When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons

The NYT Caucus blog reports that House Republicans, eager to distance themselves from their work damaging our country, unveiled a new election-year slogan:

It looks like Republicans will counter the Democratic push for change from the years of the Bush administration with their own pledge to deliver, drum roll please, "the change you deserve." The first element of the party agenda developed over the past few months by the leadership and select party members will focus on family issues.

"Through our "Change You Deserve" message and through our "American Families Agenda," House Republicans will continue our efforts to speak directly to an American public looking for leaders who will offer real solutions for the challenges they confront every day," said the memo prepared for lawmakers.

Turns out the phrase is taken. The prescription drug Effexor is used to treat "depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults." Sold by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals using the slogan "The Change You Deserve."

Common side effects:

In clinical studies, the most common side effects with EFFEXOR XR (reported in at least 10% of patients and at least twice as often as with placebo) were constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, sexual side effects, sleepiness, sweating, and weakness.

This is too easy.

Update [2008-5-12 18:14:3 by Josh Orton]: "D'oh!" --commenter 'spacemanspiff'



Display:


Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 3)

D'oh!


Yawn.
by spacemanspiff on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:08:56 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 1)

It really was to easy! lol!


Yawn.
by spacemanspiff on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:09:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

any word on what are the... (2.00 / 2)

"sexual side effects?"

'voting republican can make you impotent' seems like a fun slogan...


peace. love. equality. still waiting after 40 years...
by bored now on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:12:40 PM EST

Re: any word on what are the... (2.00 / 1)

I just assumed most Republicans (men, anyhow) were impotent.  You know, the whole "overcompensation" thing.


by the mollusk on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:55:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (none / 0)

lol

I laugh, but I often wonder if anti-depressants are creating their own demographic.  More people are taking them, for the right reason, but I wonder if they can be targeted by using the correct language.  This could be a little more underhanded than my first impression.


by jelyfish on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:17:26 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 2)

I take Effexor for a completely unrelated condition (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), and the first thing that happened when I started taking it was a solid week of intense nightmares.

So that's another similarity to the Republican agenda, right there.


by Ray Radlein on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:20:39 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 1)

and the first thing that happened when I started taking it was a solid week of intense nightmares.

ROFLMA!!!

I'm sorry, don't mean to be insensitive, but I just about choked to death on my coffee.

This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

"Weapons free, authorized to engage targets of opportunity."

hee hee hee

-chris


Motley Moose: Progress Through Politics
by chrisblask on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:24:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

That's just brilliant (2.00 / 3)

What's hilarious is that they should even try to match wits with Team Obama on slogans.

Obama's people are freaking professionals at getting short, catchy phrases that linger in the public consciousness.

They should learn from Clinton.  "Yes She Can" and later "Yes She Will" made her seem self-centered and eventually divorced from reality.  She would have been better off sticking to her own ideas instead of riffing off of Obama's slogan, which was re-tooled from the "Si, se puede" slogan of Caesar Chavez's immagrant labor movement.

Note to Republicans: your strength these days lies in slander and fearmongering.  Don't try to match us on inspiration.


You can't stop the signal.

President "That One"

by Dracomicron on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:22:38 PM EST

Re: That's just brilliant (2.00 / 3)

Well, I have to admit, it's actually an improvement over their previous slogan of
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
Because: Fuck You, OK?

by Ray Radlein on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:50:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

If a voter is dumb enough to fall for that (2.00 / 0)

slogan they deserve the havok of a republican administration.


Student Guy=JoeMentum. No really Student Guy=JoeMentum, after all JoeMentum was an embarrassment so is Student Guy. This sig is FAIL!!
by Student Guy on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:22:55 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 3)

Am I the only one who feels like this is almost hostile?  "You want change?  Here.  This is the change you deserve, you ingrates."  

And also, after the focus groups, the research, and the debates over this phrase...nobody googled it?


Saxby Chambliss
by bosdcla14 on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:32:48 PM EST

MAybe it should be (2.00 / 1)

'Change you better damn well appreciate'

Now sit down and eat your damn broccoli, and if I hear one more word out of you...

-chris


Motley Moose: Progress Through Politics
by chrisblask on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:07:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 1)

And also, after the focus groups, the research, and the debates over this phrase...nobody googled it?

I get this image of a bunch of guys with yellow legal pads and a flip-chart...  Like episodes of old shows where it suddenly dawns on you that there are no computers on any of the desks.

-chris


Motley Moose: Progress Through Politics
by chrisblask on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:21:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 2)

Insanity is voting gop and expecting a different outcome.

The gop should go the way of the whig party.


by gotalife on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:35:25 PM EST

"Change You Deserve" (2.00 / 1)

omg, that is just too funny.

They really should stay away from slogans like "American Families Agenda" too, with some of their party's strongest family values proponents doing things like cavorting in diapers with hookers, or adopting too wide a stance in men's rest rooms, etc.


by phoenixdreamz on Mon May 12, 2008 at 06:36:06 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (2.00 / 1)

constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, sexual side effects, sleepiness, sweating, and weakness.

Good god, it sounds like the night before a hunting trip with Cheney...

-chris


Motley Moose: Progress Through Politics
by chrisblask on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:04:27 PM EST

OT: WaPo ABC General Polling (none / 0)

OT but not worth a diary:  

http://thepage.time.com/2008/05/12/new-g eneral-election-matchups/

Latest ABC/WaPo General matchups.


by mady on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:12:04 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (1.00 / 0)

Yep. When the opposition uses your theme against themselves, what more can you ask?


Hillary: "Her dishonesty is actually honest." -- yellowdem1129
by Kobi on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:12:19 PM EST

When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (none / 0)

The Repubs. really are in disarray and it's sad considering they've had a few months to pull it together behind McCain, but they seem to be even more disheveled now than they did before.

BTW, who are they kidding with, "Change You Deserve?"  How they even manage to say that with a straight face is a disgrace.


This administration is not sinking. This administration is soaring! If anything, they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!
by venavena on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:23:06 PM EST

Re: The change you deserve (2.00 / 1)

This is just so perfect because it communicates that the Republicans have decided what you deserve, and intend to give it to you. It has a decidedly paternalistic tone.

Note that it is not necessarily the change you want. In fact, it could be said with contempt, as in "You SOBs, you're so stupid that you deserve a Fascist State, and we're going to give it to you!"

Blergh. I think I need a stomach pump.

Bob in HI


by Bob Schacht on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:31:05 PM EST

Re: When Life Is An Episode Of The Simpsons (none / 0)

I have this funny feeling that the "American Families Agenda" is not going to be breaking new ground...


John McCain
by Mandoliniment on Mon May 12, 2008 at 07:31:28 PM EST


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