November 21, 2006
Subpoena Power, the game wins the Jury Prize!
By TEAM NoEvil
We are so very proud to announce that Subpoena Power, the game was chosen for the October Jury Prize by Huffingtonpost.com's Contagious Festival.
As the Judge says,
"We the people may have been taking this great democratic republic too much for granted. Perhaps we’ve been too trusting, or cynical, or too lazy, or busy. Perhaps we’ve been behaving like consumers and not citizens. Perhaps we’ve been misled and it is not our fault.
But it is time to realize that democracy is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition, time to recognize that we can’t claim to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people just because it’s on T.V.
We need to vote. We need to know what is done in our name, and we have to remind the politicians that they work for us. We have to stand up and tell them that we will toss them out on their ear if they forsake their oath.
In that oath the one and only thing they swear to defend is the Constitution. That’s not the musty old parchment in the cellar, nor is it a fairytale essay of utopian abstractions. It is the actual design and constitution of a fair and righteous government. It’s a brilliant, enlightened design, and those famous framers thought it through very carefully. It still makes sense, because wisdom like that weathers well.
Yet some of the current crop of leaders presume they know better. Treading upon the Constitution, they defend themselves and their money, their friends, and their power, all the while proclaiming they do so for us.
Just to be clear, ours is a non-partisan position. A Democrat can believe in the republic, and a Republican can believe in democracy, but we believe that neither a conservative nor a liberal can claim to be happy with the 109th congress, unless that person is ill informed, or insincere. This is about the principles and provisions of the U.S. Constitution, not the political parties per se. It is the scoundrel of any stripe that we must turn out of office.
The public political discourse is such a disgraceful mix of misinformation and poisoned rhetoric that we prefer to ignore it entirely and return to first principles. Parties, after all, come and go, but common sense, common decency, the golden rule, All men being created equal - such ideas, the ones we hold to be self evident - cut through the muck of politics. You don’t need a politician to explain them, and you don’t have to be a scholar to understand them, because they are already written on your soul. That is what “self evident” means."
Insist on the Truth!
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:36 PM
November 13, 2006
Love Your President
By THOMAS HUDSON REEVE
In “Love Your President” the NoEvil team has made fun of the President of the United States. While most viewers have enjoyed or even cheered our effort, a few felt it was somehow unfair, and it is to their opinion I want to respond to here.
Satirizing, criticizing, and even being quite rude towards the powerful is an honorable tradition in the United States. In the words of Finley Peter Dunne, “Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” Otherwise known as sticking up for the little guy, but there is really more to it than that.
When a monarch proclaims that his rule over the people is legitimate because God has anointed him to run earthly affairs, to speak against the King is blasphemy.
In a democracy the people elect the Chief Executive, and his/her authority is derived from the consent of the people governed. Therefore we balance between the respect we feel for the Office of President, and the calling to task of the person we have entrusted with the job. He works for us, but we are supposed to follow him. He leads us, but only if it is where we want to go.
Lord Acton’s axiom that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” has become the most succinct expression of the underlying principle that justifies making fun of the powerful.
The equality of each citizen before the law means that the powerful do not have special rights, even if their job as special powers.
So when they become puffed up, we poke them with pins. When they get high and mighty, we knock them down a notch. When they get too comfortable, we take away the pillows. When they begin to believe they are better than everyone else, we beg to differ.
If they are smart enough to try to be a little humble by listening to the people, we are grateful and we honor them, but if they persist in arrogance then we will answer with our contempt – Not for the Office of the President, but for the individual’s misunderstanding of that Office and it’s power, and their obligation to us, the citizens, from whom their authority flows.
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:21 AM
August 26, 2006
Why Things Stink in This Administration
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Paul Bedard of U.S. News & World Report let lose that President Bush, the "first frat boy", loves fart jokes.
Bedard wrote: "But he's still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that."
Seems like a matter of life imitating art, for the headline could have been lifted right out of our 'newspooper'. Well, at least it seems that George W. sounds like he's full of crap!
As another President, Harry Truman, once said, "Things work out for the best in the end."
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:49 AM
August 22, 2006
Corruption on Capital Hill
Subpoena Power, Save the Republic ©NoEvil Productions
It's fun to mock our leaders, politicians, and other public figures (lord knows we try!), but this time NoEvil Productions is putting their money where their talent is, and looks at the system itself with a new game called Subpoena Power.
Subpoena Power is a flash animation game in which players take on the role of an Assistant Special Prosecutor and try to clean-up Washington. Armed with subpoenas from the Judge, you try to gather evidence against the bad guys as well as find the honorable who do serve the American public. While you navigate the halls, you must also beware of those who will try to stop you -- Toadies, Sycophants and Lobbyists. Just as in real life, these are the folks who are really messing things up!
