The commodification
of the American presidency is examined and lampooned in PRESIDENTS
AND ELECTIONS, a compilation of work from the Video Data
Bank collections. Interweaving humorous, disquieting, and surreal videos
with actual presidential campaign ads, the program highlights the evolving
role of television as the driving force of electoral politics. Using
appropriated media footage, parodic performance, historical reenactment,
and other tactics, the artists represented in this program subvert and
disrupt the inanity/insanity of dominant political discourse with their
own acts of media manipulation.
Available on VHS for rental ($125 per week) or purchase ($300) or on DVD
for $325 (purchase only).
Click here for listing with program descriptions
Program
Listing
1. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000 (Antonio Muntadas & Marshall
Reese, 2000): 1952 Eisenhower ad [0:22]
2. Excerpt from Spin (Brian Springer, 1995): Introduction [3:10]
3. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1960 Kennedy “It’s
Up To You” ad [1:00]
4. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1960 ad of Jacqueline Kennedy
speaking Spanish [1:00]
5. Excerpt from The Eternal Frame (Ant Farm & T.R. Uthco, 1976) [4:00]
6. Excerpt from Spin: “Making up the President” [2:55]
7. Perfect Leader (Max Almy, 1983) [4:00]
8. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1968 Nixon ad [1:00]
9. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1976 Ford “Feeling
Good About America” ad [1:00]
10. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1976 “We Need Jimmy
Carter” ad [0:40]
11. Decision 80 (Jim Finn, 2003) [10:00]
12. The Speech (Doug Hall, 1982) [4:00]
13. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1980 Reagan ad [0:30]
14. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1984 Reagan ad [0:55]
15. Excerpt from Spin: “Making the News” [7:00]
16. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 1988 Dukakis “The
Packaging of George Bush” ad, two 1988 George Bush ads [2:00]
17. Excerpt from Political Advertisment 2000: 1992 Pat Buchanan ad [0:30]
18. Excerpt from Stoney Does Houston (Bob Hercules, 1992) [4:10]
19. Election Collectibles (Bryan Boyce, 2000) [4:00]
20. Excerpt from Spin: “The Democratic Make-Up” [5:10]
21. Excerpt from Political Advertisement 2000: 2000 George W. Bush ad [0:30]
22. “State of the Union” (Bryan Boyce, 2001) [1:43]
Total running time: 65 minutes