Barack Obama Infomercial

1.) Begins with slow motion shots voiced over by obama

2.) Cuts to obama in office

a.) Emphasis on change, hope, and "American stories"

3.) Cuts to clip about a missouri woman and her family

a.) Voiced over by obama

b.) Focus on economic issues and their effect on her family

c.)“all across the country I have met families just like rebecca’s"

i.)unity

4.) cut to speech

a.)speech focuses on strength of economy as it relates to the common man

5.) cut to obama in office again

a.) talks about how the economy has failed due to the Bush administration

b.) mentions rescue plan

c.) lays out what he will do to remedy the economy, tax cuts, incentives for those who hire in the US, etc.

d.) titles on bottom right highlight specific details

6.) cuts to obama in retirement home

a.) man speaks about how has pension was cut down severely from what it should have been

b.) obama responds: companies should keep promises

i.) accountability

ii.) security

7.) various government officals from various parts of the us comment on obama

a.) he's going to cut taxes for people who really need a tax cut

b.) very diverse group both in terms of location and race

i.) unity

8.) stay tuned for live event flashing through show

9.) cuts to another story about a family with obama as the narrator

a.) focus on health care

b.) "I take twelve different medications a day"

c.) Husband retired, no more medical coverage

d.) Husband had to go back to work

e.) Had to take out loan on the house they had already paid off

i.) Economic spin constant presence

f.) “I just wonder you know, where am I going from here”

10.) then cuts to obama talking about healthcare reform, same office, same suit

a.) emphasizes that Obama is "where we should go from here"

b.) hopeful music throughout stories but no music while Obama is speaking in his office

c.) talks about alternative energy

d.) “we know government can’t do it all, that’s why I’ll call on every American”

e.) “change our policy in iraq”

11.) cut to debate with mccain talking about spending in iraq

a.) Obama talks about how much the money spent in iraq could have done here in america with group of random americans in a room

b.) ceo of google says that “this is the right plan for America:

c.) again focuses on average individual rather than insurance companies, etc

12.) another segment about a family

a.) again focus on economic issues

b.) “every parent in America wants the same thing: a good education for their child”

i.) unity

c.) cuts to obama working with children while making speech about parents and education

13.) cut to obama looking more casual in a different room talking about his life and family

a.) relationship with father and mother

b.) Obama is "just like you"

14.) cut to obama making speech

a.) “now is not the time for small plans”

b.) talks about plans to improve education

15.) cut back to same office same suit talking about reforming schools

16.) cuts back to obama talking about his mothers death

a.) looking more casual again

17.) cuts to initial candidacy speech

18.) cuts to his wife talking about him

a.)talks about him spending time with his family

b.) clips of family playing together and having fun

c.) “I am my brothers keeper. I am my sisters keeper”

d.) “There is not a liberal or conservative America. There is a united states of America”

i.) unity, family togetherness, creating family where none exists

19.) various government officials talking about he “changed the rules in Washington” emphasis on ability to challenge the set patterns of Washington and overcome bipartisanship

a.) overcoming fragmentation

20.) joe biden talks about obama

21.) obmama talks about joe biden

a.) compares biden to self and the rest of America, hard times in past

22.) another story about a family from Kentucky, again focus on economy

a.)“struggling to make ends meet”

b.) family legacy in ford plant

c.) lack of job security emphasized

d.) need to pull together

i.) unity

23.) cut to obama making speech talking about family history 

a.) “this is our moment”

24.) “I will never hesistate to protect our contry”

a.) talks about military and international issues same office same suit

b.) “I still remember a woman I met In iowa”

i.) family

25.) family story about military

26.) speech about family working for better opportunities for their children

a.) I may not have had _____ but maybe if I work hard they can have _____

27.) “I believe in this man because he has the power to bring people together”

28.) black and white photographs of obama with speech overlayed

29.) cut to live event

a.) “America, the time for change has come”

b.) “to all of you and all of those who have joined us from across the country”

c.) in six days we can chose to ____ ____   _____  ____

d.) choose change over the status quo

e.) coming together as one nation

f.) “if you will knock on some doors for me, if you’ll make some calls for me, if you’ll stand with me and fight by my side and cast your ballot for me”

g.) “together we will change this country and change the world”

30.) ends with build to thunderous applause and cheering

a.)hopefully music overlayed

31.) up next: deal or no deal!

Most pertinent to this clip for me was Jane Feuer's article on television. The theme of overcoming fragmentation was extremely apparent within the program. In fact, the infomercial was strikingly similar to Feuer's descriptions of Good Morning America. Obama fills the role of the anchor. This has even great ramifications than the mere national and familial unity that Good Morning America creates. Since Obama is the force that overcomes fragmentation throughout the infomercial it becomes obvious that the intent is to show that Obama will do something similar to our country as President. Shots of Obama in office are the "live" elements that link the fragmented program. The truly live event at the end seeks to link everything that was said up until that point to you the viewer right now (Just in time! Just for you!). Strangely enough the slick editing and high production values of the infomercial somewhat work against it's intent in that they lend an air of unreality to the program. The viewer gets the idea that he or she is watching a story rather than watching something particularly connected to reality and the now. Due to this I found a striking similarity to Showtime's television adaptation of NPR's "This American Life" with Obama taking the place of Ira Glass (here is a clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1LPf9mnyU&feature=related). A story with a specific moral highlights a central point and emphasizes that it could occur anywhere in America. The idea of liveness overcoming fragmentation serves as a metaphor for Obama's ability to overcome the fragmentation within America and thus solve its problems.

The infomercial can be found here if anyone would like to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1LPf9mnyU&feature=related