Wither Hollywood

Matt Stoller's (myDD.com) brother, Nick, is a Hollywood screenwriter (Fun With Dick and Jane), and writes an intriguing guest post today on myDD about the misuse/non-use of Hollywood by the Dems.

Why didn't Michael Bay direct an awesome action adventure ad where John Kerry singlehandedly blows up the terrorist insurgency with a solemn nod of his granite-chiseled chin? Why weren't the writers of SNL and the Daily Show brought in to create hilarious, ruthless anti-Bush spots that would have been forwarded all around the internet? Why wasn't James Brooks hired to create a touching, pull-the-heartstrings Kerry-Edwards-cares-about-the-voter commercial? This schlock works -- remember that 9/11 Bush ad where he's holding the crying girl? With the Hollywood talent the Democratic party has at its disposal, we could have blown that spot out of the water, made it look like a mediocre episode of Touched by an Angel next to our sinking of the Titanic. I don't care if you think "I am king of the world" is a cheesy line -- it made people cry. Nothing Kerry said made people cry. Except perhaps accidentally, out of boredom or pain.

During the 2004 election, Kerry's people had a brief meeting with the top writing talent in Hollywood and asked for jokes and message ideas. Unsurprisingly, his campaign used none of it. When the Democratic Party was thinking of their new slogan (A Better Choice, is that even it? I can't remember, that's how good it is), why didn't they call us? The Democratic Party has a lock on the hearts and minds of Hollywood a

nd Hollywood has a deep understanding of how to create message -- so why not start using us?