Pop Army

Tag: Donald Trump

  • Trump First Ad for Political Campaign is as Hard Hitting as Ever

    Trump First Ad for Political Campaign is as Hard Hitting as Ever

    After campaigning through 2015 without an ad, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump produced his first television ad and it’s as tough talking as he is. Will it change the public’s perception of the billionaire candidate just four weeks before the first primary votes are cast?

    Trump’s first campaign ad was released on the first Monday of 2016. The 30-second ad underscores Trump’s position on critical issues including terrorism, immigration and foreign policy while chipping in a few of his most controversial quotes.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRpoG4bAwwc

    It starts with a shot of Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton, alongside each other, before ushering in a snapshot of the two San Bernardino shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. A deep-voiced narrator then begins, “The politicians can pretend it’s something else, but Donald Trump calls it radical Islamic terrorism.”

    The narrator’s voice proceeds to outline Trump’s call for a “shutdown” of all Muslims coming into the US, declare that the GOP frontrunner would “cut the head of ISIS” and “take their oil” and ends with the narrator affirming that Trump would build the famous wall along the US-Mexico border that “Mexico will pay for.”

    Reportedly costing $4 million, the ad offered a chance for Trump to reinforce his message across the mass media. It is not clear whether Trump paid for the ad using his own money or from money from some of his sponsors.

    Before the ad, Trump had said he did not see the need for ads. He confidently told CBS, “Face the Nation” on Sunday, “I don’t think I need the ads, but I’m doing them. I almost feel guilty.”

    The billionaire mogul is leading in early polls in all states except in Iowa where he is locked in a tough battle with Sen. Ted Cruz.

    Barely a day into the ad’s running and it was already attracting criticism from the Democrats. According to Justin Barasky, communication’s director of the Hillary Clinton Super PAC Priorities USA, “Donald Trump’s new ad is more of the same disgusting and offensive demagoguery we’ve come to expect from the GOP front-runner.”

  • Presidential Campaign Music Raises Artists’ Ire

    Presidential Campaign Music Raises Artists’ Ire

    Presidential campaigns are carefully choreographed affairs where every detail of a candidate’s image is examined and enhanced to show them in the best light. The clothing the candidate wears, the strategically placed supporters, and the music used for entrances and exits from the stage are all cautiously selected by a team of campaign staffers.

    Sometimes, problems occur when the politician, or their staff, does not inform the musicians that they intend to use their music as part of their campaign. The gaffes are typically blamed on campaign staffers lack of knowledge about the applicable rules. There is also a legal gray area over licensing rules for music in political campaigns.

    It seems like it would be easy for politicians to avoid using songs that will get them publicly shamed by musicians. It tends to occur every presidential campaign season. The musicians that created these songs are not always happy to find out that a presidential campaign is using their song during their events.

    Neil Young complained to the Donald Trump campaign in June over its use of his song “Rockin’ In The U.S.A.” at a campaign event. Then, last month at a rally opposing President Obama’s deal with Iran, Trump took the stage with “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. playing over the sound system in the background.

    The members of the band quickly took to social media to angrily denounce Trump’s use of the song at the rally. An official statement from the band says that the band’s members “do not authorize or condone the use of our music at this political event, and do ask that these candidates cease and desist from doing so.”

    Last weekend, Trump was dinged by another artist for using music in his campaign without permission. Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, had his lawyer send a cease and desist letter to Trump’s campaign threatening legal action if he continued to use the band’s 1973 hit “Dream On” at his events.

    The letter stated, “If Trump for President does not comply with our demands, our client will be forced to pursue any and all legal or equitable remedies which our client may have against you.” Subsequent reports have stated that Tyler and Trump have spoken and Trump has agreed to no longer use the song.