009 at 5:14 PM
I have the suspicion that the next time Shrimpy McAhamindehilter is here Barry is gonna treat him to Famous Dave’s.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:16 PM
Of Course they are, just like our president. Wrong Format.
HornetSting on March 19, 2009 at 5:16 PM
He’s going to give him the Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker Rush Hour DVD set thinking it will help Sino-American relations.
Look how well the serious Chinese man can get along with the doofus African-American…
SPCOlympics on March 19, 2009 at 5:16 PM
thebrokenrattle on March 19, 2009 at 5:16 PM
1000+!! that was(one of) the most obnoxious parts of the campaign, that he and his followers were so tech-savy. Not so much.
There we go, I need to learn how to properly post
thebrokenrattle on March 19, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Metaphor of the day:
Socialism is to Capitalism
As
Region 1 DVD is to Region 2(PAL) DVD Player
jp on March 19, 2009 at 5:17 PM
What a perfect ending to this story. Gotta love that smart power we have working on our behalf now….
Hog Wild on March 19, 2009 at 5:18 PM
And all my lib friends kept telling “And its about time we don’t have a president who is an embarrassment.”
Too funny.
unrealcitizen on March 19, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Word!!
thomasaur on March 19, 2009 at 5:19 PM
First of all, Beck did a segment on this like 10 days ago, and reported that the DVDs were for the wrong region, but he and his guest actually discussed the importance of these gifts, particularly in a historical sense, so I have to say, you’re wrong when you say:
This wasn’t “minor” at all. He insulted our greatest ally by rejecting tradition, sending back an old gift, and then dropping by the bargain bin at Walmart for a few DVDs (including, if I remember correctly, “E.T”) which won’t even play on the PM’s DVD player.
Now, I have no love for Gordon Brown… he’s the turd that said we need a “New World Order” to combat global warming, months before he took office… But this is far from “minor”
Ooh, just found the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufl4mzP8nvE
RightWinged on March 19, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Reminds me of the brouhaha over the word “niggardly” a few years back.
ddrintn on March 19, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Well, I’ve come home from work and been presented with presents of unidentifiable attributes. Popsicle sticks with glued felt (my car, of course!)and folded paper with crayola drawings (my Birthday Card!) to name 2.
Both examples are both thoughtful and intentional. Both are from my son when he was 3 yrs old.
I offer a third option: It’s the best he could do.
BobMbx on March 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM
My Obamaton boss mentioned after the not so SOTU speech that is was “nice to have president that knows how to give a good speech.”
Heh.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Uhmmm, isn’t it the Scotish who wear kilts Allah?
irish also
max1 on March 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I’m not surprised that bho and mo didn’t go to a yard sale and get 45′s and 33rpm. The PM might have been able to at least listen to music. That would been a better gift.
L
letget on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
We lived in Holland for four years and non of our stuff from here worked over there. Anything you needed to power such as dvd player to a hair dryer had to be run through a electricity transformer. We couldn’t buy dvd’s or video tapes from local stores because they wouldn’t work.
I just figured anyone who has traveled outside the US would know that.
milwife88 on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
…and McCain can’t use a computer…
right2bright on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Obama must have forgotten to check with TOTUS.
29Victor on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Audacity of Incompetence continues
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
The Beck video I linked to above is more informative, but F&F covered it like 9 days ago too:
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3794323&referralPlaylistId=search|gift
RightWinged on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Sigh. Yes, that’s the joke. Wrong format.
Allahpundit on March 19, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Exactly what I was thinking. And Palin wasn’t “international enough.”
29Victor on March 19, 2009 at 5:22 PM
I don’t think George has a DVD player in his hut.
HornetSting on March 19, 2009 at 5:22 PM
Good lord. Say it with me now……S-A-R-C-A-S-M. Don’t ruin the bit.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 19, 2009 at 5:23 PM
That’s the joke…they don’t know what the Irish wear so they…never mind.
right2bright on March 19, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Peter Griffin- President of the United States.
Corky from Life Goes On, could have gotten this much straight.
What an embarassment.
I guess Buckwheat lives by the motto:
“If your gonna fail, make sure you fail totally and completely, so that nobody wonders if it was just a mistake.”
“O-tay!”
TheHat on March 19, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Oh, to think of the media crucifixion we’d be enduring were this but a Republican. Welcome to four years of having a real moron in the White House.
Blacklake on March 19, 2009 at 5:24 PM
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