S05.E20: Astroturfing

[Athena]

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Other segments: Unite the Right 2, Laura Ingraham, Canada-Saudi Arabia diplomatic dispute, Vilnius tourism advertisement

 

[Annber03]

...I actually do know where the ID channel is, and what's more, I've watched the shows Oliver mentioned on that network (the funny thing about "Wives with Knives" is that a lot of the stories featured on there are about violent girlfriends instead of violent wives. Go figure). Way to call out people like me, Oliver :p. 

Moving on...oh, my god, that Vilnius ad. That's hilarious. As were the suggestions for other places. I wonder if the city's tourism board were inspired by that one Norway ad featured on this show a while back :D. 

As for the astroturfing...I dunno, I'm thinking that kind of practice should just be flat out illegal altogether, if only in relation to political stuff. Whether it's made illegal outright or is heavily regulated, though, I hope, whenever we get a new administration in office, they can do something major to tackle that issue. We've got SO MUCH election/political reform we desperately need to do going forward. 

(Regarding that baby story, alongside the moving candle, I noticed that the age of the baby and the burn percentage kept shifting, too.)

And finally, you get the feeling Canada's been sitting here this whole year going, "The hell's everyone getting so pissed at us lately for?" Poor Canada. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Annber03

[paigow]

Astroturfing is akin to "audience plants" at magic / psychic shows... It is impossible for me NOT to hear Sean Connery whenever someone says "Vilnius"...[re: The Hunt For Red October]

[ganesh]

10 hours ago, Annber03 said:

As for the astroturfing...I dunno, I'm thinking that kind of practice should just be flat out illegal altogether, if only in relation to political stuff.

I don't care if people want to spend money to promote their cause, but the money trail has to be clear and transparent. There needs to be a way to stop the paid protesting though. 

That woman in the soda ad was so smug she drove me up the wall. Well, lady, if you're so concerned about 'trying to feed a family' how about don't buy so much soda to begin with? Plus I didn't like how she walked in the house without closing the hatchback on the car. 

[attica]

3 hours ago, paigow said:

It is impossible for me NOT to hear Sean Connery whenever someone says "Vilnius".

One ping only, Vasily...

[Sharpie66]

(Red October was just on tv last weekend. I realized I have seen it waaaaay too often when I was reciting every line along with the cast. “Including one waaaay the hell out at Pearl!” “Seven bloody hours, sitting at the bottom of the ocean like a goddamned schoolboy!” “You heard that torpedo hit the hull, and I was never here.” And my favorite, “I’m a politician, which means I’m a cheat and a liar, and when I am not kissin’ babies, I’m stealin’ their lollipops.”)

[buttercupia]

So is anyone going to tell JO about the HSUS? 

[OneWhoLurks]

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Maybe a satirical hit on national television, HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver this past Sunday, was the tipping point.

More likely, Entergy realized it had a bigger problem on its hands than some unwanted attention around the country following the revelation that it had hired a company that paid actors to impersonate supporters of a new power plant in New Orleans. And that its real problem is much closer to home, with Entergy New Orleans’ customers and its regulating authority, the New Orleans City Council.

Whatever the impetus, the company has now essentially hit the reset button.

 

Grace Notes: With flickering support, here's how, why Entergy New Orleans hits reset
 

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Three years later, Tyson told the Acorn he’s happy he set the record straight on himself and the other paid speakers even though it didn’t affect the outcome. He said he’d do the same thing again if it happened today.

“The very moment you do something even on the gray side of things, forget it. I don’t want to be involved. . . . When you’re manipulating the mayor and the city council, that’s beyond the gray area,” he said.

While Tyson was the star of Camarillo’s two minutes of fame (and the subject of several of Oliver’s jokes), two City Council fixtures were also featured in the clip: Councilmember Mike Morgan, who was serving as mayor at the time, and Matt Lorimer, who often speaks during the public comment portions of the meeting.

 

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“If you see an address outside your city, you’ve got to ask, ‘Are you being paid by a company or somebody to be here tonight?’ That’s a common-sense question, and (the council) put themselves in this position because they don’t have a process in place,” he said.

But Morgan said the council was on to Tyson and the others almost immediately. Though it wasn’t shown in the Oliver clip, Morgan asks Tyson why he has a 323 area code immediately after the actor’s first three minutes at the lectern.

“We picked up on it pretty quick. I knew this wasn’t a group from Camarillo,” he said.

 

Show shines light on paid protesters

Edited August 18, 2018 by OneWhoLurks