While the name and virtual appearance of three judges may suggest a political satire of the popular show American Idol, there's no mistaking both the subtle and overt nods of the viral animated video "Gitmo Idol" to the popular videogame Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. While available online for months, the clip has recently begun to make a comeback of its own, perhaps to capitalize on the recent releases (and publicity) of both Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles: Rock Band videogames.
Want to know more? Keep reading for all the political intrigue and saucy details!
The video, created and hosted by conservative website Townhall.com, features a fictional band of Guantánamo Bay inmates calling themselves "The Man Caused Disasters," a nod to the current administration's semantic change of the term 'terrorism' to 'Man-Caused Disaster'. At just over 4 minutes, the band jams to the tune of "I'm In Gitmo", which parodies the Rolling Stone classic "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)". A four-piece ensemble (whose own logo closely resembles the famous Beatles), the parody allows its creators the chance to mock particular elements and relationships of the Obama administration in musical parody.
Among those public figures given cartoonish, super-deformed doppelgangers are Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Pennsylvania House Representative John Murtha, President Obama, and (of all things) Barney the Dinosaur. Among those events lampooned are the administration's decision to close down the controversial detention center in Cuba, which has led to considerable controversey regarding where current detainees would be placed following its closure. Most bizarre is the depiction of an inmate being waterboarded to the choral chant of "I Can't Breathe Now" (Oh no, no!).
While the exact date of the video's original posting is unclear, most blogs have it originating sometime in July of this year. Its return to the viral market on the heels of both major videogame releases must please its creators, and has given the clip new life in an otherwise crowded 24-hour news cycle. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the overtly political message of "Gitmo Idol", that its creators would choose to take elements of the popular musical videogame genre to help get their message across is either a sign of how far the industry has come, or how far it has left to go. Draw your own conclusions.
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