The Whole Story About Obama MTV Town Hall ‘Casting Call’ and Republican ‘Hick’ Ad

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by Tommy Christopher | 1:30 pm, October 7th, 2010

» 21 comments

National Review Online has discovered a “casting call” for an MTV town hall event scheduled for October 14, the implication being that this is evidence of artifice in the makeup of the audience. The notice, from acting trade publication Backstage.com, would seem to suggest that the audience for the joint MTV/BET/CMT event will be composed of actors, eliciting predictable outrage on the right. In reality, the same submission request was included in the event’s press release, invitations to colleges, and on the network websites.

PoliticalWire reveals the possible true purpose of this meme, which seems to be to undercut news of a very different casting call by Republicans.

Here’s the casting call, from Backstage.com:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TOWN HALL, MTV

MTV, BET and CMT are casting the audience for town hall meeting with President Obama. Shooting Oct. 14, 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Seeking—Audience Members: males & females, 18+.

To apply, email townhallaudience@mtvnmix.com and put “Town Hall” in the subject line. To ensure that the audience represents diverse interests and political views, include your name, phone number, hometown, school attending, your job and what issues, if any, you are interested in or passionate about. Also, provide a recent photo and short description of your political views. Submission deadline: Oct. 14. No pay.

NRO’s Jim Geraghty gently spins this as an administration finger on the scale:

When you suspect the questioners have been pre-screened . . . well . . . there you go.

…UPDATE: On Twitter, a reader observes, “No more ‘I’m sick of defending you’ kerfuffles.”

While obvious to most, Geraghty doesn’t point out that this notice (or the solicitation on MTV.com, the invitation to college students, or the Viacom press release) is in no way connected to the Obama administration. For all we know, they plan to stack the audience with Tea Party sympathizers. That’d certainly be good television.

This story is likely going to get an added push in the right-of-center media in order to distract from the story of a casting call for a National Republican Senatorial Committee ad (since removed) that seems to condescend to the party’s base. From Politico: (h/t PoliticalWire)

A Republican ad that shows a couple of regular-looking guys commiserating in a diner about West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) turns out to have been shot with actors, from a script, in Philadelphia.

But not just any actors: “We are going for a ‘Hicky’ Blue Collar look,” read the casting call for the ad, being aired by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “These characters are from West Virginia so think coal miner/trucker looks.”

That’s pretty damning stuff, particularly the use of the term “hicky.” The casting call, however, was put out by the talent agency, not the NRSC, and was sent to Politico by a “Democratic official.” According to Politico, here’s what the talent agency was told by an NRSC vendor:

So here’s what we need for casting … 2 featured characters that will be talking to each other at a diner, conversation back and forth. … One male- Age about 55.- Looking for someone to represent the middle of the country… Ohio, Pittsburgh, West Virginia area- Middle class … One male- Age about 45- Middle class- Again, should represent the Ohio, Pittsburgh, West Virginia area of the country.

While the NRSC correctly noted that most people (spoiler alert) know that campaign commercials use the same artificial trappings as any other ad, they still elected to pull the ad from their YouTube account. Here’s the ad via Politico:

BET, CMT, MTV, MTV Town Hall Casting Call, National Review, NRSC, NRSC Hick ad, President Obama

paulmdoro

Typical Republican elitists, always looking down upon “regular” folks.
exiledtruther

For all we know, they plan to stack the audience with Tea Party sympathizers

Tommy, I don’t believe for one second that you believe that, which makes you a liar. About what I’d expect from you.
Danimal98367

Only Tommy (and Glynnis) would equate stacking an TOWN HALL for Obama with a paid political campaign ad. Advertisements hire actors to play a part – everyone knows that and in the ad supplied, no one would have mistaken that with a “guy-on-the-street” type ad that doesn’t use actors.

Town Hall meetings are supposed to be concerned citizens addressing politicians about their concerns, unorchestrated.

And to say they might be stacking the audience with Tea Party simpathizers . . . MTV? BET? Come on Tommy! Get out of the echo chamber that commiserates this ignorant ‘maybe’ with you.
wytshus

“Textbook Tommy” strikes again!

Try not to spill any of that water you’re carrying…….
stoogedudes

Tommy Christopher said:
Here’s the casting call, from Backstage.com:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TOWN HALL, MTV

MTV, BET and CMT are casting the audience for town hall meeting with President Obama. Shooting Oct. 14, 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Seeking—Audience Members: males & females, 18+.

To apply, email townhallaudience@mtvnmix.com and put “Town Hall” in the subject line. To ensure that the audience represents diverse interests and political views, include your name, phone number, hometown, school attending, your job and what issues, if any, you are interested in or passionate about. Also, provide a recent photo and short description of your political views. Submission deadline: Oct. 14. No pay.

Unless there is evidence this was aimed at only Obama supporters, this is nothing but faux outrage.

Hey, but but but…didn’t Bush do this something to this effect?

http://www.infowars.com/articles/media/propaganda_bush_gov_manipulates_media.htm

And this is INFOWARS, you know, the far right Alex Jones site?
TfT

Tommy: Thanks for the laughs. This article is really hysterical. Not sure that is what you were going for, but … you hit a homerun with this kind of humor.
paulmdoro

TfT said:
Tommy: Thanks for the laughs. This article is really hysterical. Not sure that is what you were going for, but … you hit a homerun with this kind of humor.