For more on the game play itself, you may read the official Subpoena Power blog, and ask questions in the forum.
We invite you to join the official Beta launch of Subpoena Power, and tell us what you think!
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:23 PM
May 22, 2006
Don't Worry, He's Only Listening For Good Reasons
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Like Santa, President Bush claims the NSA's information is merely to
find out who's being naughty or nice. Unlike Santa, Bush doesn't admit
his network of elves are listening.
From a legal standpoint, warrantless wiretapping, listening in on
citizens' phone calls, be it by NSA agents or elves, is illegal. The
actions of Bush, his administration, NSA agents etc. are as frightening
as any boogie man and illusive as imaginary elves when it comes to
prosecution. Living under the boogie men (and paying their salaries),
not only do we citizens have to worry about our rights & liberties
diminishing, threatening our individual lives, but dangers to the nation
as well. By not complying with the law, the literally un-warrented
wiretapping leads to wasted man-years and actually weakens national security.
I'd like to believe that Bush's interests about my life are as benign as
Santa's -- that all Bush wants to do is to find the bad guys and maybe
wish me a Happy Birthday. While not fiscally responsible, it's not so
scary. But in Bush's world, pursuit of his Naughty or Nice List is at
all costs -- or at least at the costs of the expendable citizenry.
While being on Santa's Naughty List means I have no holiday gift, being
on Bush's list has far more consequences... And the collection of
information in an illegal manner suggests that the agenda is also not
straight-forward. What is Bush's criteria for his Naughty List? Do I
have to worry that my online activities, my phone calls, and my general
association with No Evil Productions will put me on President Bush's
Naughty List?
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:52 PM
May 17, 2006
Is Political Satire Misunderstood?
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
I have two passions in the evenings, Monday through Thursday: The Daily Show with John Stewart
and The Colbert Report.
What makes these political humor shows distinctive from one another is the style of humor.
John Stewart and his team present the 'evening news' using humor to illustrate the stupidity
of today's political scene. No idea, ideal, platform, organization, person or icon is safe from
their scrutiny and mockery. While I laugh and clap along with The Daily Show, it's the Colbert
Report which amazes me. This is because Steven Colbert does things a bit differently;
Colbert does political satire.
Playing the role of political pundit Colbert's talk-show character ostensibly supports the
president. Note, that reads ostensibly, for in his role as host of the personality-driven
pundit show, he uses irony, sarcasm, and wit to expose folly, vice, and stupidity -- even to
the point of seeming witless himself; thereby poking fun at the President and his politics.
Colbert's form of caustic caricaturization both amuses and amazes me.
I am amused at his performance and the wicked writing of the team, but I am amazed as I
cannot imagine being able to pull it off. I can easily get up on my soapbox and preach, but
I've never been able to manage satirical writing. I think this is because I am too aware of the
number of people who would take it seriously. If I were to write a satirical piece, I would need
to include both disclaimers that read "This is humor folks -- This is satirical!" and even then I
would likely need to break out of character and return to the soapbox.
I am too afraid that people would believe it if I said "My lunch today was a bowl of starving
children, washed down with a glass of their mother's tears. And I had baby seals for dessert."
I would cringe in fear of the emails, calls and letters from folks calling me insensitive yes, but
even more than that, I fear legal prosecution stemming from the police visiting my home based
on reports of cannibalism and animal cruelty.
Do I give folks too little credit? Do I underestimate the humor of the public? I don't think so.
Recently Colbert hosted the White House Correspondent Dinner, and he was not fully appreciated.
Many seemed to feel that Colbert's hosting, in his satirical political pundit persona, was
inappropriate. Words used to describe reactions were 'bewildered', 'unhappy' and 'a little on
the edge'. But what did they expect?
In fact, how was he even selected to host? In my mind, the committee conversation went
something like this:
"Hey, this Steven Colbert's pretty popular, especially with the young
people, let's ask him."
"It says on his website that he's a Bush supporter... With the President
himself attending, he'd feel right at home..."
"He could add youth to our demographic..."
"Yes, my son in college talks about Colbert all the time, let's get him
so that my son thinks I am cool too!"
Not a one of them understanding that Colert's TV show is a character of political satire,
the decision seemed to have missed its mark. For those of us who enjoy political satire,
this only adds to the humor (and I wish I had been there to see it!). But for those of us who
fear writing and performing political satire, it only proves our point:
political satire can be so misunderstood.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:49 AM
May 8, 2006
It's Still America
By THOMAS HUDSON REEVE
It’s still America. Everyone or their ancestors came from somewhere else,
and although it has been going on for centuries now they were all pretty
much in the same boat.
