Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010

Christine O'Donnell's Unlikely Muse

When it comes to making a viral video, the old adage holds true: Good artists borrow; great artists steal. So when Christine O'Donnell's campaign decided to make a Web video about how much her Democratic rival, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, likes to raise taxes, it wisely cribbed from YouTube sensation Antoine "Hide Your Kids" Dodson. The O'Donnell video, a faux-horror trailer complete with a grave narrator and ominous score, reaches its dramatic climax with the incantation, "Hide your will. Hide your lights. 'Cause he's taxing everything out there." Why are we so sure this tagline is an homage to Dodson? Honestly, we can't figure out what else it could mean. One thing's for sure: "The Taxman" is meta viral video at its best.