You think hicks are funny? Why do I not have a surprised feeling.
Danimal98367

stoogedudes said:
Unless there is evidence this was aimed at only Obama supporters, this is nothing but faux outrage. Hey, but but but…didn’t Bush do this something to this effect? http://www.infowars.com/articles/media/propaganda_bush_gov_manipulates_media.htm And this is INFOWARS, you know, the far right Alex Jones site?

Oh, well! As long as Bush did it too, then it’s totally fine. That does seem to be Obama’s mantra. Bush did it first (ish) so that justifies it. It’s called change.

Take off your DEMfocals, dude. This kind of act by either party is unacceptable. If politicians want to face the nation and talk to us regular folk, do it. Don’t treat me like a hostile or an idiot.
Orion Antares

Tommy Christopher said:
For all we know, they plan to stack the audience with Tea Party sympathizers

That would actually make it something worth watching.
The Real Royal King

exiledtruther said:
For all we know, they plan to stack the audience with Tea Party sympathizers Tommy, I don’t believe for one second that you believe that, which makes you a liar. About what I’d expect from you.

Now I now why the truther name has disappeared.
The Real Royal King

It is amazing to me that the republicans couldn’t find hicks in West Virginia.
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Mangan/100000213524770 David Mangan

As usual, stereotyping hard-working hill people as mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging hicks gets a GINORMOUS reaction from lefturds like Weigel and DNC shills at POLITICO like Mike Allen, but when SNL does the same with Appalachian Hospital, it’s all yucky yucky okay because libturds are exempt from racism and ethnic stereotyping.

Anderson Cooper is a good example of this double standard by the MSM—-a total gay metrosexual whose contempt for straights is only exceeded by the straights’ completely ignoring his unwatched CNN show 360. He’s lucky if he gets half-a-million and even Larry O’Douchebag will outdraw him mano a mano. Looks like 60 Minutes has taken him off their roster because his “teabaggers” slur was too much even for the staunchly libturd DNC stenographers at the CBS agitprop program.
The Real Royal Queen

The Real Royal King said:
It is amazing to me that the republicans couldn’t find hicks in West Virginia.

You found one
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

Let me get this straight Mr. Tommy Christopher . You blow off a casting call for an Obama town hall meeting (making the ludicrous claim it might be stacked with tea party members), then you try and illicit outrage because a Republican ad is using actors? REALLY? You want us to be outraged about actors in a TV ad? Since when is that out of the ordinary?
Darn the Marn

David Mangan said:
As usual, stereotyping hard-working hill people as mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging hicks gets a GINORMOUS reaction from lefturds like Weigel and DNC shills at POLITICO like Mike Allen, but when SNL does the same with Appalachian Hospital, it’s all yucky yucky okay because libturds are exempt from racism and ethnic stereotyping.

Anderson Cooper is a good example of this double standard by the MSM—-a total gay metrosexual whose contempt for straights is only exceeded by the straights’ completely ignoring his unwatched CNN show 360. He’s lucky if he gets half-a-million and even Larry O’Douchebag will outdraw him mano a mano. Looks like 60 Minutes has taken him off their roster because his “teabaggers” slur was too much even for the staunchly libturd DNC stenographers at the CBS agitprop program.

How do you equate a news blog/website with SNL? If you hold them to the same standards, well by golly you’re taking comedy far too seriously. When politicians demean the constituency they claim they represent, it actually warrants a reaction. When SNL makes fun of a group – well they do that every week. Nothing to say about it.
Bunny

I think everyone understands that most ads on TV use actors, even stereotypical ones, to make their pitches. A town hall meeting with the POTUS, though, ought to be above “casting” its audience unless they want to run a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen saying that the audience is comprised of actors and/or that the event is an advertisement.

Our president is president of all of us and is not a candidate himself, so I hope he will reject this set-up (if his admin truly had nothing to do with it, as claimed) and face people as they come, as would be the case with a true town hall meeting that isn’t pre-cast with actors. He is capable of handling tough questions and it would go a long way toward a more favorable opinion of him by some if he were to do so.
http://www.libertarianism.com/ Burnnotice

Thanks for showing this Tommy. Obama is done after 2012… They think the only people that are sick of Obama is a bunch of Hicks??? LOL. They don’t ‘”Even” have a clue. HA HA HA HA HA……….
sarainitaly

They should have had a casting call that read something like this:

“Seeking bitter folks who cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment.”

Or how about: “Seeking Sarah Palin trailer park trash teatard teabagging types who want you dead”

Better, no? I am assuming so. We all know those kinds of comments are ok with the Left.
CarmanK

There is a big difference between the “two casting calls”. the one for the town hall meeting: is a prelim to who you are and if you can be trusted in the same room with the President of the US. The repug casting call was for ACTORS who are paid for their performance and who are HICKY. The purpose is clearly to DECEIVE the public into believing that these MEN are just one of the guys. It is intended deception. BIG DIFFERENCE!!
hogsatemysister

It is rumored that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and why the First Lady resigned…

http://hogsatemysister.com/
glenn113

The article attached should be read by every tea parter member before there next protest. 100% serious. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/oct/08/tea-partiers-are-still-servingcause-of-power-and/