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As Chuck and a quite a few others have pointed out, Barely Political have released another viral video, this time featuring an MTV style showdown between the singing, dancing political spokesmodel* Obama Girl and her political nemesis, Giuliani Girl:

I rather like Chuck’s description of this clip as a “a singing and dancing competition on the streets of Brooklyn that suggests a spiced up version of West Side Story, with a little politics thrown in.”  As with the Obama Girl and Hott4Hill clips discussed earlier, the question as to whether these clips actually have any meaningful place in promoting political awareness is an important one.  The lyrics certainly presume some knowledge of politics and of the candidates, but I suspect the demographic most likely to be watching the videos in YouTube are probably not of voting age. 

As Craig Rubens from NewTeeVee asks:

Is this the “Happy Birthday Mr. President” of the YouTube era? The ladies of Barely Political owe quite a bit to the imitable Marilyn Monroe. Or is this more the Jib Jab of the 2008 election, whose This Land traveled in very much the same media circles back on ‘04?

I like the comparison with Jib Jab, as it certainly reminds us that US politics has already had its first election (’04) with viral video input, and the Crush Girl vids have some sort of history.  That said, I also worry with Rubens that for all the cynicism about politics in the US, given such a narrow ranges of choices at the end of the day, these clips really could make a difference in an apathetic voter’s mind:

So, will Barely Political work its way up to political punditry levels of Stewart/Colbert? Likely not, but it’s broken new ground with the powers of viral videos, coming out with multiple iterations of a successful formula. I’d like to think that my vote won’t be influenced by Hooters girls chanting political candidates names, but like I said before, I am a member of an easily swayed demographic. So, while maybe not the most cerebral of political commentaries, Obama girl very well might be the most primal.

In a clearer light, it’s great to see Taryn Southern (who didn’t just perform, but also wrote the Hott4Hill clip) bemused by the fact that many commentators are missing the that fact that her clip, at least, is definitely satirical:

I’m still surprised at the number of people who don’t realize the video is a parody. Between Hillary’s face in Mt. Rushmore and my bikini body superimposed on George Washington crossing the Delaware, how could it get anymore silly?

Meanwhile, on the home front, the Oz in 30 Seconds citizen-produced political video campaign in Australia (run by GetUp) has entered the voting phase.  Nothing as racy as the US clips, but some really impressive political commentary to be seen here!

* I’ve loved the term spokesmodel ever since hearing it for the first time in the wonderful film LA Story.  I’m so pleased to finally have an appropriate context in which to use it!