FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: RNC AD MAKES AL QAEDA LOOK COOL FOR TEENS

MURDER, DEATH, KILL: The new ad from the Republican Party claims that a vote for Democrats in the mid-term elections will lead directly to the mass death of Americans (image: RNC).

This week the Republican National Committee launched a new Al Qaeda recruitment video called "stakes." The message of this new ad is:  Kill all Americans.

Of course, one could argue, as some in the media have, that the message of this new Republican ad is really "If you vote for Democrats, then terrorists will kill all Americans."  But this second, broader reading is not actually accurate.  There is nothing in the ad that says anything about the Democrats.  The end of the ad simply says,"These are the stakes.  Vote November 7."  And then the head of the Republican National Committee offers a disclaimer of responsibility for the ad.

The "stakes" as presenteed in the ad are crystal clear:  Al Qaeda must kill all Americans to win its battle.  And there is much to be gained, according to the ad's images and quotes.  It shows key figures in Al Qaeda as well as karate-trained Al Qaeda fighters.  The message is:  want to be cool like these guys in the video?  Join Al Qaeda.

So, the Republican Party creates a rock solid Al Qaeda recruitment ad with high production values, explicitly claims responsibility for this Al Qaeda recruitment ad, and urges people who support the ideas in this Al Qaeda recruitment ad to vote for the Republicans. 

Why is the RNC now recruiting for Al Qaeda? 

Well, the trick is--the RNC wants this ad to set Democrats on the defensive. But in fact, the best solution to this ad is to simply draw attention to what it is:  a glitzy, action-packed, Hollywood-style Al Qaeda recruitment video that glamorizes the karate-kicking, gun-slinging Al Qaeda movement. 

The newest ad from the RNC is bait for Democrats who may be defensive at this moment.  In reality, however, the ad is Al Qaeda's dream come true:  a high-style recruitment ad that beams the military moxi, brooding images, and firey words of the Al Qaeda movement directly into the homes and iBooks of idealistic kids across America.

Want to learn cool Karate movess?  Join Al Qaeda!

Want to learn to use cool guns?  Join Al Qaeda!

Want to go on adventures with other cool ninja-like guys?  Join Ai Qaeda!

Want to join Al Qaeda?  Vote Republican!

The message in the ad is so clear, so transparent because it follows the same format as the most recent Marine Recruitment ads.  It shows recruits the skills that they will learn if they join.

In addition, the Republcans tap into a mood that most other Al Qaeda recruitment ads never quite manage to hit.  The RNC recruitment video is dark, mysterious.  We see the faces of the leaders of Al Qaeda and hear their words, but the recruits themselves remain anonymous.

Al Qaeda fighters in the RNC video have the same appealing mysteriousness as ninja fighers in today's Hollywood karate-style films.  The Al Qaeda fighters are cloaked and dangerous, capable of anything, can even pass through fire and survive.  They are exactly what the average American teenage boy dreams of becomming. Confident, unflinshing, powerful.

The RNC:  Making Al Qaeda cool, again.

©  2006 Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop