Teens React to Rick Perry's anti-gay commercial

[Video Link] The Fine Brothers (who make the entertaining "Kids React to Viral Videos" videos) made a "Teens React to Rick Perry's Strong" video.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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millie fink

Thanks, that’s (mostly) heartening. Be nice if the average level of interest and awareness among them were higher, but their disdain for Perry’s opinions and persona are, yeah, heartening.
- http://twitter.com/MoonpieNobot Moonpie Nobot
  
  Your comment is, yeah, like a comment
  - Samuel Valentine
    
    (mostly.)
mkultra

I think the only disquieting thing about this video is how big the gap is between “informed” and “totally uninformed”… But then, their parents have the same situation so why should we expect any difference from their kids?

As far as the nearly universal disapprobation for Perry’s words… I think it was Robert Anton Wilson who said “It only takes 20 years for a liberal to become a conservative without changing a single idea.”
Eddie Perkins

Before anyone gets bent out of shape about the lack of political knowledge some of these teens have and start bemoaning the future of our country, most of us didn’t know much about politics at that age. Hell, I voted for Bush Sr. in the first election I could vote in because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Basically, this is a preemptive “Please, cut these kids some slack.” post.
- marilove
  
  Actually, I was pleasantly surprised at how informed most of the kids were. Most seemed more informed than adults. And if they weren’t informed, they were honest about it, instead of trying to pretend they know what they are talking about.
  
  And, I think there was actually some good insight from the kids who admitted they didn’t know much about politics, but still spoke about how ridiculous the video was.
  
  He’s a politician! No one likes politicians! They’re all like “I’m a politician” And you’re like, “Ew!” And they’re like, “I’m gonna pass a law!” and then you’re like “EW!”
  
  I think that’s perhaps the most insightful, truthful thing said in that video!
chgoliz

There’s a reason so many kids are home-schooled. Yes, some parents are doing it because they can provide a better educational experience than what their children would get in local schools, but a significant number of families do it so that their children are never exposed to reality. That exposure to normal life is what has enabled the adolescents in this video to realize how silly and wrong Perry sounds, but if you showed the same ad spot to a different group of teens, they would be waxing eloquent about how Perry speaks the truth and is going to save our country from the heathens/liberals/commies/queers/whatever the most insulting term is these days.

These teens are not necessarily indicative of the future. We cannot become complacent.
brandonsilverman

Here’s another response video that’s pretty good…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URrDfSGm1H0&feature=youtu.be
- millie fink
  
  Ha, that is good!
  
  (Also brings me back to a fun night spent watching a bunch of those reaction videos with some friends.)
Boris Bartlog

Latest in a series of stupid moves by Perry. He *could* have run on his somewhat successful tenure as governor. Instead he decides he’s going to try to compete with both Santorum and Bachmann for the relatively small (even in Iowa) anti-gay vote. Way to piss away $4 million in TV advertising, Rick!
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Way to piss away $4 million in TV advertising, Rick!
  
  He’s saving about that amount by using Texas taxpayer money to pay for all his campaign travel and security expenses.
ill lich

You people laugh, but Obama successfully vanquished Christmas. . . I don’t hear anybody talking anymore about celebrating Christmas, everyone acts as if it’s a moot point.

Check and mate to the Muslim Communist from Kenya.
- Jonathan Roberts
  
  That’s a point. You know, I’d completely forgotten that we used to have that other holiday before New Year’s. Must be some of that crazy Kenyan voodoo.
- Godfree
  
  Yeah, I hate it when the Valentine’s Day candy comes out right after Halloween.
- Brian Cheung
  
  uh huh. Something makes me think you don’t understand the definition of Muslim and Communist. As they say in the Princess Bride, “I do not think that word means what you think it means.”
  - http://twitter.com/LennStar_de LennStar
    
    Just because “Communist” and “Muslim” (or any other religion) in their original sense are mutually exclusive (thats the english word?), that does not mean an religious person cannot believe they are. Thats the problem with fundamentalists – they value believe more than facts, and which religion it is, that is only a minor point.
    
    (For the many people killed in the religion wars it is not important if their killers where christians or muslims or judes or even Buddhists. They are dead.)
    
    by the way: Which Christmas did Obama vanquish? The one where the people rush into big big shops to buy love? THe one with the guy in red? Sorry, that one was Coca Cola, not a church. The grey-robed guy? Sorry, that one was some heathen figure. Like Eastern, coming from the goddess Ostera.
    Where did the christmas tree come from? Wasn’t it some nordish thingy?
    
    But of course, this are only questions of an atheist, so don’t worry if you truly believe.
- CountZero
  
  So someone who was born Christian in a US state, Hawaii, is a Muslim Communist, huh?
  I think the indigenous inhabitants of Hawaii might want to have a word with you about that.
  Just ‘cos Barack’s daddy came from Kenya doesn’t make the son Kenyan.
  In any case, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all the original Children of Abraham, there’s no ethnic difference between them, same as I can see no genetic difference between you and a flatworm.
  - Felton / Moderator
    
    Unless I’ve severely misunderstood Ill Lich’s history, you’re replying to a sarcastic comment.
    - ill lich
      
      *sigh* Yes, it was sarcasm.
      
      I hate to have to explain a joke, but the fact that Christmas is OVER is the reason nobody is talking about celebrating Christmas (at least until next year), hence Obama “vanquished” it.
      - Felton / Moderator
        
        Ah, the perils of parodying a line of thought that’s so irrational and over-the-top to begin with.
ill lich

The editing aspect of commenting seems to be giving me trouble, feel free to laugh at me for double posting my stupid comments.
ill lich

The more important issue: when is Rick Perry going to stop Jews from their attacks on Christmas with the subversive “alternative” holiday of Hannukah? Whenever I hear “Happy Hannukah” I cringe and shout “NO! It’s MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holidays or Happy Hannukah or Happy Birthday!!”
- Felton / Moderator
  
  And now back to today’s episode of Whoosh!
- http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
  
  What happened to Festivus? It’s for the rest of us, you know?
rebecca gibson

I was pretty uninformed at that age, too. I was 17 for the 2004 election. I couldn’t vote, so knowing too much about it was just frustrating.