[Page 5: Billionaires for Bush: Parody as Political Intervention]

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Conclusion

Parody and humor are effective methods for initiating political engagement and resistance in a number of ways. First, it is appropriate to the culture of postindustrial Western society, in which postmodernism designates humor and entertainment to be as valid a method of political engagement as any somber approach. Second, the use of irony and parody promotes negation, critical thinking, and skepticism, all of which are important tools for invalidating the ideological dominance of those in power. The use of caricature and over-exaggerated irony in this type of performance also functions to jolt the spectator out of his/her normalized, familiar way of seeing things, and distances him/her to the extent that he/she becomes conscious of the political commentary that is in effect.

The only ostensible weakness of this approach seems to be in educating the audience on the complex arguments and context associated with any political viewpoint (such as the history behind Bush's economic policies). With multiple devices running simultaneously (such as humor, parody, irony, caricature, etc.), it seems almost impossible to squeeze in any amount of profound theory or information. Perhaps this is appropriate, since humor, parody, and entertainment are intended to appeal more to the emotions than to the rationality of the spectator. With Billionaires for Bush, however, the strategy of using the emotional appeal as an entry point to then engage a more serious discussion is somewhat problematic; the attention span of the press and the public living in these stimulus-inundated times seems too fleeting to offer this opportunity.

Perhaps the most effective strategy of the Billionaires for Bush lies in their method of humor, which integrates wit and accessibility, evoking mass appeal, engagement, and amusement. The popularity of the Billionaires for Bush speaks for the public atmosphere that is created in their events and actions—one in which it is okay to laugh and enjoy oneself while discussing politics. It is effective because it is a disarming form of politics that maintains the ability to unite people from various ideological backgrounds under the common desire to counteract the political authority of those in power.

Epilogue: Where the Campaign is Now

As August 2004 comes to an end, the Billionaires for Bush find themselves at the beginning of the most intense portion of their campaign. With a little more than two months until the election, the Billionaires have prioritized building media and chapter presence in the crucial election battleground states . As such, the Billionaires have hit the campaign trail by launching a "Get on the Limo" swing state tour, a four-week tour of these swing states where they will stage rallies, recruit new Billionaires, and strengthen budding chapters (http://www.billionairesforbush.com/limotour.php). As of August, the Billionaires have over 70 registered chapters around the nation, not to mention a number of loosely organized wildcat chapters that use the online Do-It-Yourself Manual to coordinate spontaneous actions. The Billionaires also plan to have a significant presence at the Republican National Convention in New York City at the end of August, with events including a "Million Billionaire March" and "Coronation Ball" (http://www.billionairesforbush.com/rnc). The Billionaires will also organize a number of National Days of Action over the next two months, including "Cheap Labor Day" on September 6th and "Education Is a Privilege Day" on September 19th. After the election is over, the Billionaires plan to tweak their message according to who gets elected, but will continue to work to expose the enormous influence that corporations and wealthy individuals have on our government's policy-making.

Kavita Kulkarni is an NYU graduate student in her second year of the Master's Program at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Her concentration at Gallatin is the role of the mass media and spectacular culture in political movements. She recently moved to New York from Atlanta, Georgia, where she was a youth organizer in a number of social justice campaigns and coalitions.

Works Cited:

Billionaires for Bush website. Accessed 5 May 2004.
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Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Trans. Donald Nicholson-Smith. New
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Hutcheon, Linda. "The Power of Postmodern Irony." Genre, Trope, Gender. Ed. Barry
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Hutcheon, Linda. The Politics of Postmodernism. 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Nisker, Wes. Crazy Wisdom. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1990.

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (11 January 2004).
"Cable and Internet Loom Large in Fragmented Political News Universe."
Retrieved 5 May 2004.
<http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=200>.

Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.

Warnick, Barbara. "Parody With A Purpose: Online Political Parody in the 2000
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