Go ahead and mock Air America, Mr Franken and all us liberal thinkers. This sounds like a fun 5 minutes......
what will you shout??
Consider your selfs baited.
http://www.thegreatamericanshoutout.org
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Wed Aug 25, 3:32 PM ET |
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By SAM DOLNICK, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - Al Franken wants you to get up out of your chairs, open your windows, stick your heads out and yell ... fuggedaboutdit? Well, yes.
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In the spirit of Paddy Chayefsky's classic movie monologue from "Network," the liberal comedian on Wednesday urged New Yorkers — and other Americans — to simultaneously scream the all-purpose local wisecrack at the moment that President Bush (news - web sites) accepts the nomination.
"This is a form of protest that is very non-disruptive," Franken said at a press conference in the Park Avenue office of Air America radio network, where he hosts a talk show.
Franken said the Sept. 2 protest, called the "Great American Shout-Out," will not "tax our public safety system at all."
"This is our way of venting," Franken added. "It will be a catharsis."
Franken said he expected the shouts to last less than five minutes. Out of "respect for the office of the presidency," he asked that participants quiet down once Bush begins speaking so "people can hear him give a bad speech."
Franken said he expects 100 million people nationwide to participate, adding: "Anything less would be a horrific failure."
Unlike the movie version — "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" — this protest has been tailor-made for regional dialects, Franken said.
In his native Minnesota, people are to yell "Oh no ya don't!" in an exaggerated accent.
In California, the suggested shout is: "No way, dude!"
Air America has created a Web site, http://www.thegreatamericanshoutout.org, where participants can plan "shout parties" or let their solo shout be counted.
Air America began on five stations around the country on March 31 as a left-leaning political alternative to conservative talk radio. It now airs on 23 stations nationwide.
Story two: Please note the final paragraph. (My highlighting)
'Naked' Said Unsuitable for GOP Delegates
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2 hours, 16 minutes ago |
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By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - The Statue of Liberty. Bloomingdale's. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. A stage full of naked guys singing. Oops!
The city's tourist bureau has pulled an off-Broadway show called "Naked Boys Singing" from a list of discounted offerings to visiting Republican delegates, after the Republican National Committee (news - web sites) complained it wasn't suitable.
The gay-themed show, billed as a musical revue that "celebrates the splendors of male nudity in comedy, song and dance," has received generally good reviews and hasn't created much of a stir since it began its run six years ago. Its 2,127 performances make it the 10th longest-running off-Broadway show.
So, when NYC & Company placed the production among the theater offerings for its "Come Early, Stay Late" program designed to get delegates to spend an extra couple of days in the city, nobody thought much about it.
But this month, when members of the RNC's Committee on Arrangements began to review the list of offerings, the show's title caught their eye, and they asked that it be removed from the tourist bureau's Web site.
"The Republican Party selected what we felt were offers that would best suit our audience," RNC spokesman Leonard Alcivar said Wednesday. "We thank the producers for offering their generous discount, and wish them continued success with the show."
Cristyne Nicholas, president and CEO of NYC & Company, took the blame, saying, "the offers came in so quickly — faster than we could originally handle."
The show's producer, Carl White, said the RNC's decision to drop the show runs counter to the reasons Republicans chose New York to host the convention in the first place.
"It's very disappointing to us," said White. "They say they picked us because of our equality, our diversity, our culture."
In fact, before the show was removed from the site, about a dozen people — presumably delegates — had purchased tickets using the special code offered on the Web site. Those tickets will be honored.
On the Net: NYC & Company: http://www.nycvisit.com
So anybody want to volunteer what kind of seats they got ????