They faced the unknown with courage and hope, they worked, they
persevered, and they blended their voices into the raucous chorus
that is the United States of America.
For all that time there have always been some who have said,
“Now that my people are here let’s pull up the ladder, no others allowed.”
They forget that we are all the others, and that we are all the same.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:30 PM
May 5, 2006
The Star Spangled Banner :: La Bandera De Las Estrellas
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
The National Anthem being sung in Spanish isn't news. Well, it might have
been in 1919, but not now.
In 1919, the U.S. Bureau of Education commissioned a
Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled Banner." The State
Department's website also features four-separate versions of the anthem in Spanish.
And while one might not be able to hold President Bush and his staff to know
the number of versions of the national anthem (quoted by several sources to
be nearly 400), I do think we can ask him to remember his own Presidential
Inauguration. Bush's 2001 inaugural ceremony featured pop star Jon Secada
sang the national anthem in English and Spanish; as they did in much of Bush's
campaign. Apparently it's OK to lure in disenfranchised voters with their
language and culture -- and the promise of meeting their needs as citizens
-- as long as you denounce them later.
I normally don't quote Condoleezza Rice, but she made some sane comments on
this issue. On CBS's Face the Nation, she said "I've heard the national
anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The
individualisation of the American national anthem is quite under way." And
she added "From my point of view, people expressing themselves as wanting to
be Americans is a good thing."
I can think of only one way to mark Cinco de Mayo this year: To sing the
national anthem in Spanish. Or, if you cannot bear the thought of your own
inability to sing in Spanish, perhaps a call to your own legislator to tell
them that you are against Senator Lamar Alexander's resolution which would
require the national anthem only be sung in English.
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:24 PM
April 18, 2006
What would you do if Dick Cheney got in your car?
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Wise Amin, the taxi cab driver, pulls over to pick up his fare. At
first he is impressed that such a powerful businessman has selected his
superior cab, but when the fare gets in, Amin realizes he has a problem...
The passenger wheezing "Take me to the hospital" is none other than "The
Big Dick" Cheney -- "the shadowy power behind the throne, the
puppetmaster, Darth Vader but without the barbecue grill" -- and he's
having a heart attack.
Amin is no longer impressed with his fare, but he takes his duty as cab
driver seriously, so he can't just push him out onto the street or take
him to the animal clinic on the corner. No, as the self-dubbed CEO of
Quickly, Amin rushes Cheney to the nearest hospital.
However, for the few minutes the two share the taxi, Amin shares his
thoughts. From his personal fears that he will need to make a public
apology or end up at Guantanamo Bay, to his thoughts on politics in
general, Amin reveals it all.
This is one fare that leaves Amin saying "Get out!" and vowing "No more
politicians in my cab!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:10 PM
April 15, 2006
April 15th: Deep in the Heart of Taxes
While some of us ponder why we must pay taxes or why taxes are due on April 15th,
most of us just worry about filing on time, and properly. In fact, according to a
Discovery Health Channel Poll, 57% of the Americans polled fear the IRS more than God (30%).
April 15th may put the scare into some of us, but in Deep in the Heart
of Taxes, we can take a moment to laugh at it.
Deep in the Heart of Taxes, hosted by George W, is a really big show,
featuring a stirring performance of "Audits On My Mind" in which Prairie
Dog "Willie" sings a sorrowful spoof of Willie Nelson's "Always On My
Mind." Instead of lamenting his lost love, Willie regrets his neglect
of IRS. It's something we can all relate to. So get ready to sing along...
"Maybe I didn't file, well within the deadline time
Maybe I never told you, those deductions were not mine..."
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:01 AM
April 14, 2006
Yankee Paki Cabbie
when is a name more than a name?
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
A number of years ago, I moved from the midwest to the south. I worked
part-time in the non-profit center, making phone calls to those who had
made donations in the past, asking them to renew their pledges. On day
the phones were down, putting the 10 or so of us temporarily out of work
until the problem was fixed. I immediately went to the supervisor,
asking what else I could do to occupy my time. My co-workers, who had
previously called me by my name, began calling me Yankee because I
wasn't content to sit and let time pass while I got paid anyway. I know
this, because some of them told me so. Our supervisor never called me
Yankee, because as a good southern gentleman, and a boss, he wouldn't
dare call me any derogatory names. But my co-workers did. Or so they
thought.
I, taking great pride in the reason they called me Yankee, began to
refer to myself as The Yankee. I took back the name, claiming it for my
own. In the insult game, my ownership of the word was better than
playing rubber to their glue. I don't mention this to make this blog
all about 'me' -- I do have a reason. And that reason has to do with
the power of names.
