Sprucing up the joint

The future is now, and it seems that even the White House pressroom is making efforts to catch up with the rising tide of technology. Ever since the hiring of talking head Tony Snow as the official talking head for the White House, the press briefings have taken on an aspect leaning more and more towards entertainment, rather than simple information dissemination. With new plans in the works for video capabilities, it seems even more likely that the press briefing is going to become its own form of television.

True, the Bush Administration has utilized the available technologies more than previous administrations, running the gamut from video walls behind speakers to emphasize a point all the way to prepackaging videos for news organizations. But by adding video into the daily press briefing, it serves to reinforce the idea that the adminstration is not simply putting a PR spin on their activities, but that they're going to make that PR spin as glossy and shiny as they possibly can.

Just think. In a few short months, we can tune in to seeing Tony Snow talking in front of a video wall showing proud Americans supporting the President. We could hear the voice of "Gin" Rummy echoing over a flag blowing in the wind. There's the subtle chance that we could have Condi talking while superimposed into a Godzilla movie, as she battles the radioactive lizard into submission. And, with greenscreen technology, we could finally see the Decider in Chief strutting his way through a western ghost town, with pistols at the ready, just in case Dirty Kim Jong Il pops up with his gang of ruffians.

You know, this may not really be a bad thing, after all. Especially given that, given their actions recently and reactions to those actions, Lindsey Lohan and Mel Gibson may soon find themselves looking for new avenues to explore their talents. Where better than in the SnowBush White House, directed by Oliver Stone and produced by 20th Century Fox?

Who am I kidding. Stone would have far too many conspiracy theories bouncing around his skull to direct that picture.