Future Tense

Elderly Obama and Kerry Gripe About President Snowden in Bizarre Commercial

The Kremlin-funded global satellite network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is frequently accused of being little more than Russian propaganda outlet with a penchant for conspiracy theories. It’s tried to push back with its “question more” ad campaign, which portrays the network as an alternative view to the pro-government corporate shills in the mainstream American media. One billboard in several U.S. cities even suggests that the U.S. would not have gone to war in Iraq if RT had been around in 2003 to provide a “second opinion.”

RT has amped up that argument with a commercial timed for its 10th anniversary, which flashes forward to 2035 to show an aging Barack Obama and John Kerry sitting on Barack’s porch, griping over a couple of brews that “no one is afraid of us anymore.” The ad then shows President Edward Snowden speaking on RT, promising a “new era of transparency.” Both men dismiss it as “propaganda bullhorn.”

I do like the idea of Obama and Kerry, who have never seemed that close either personally or professionally, turning into a grumpy-old-men style duo in their later years, and the impersonators are pretty good in an uncanny valley sort of way.

A couple of other notes:

  • Edward Snowden would lose a ton of cred if he ever ran for president. Remember who else promised a new era in transparency?
  • Kerry looks great for 91. Obama looks rough for 74.
  • A better punchline would have been showing Larry King, who now hosts a show called PoliticKing on RT America, still on TV in 2035 looking exactly the same.
  • Why does Obama have RT on in his house if he hates it so much? Is RT the only TV network allowed on the air under the Snowden administration? This is a little more sinister than the creators probably intended.