Phallic Fallacy: McCain’s “Celeb” Ad Broken-down On The Low Road

You probably saw/heard about Sen. John McCain’s anti-Obama ad “Celeb,” which links Sen. Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. (If not, watch below.) Immediately upon its release, the political blogs and the networks lit up, complaining reporting that McCain actually took the $4,600 maximum from Paris’s parents — her mother later called the ad “frivolous.” And that’s saying something, coming from someone who most likely has a bigger doggy toy budget than your entire annual salary.

But Saturday, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert wrote an Op-Ed piece pointing out the (now) very obvious, big, black phallic symbols conveniently included in the 30-second spot — Obama with a darkened Leaning Tower of Pisa background and a shadowy shot of the Washington Monument. Read more