Saturday, September 06, 2008

Mystery Solved?


Sheila and I watched John McCain's acceptance speech and our mouths dropped open when he appeared, again, against a "green screen" (and later a "blue screen"). Photographers and videograhers and movie makers call this a "chroma key". Green screens and other chroma keys allow the folks at "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" to put ol' Colin in a swamp full of alligators. They allow every weather reporter in America to point at a blank wall while he watches the weather map on a monitor and we folks at home to wonder how he knows he pointing at the eye of Hurricane Heniretta without every glancing toward the screen. What a gift to Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart!! And Jay Leno. And David Letterman.

My first thought: They planned this. They want some free time on Comedy Central and late night talk shows.

But no. It's a hilarious goof up. Here's what I think happened:

Intending to showcase McCain's concern for wounded vets, McCain's coinvention showmen appointed some poor schmuck to find a pic of Walter Reed Army Hospital -- a place where the Republican Administration showcased their incompetence. He googoled Walter Reed and found this nice pic.
Unfortunately it is of Walter Reed MIDDLE SCHOOL in North Hollywood, California - a decidedly Democratic community. It came right off their website. The principal says the RNC did not have permission to use the pic.

I'm sure Colbert will have another Green Screen Challenge. Here is the first of many versions to come on youTube:

What fun!

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