Go-Daddy's Go-Naddys in Super-Bowl ads confuses Ted Kennedy, delights Bill Clinton, mesmerizes Arnold Schwarzenegger, surprises John Ashcroft and rekindles lust in Jimmy Carter's heart.

Feb. 7, 2005--

Go-Daddy's Go-Naddys in Super-Bowl ads confuse Ted Kennedy, delight Bill Clinton, mesmerize Arnold Schwarzenegger, surprise John Ashcroft and rekindle lust in Jimmy Carter's heart.

Here's the animation about the Go-Daddy ad intended to satirize the Janet Jackson episode in last year's Super Bowl as well as satirizing the Senate. Did it work? It confused Ted Kennedy, delighted Bill Clinton, mesmerized Arnold Schwarzeneger, surprised John Ashcroft and rekindled lust in Jimmy Carter's heart.

How was it different from the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" it parodies while also satirizing those who found the Janet Jackson episode objectionable? The Janet Jackson episode staged for a program known to be one which parents have traditionally allowed their children to watch featured a musical "encounter" in which the male singer was to symbolically, if not actually, "rip" off part or all of the female's blouse. That's far different than displaying women in bikinis or otherwise skimpy outfits-- that's common fare at the beach, a public place where most parents also take their children. That's even far different from bikini-clad women "mud-wrestling." What's amazing is that so many people (including Go-Daddy's parody) still obtusely treat the controversy over the Janet Jackson episode as though it were merely about an over-exposed breast as though people who found it objectionable would be comfortable in the Taliban.

One need not be a prude to recognize this difference-- it's not rocket science. It's difficult to understand only in the minds of those who also think objections to public funding of such forms of "art" as smearing one's self with chocolate are the same as "censorship." One need not be a constitutional scholar to also recognize the difference between public broadcast on publicly-licensed airwaves and cable, video-tapes, movies, etc. in order to understand that favoring limitations on the former are qualitatively different than on the latter.

Do I enjoy sassy entertainment? Of course, as do most other parents. Do I want to experience it in the midst of a publicly-broadcast television program which by tradition I would allow young children to watch? Of course not.

--Jim Wrenn, Editor at PoliSat.Com.