You see, No Evil Productions has created an animated short in which a
character, a Pakistani, refers to himself as a Paki. At the time that
the animation and its song were created, none of the team knew that the
term Paki had any negative connotations. After all, there are official
Pakistani websites and publications as well as decent folks who refer
happily and proudly to themselves as Paki. But then it was pointed out
that the term goes back to a pejorative use by the British, who not
coincidentally, also used the work Yankee in a negative manner. Since
No Evil Productions is literally about producing nothing evil, there's been
some concern that the character's use of the word Paki (and indeed, that
Americans produced the animation) will create or perpetuate ill
will. That's not our intention.
While we did not ask every person in Pakistan, nor all those of
Pakistani heritage their opinions, it seems that the use of this word
Paki may be very much like my claiming of the use of the word Yankee.
Someone may mean for it to be an insult, but those characteristics or
things pointed to as 'bad' are the very same things someone takes great
pride in, so the word is taken or reclaimed with new ownership, new
meaning. Time passes, and the old definitions no longer apply.
When our character, Amin the taxi driver, sings "I'm a Yankee Paki
cabbie..." he's just showing his pride in both his heritage and his new
home. He's not the brunt of any joke. He's not a negative stereotype.
He's the most intelligent character in the series of films.
But yet we wonder... if our use of the word is an affectionate nickname,
with no negative connotation, nothing mean in the context of
delivery, will the old history of the word bring about controversy?
Despite the rather common use and acceptance of the word, will some feel
it is inappropriate?
At the time of this writing, the animation has not been released, and so
I don't know if there will be any negative reaction to Amin's song. But
if there is indeed any fuss, Amin likely would wonder what all the fuss
is about. Why would people rush to defend him when he himself is not
offended?
Posted by photocartoonist at 4:26 PM | Comments (1)
April 1, 2006
The Big Dick
By Team NoEvil
What would you say if you suddenly found yourself alone with the most
powerful man on Earth, Dick Cheney?
There was that guy in New Orleans who rudely blurted a most profane
suggestion to the Vice President just as Cheney was explaining how well
the Katrina disaster relief was going. The guy was caught on tape for his
15 minutes of fame, but I understand that the Secret Service subsequently
gave him their undevided attention for a much longer interval in
the following days.
I’m not sure what I would actually do; I might be dumbstruck and just end
up politely mumbling, “Pleased to meet you.” as my mother taught me ,
but not my friend Amin bin Amin bin Amin bin Amin. He’s the sort of
no-nonsense American who is not afraid to speak truth to power.
Making his debut on Arianna Huffington's Contagious Festival, Amin
stars in "The Big Dick", a political satire featuring Dick Cheney. Full of wit and
dry dry humor The Big Dick says what many would love to say to Mr. Cheney
if given the chance.
Well, Amin is given that chance and he definitely runs with it, or should I
say, takes The Dick for a ride for his life.
Posted by photocartoonist at 7:11 PM
March 29, 2006
I Swear I Don't Know The Guy
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Fresh off the success of Brokeback Mountain, Kickback Mountain depicts
the unnatural love (of money) between two men.
Jack and Georgie are a couple of buckaroos with moola to burn on this
camping trip in the mountains. Partners in political corruption, the
two ride roughshod over the very flock that Georgie is supposed to
shepherd. Their dirty deeds of fleecing and midnight cowboy antics are
a far cry from moral confusion; this is sordid business.
Kickback Mountain offers more proof that politicians take (as well as
make) strange bedfellows -- and what's worse, they don't even claim to
remember the names of those they bunk with.
We may not know where the buck stops yet in this troubled love
affair between two cowboys. But we're pretty sure if we stop looking,
we'll all feel more than a little sheepish.
Posted by photocartoonist at 3:13 PM
March 28, 2006
A Torch Song to Unpaid Taxes
By KAT CAVERLY
AtomFilms goes deep into the Heart of Taxes!
Today our short "Audits on my Mind: Deep in the Heart of Taxes"
was showcased as the lead in Atom Film's newsletter, which is seen
by over 1 million subscribers!
Written by me and our NoEvil composer Chris Leap, Audits on My Mind
is a tribute to Willie Nelson's past run-in with the IRS and a spoof of
Bush economics. "...the air is free, for now!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:08 PM
March 16, 2006
Do Unto Yourselves
By KAT CAVERLY
I do unto you. You do unto them. They do unto others. It's a three-ring
vicious circus that is on a perpetual worldwide tour. And here come the clowns;
the politicians!
Dressed all up in suits and with all their pretty words, it just boils down to
another tale of vengence. Except the victims have nothing to do with the
previous crimes.
Watch Do Unto Others, a film by Thomas Hudson Reeve and Anders Worm,
featuring music by Chris Leap, all members of Team NoEvil.
Posted by photocartoonist at 6:09 PM