(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

Three moments of amusement (OK, two moments of amusement and one of schadenfreude) in my day today:

1. Yesterday's NZ Herald ran a story on the US primaries yesterday that colour-coded the Republicans blue and the Democrats red. There are many excellent reasons for a New Zealand newspaper to do this: our democrat "analogue" (such as it is) is red, and vice versa, and of course red is traditionally a colour associated with the left wing (I guess the Dems don't use it either because the Republicans got there first or because as a lw party they're worried about being associated with socialism, which I hear is a bad word in US politix.) Nevertheless, I got about three-quarters of the way through Huckabee's bio before thinking "Hang on, he doesn't sound like a Democrat..."

2. My parents are going to a wedding tomorrow, which is lovely. Tommy, their friend who is getting married, lives in Wellington and so does the bride, whose name I don't know. Nevertheless, when my mother checked the invitation this evening to find out where the wedding was happening... she found out it's in Auckland. About ten hours' drive away. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

3. They're playing Titanic tonight and my brother and two of his mates are drinking whiskey and ginger ale (apparently this is known as a "CC and dry." it was fairly tasty.) and leering at Kate Winslet's boobs. Or at least, they said that was why they're watching it. The problem is, they all know the movie, like, back to front, and chorus along - not "I'll never let go, Jack," but "I haven't done that for years!" and "Are you ready for a real party?"

It's HILARIOUS.

Comments

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

In 2004 I was genuinely flummoxed and weirded out by the red = republicans, blue = democrats thing. In every other country I can think of - the UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Poland, red is the colour of the leftist parties. Now one could argue that the Democrats aren't leftist in any sense, but even so that doesn't explain why the Republicans are red. I guess this is just a small, but significant illustration of the way that American political discourse is separate from that in the rest of the West.

And, you know, it wouldn't be that hard for me to imagine Huckabee as a Democrat.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

It's crazy, right!

I was going to say something like, I actually don't know anything about the Republicans but maybe early in their history they were more associated with representing workers or some leftist ideal or maybe they were just left of the monarchy, because that actually would almost maybe kinda make sense, but according to wiki (so therefore grain of salt, but still), it actually has to do with the media. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states#Origins_of_current_color_scheme) additionally, it was only really fixed in 2000! Neither party has an "official" colour; when colour tee vees became ubiquitous news media wanted to be able to represent different parties on the map, and although different stations used wildly differing colours, red, white and blue were handy (... because of old glory, apparently, lulz). Using red for Dems and blue for Rep. was apparently quite common earlier on.

I agree that I think it's weird, but I wonder if it's not convenient, almost, for the Democrats. The Republicans probably aren't going to be tarred with the commie brush, so they don't need to worry about it, but it could be a bit risky for the Democrats to be associated with red.

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

Yes, I remember the blue/red thing being used in TV coverage of the 2000 elections, but not 1996. (The same as in NZ's 1996 election) What wiki doesn't explain is why everybody fell into line in 2000.

I have seen some people make the case that when the party was founded, in the 1860s, the Republicans were the leftist party. They were certainly the anti-slavery party, and the anti-establishment party, and there was nothing left wing about the Democrats at the time. But I don't think either party used colour symbolism at the time.

You might have a point about there being nothing for Republicans to fear from associating themselves with the colour of the USSR. I was going to say that red may not have leftist associations in the USA, but 'reds' has been a popular slang for communists since at least the 1920s.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I was going to say that red may not have leftist associations in the USA, but 'reds' has been a popular slang for communists since at least the 1920s.

Plus, wasn't it a (minor) part of the McCarthyism drama-rama?

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

'Reds under beds', exactly. But I know it was used to refer to the Seattle strikers in 1920. Of course it's possible it was again used in the 1950s, rather than still used.

[usagiko.livejournal.com]

Off topic - thanks for sticking up for me. ;.;

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

No worries. I can never restrain myself from tackling asshattery when I see it! But um, sorry for dragging your journal all through the muck.

[miriamus.livejournal.com]

That red-blue reversal thing is ridiculously confusing.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I know, right!

[disturbed-kiwi.livejournal.com]

Now, from what I understood, the incumbant party is red and the challenging party is blue. Because it was the other way for Clinton wasn't it? Or something.

I'm sure I read this somewhere!

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Um... I don't think so? :P I mean, that's definitely not the case here, pretty sure it's not the case there or anywhere else. Maybe that was one news organisation's policy, but it's not generalised AFAIK.

[kheha.livejournal.com]

I think I heard that too, actually -- maybe that was the system post-color-TV and pre-2000?

[sennical.livejournal.com]

AUGH HUCKABEE DO NOT WANT

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

Whatever do you mean? I'm hoping Huckabee is the Republican nominee - he's about as electable as a sack of empty tomato sauce cans. Yes, even in the bible bashing U S of A.