Joshuah Bearman: Fakers

Sep 13, 2004

Fakers

It makes sense that Entertainers for Bush, a home-grown assortment of people intended to add a touch of cultural credibility to the celebrity-starved GOP, was founded by a stage magician. As I've said before, Bush's entire campaign is a second-rate magic show, with much of the country apparently too busy enjoying their $2.99 shrimp cocktails out in the leatherette booths to notice how bad the act is. "I love it when he pulls all those colored napkins out of his pockets," they say to each other with mouths full of watery chocolate mousse. "It just kills me!"

Fittingly, Entertainers for Bush itself is an illusion, comprised not of celebrities but of stage hands, aging variety acts, regional oddities, and unknown bit part players.

Distinguishing himself from the crowd, however, Entertainers for Bush founder Wayne Alan calls himself a "corporate illusionist," a concept that is, of course, right on point with his heros in the current administration. But poor Alan is short-changing himself — instead of doing card tricks for board members on golf courses, he could join the ranks of the real corporate illusionists and start really raking it in. As Cheney, et. al., have demonstrated, you don't even need sleight of hand these days to shake a few billion out of the punters' pockets.

Sep 13, 2004 in The Grand Illusion | Permalink

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Joshuah Bearman

Sep 13, 2004

Fakers

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