Barack O'Bollywood

Who cares what this YouTube mash-up signifies politically? It's just cool.

Published December 6, 2007 4:38PM (EST)

We all know that any half-wit with access to a computer and multimedia-editing software can slice and dice news footage, dub in some beats, upload the resulting clip to YouTube and become an instant star. But editing a speech by Rudy Giuliani so he sounds like he's in favor of pornography is no big thing -- more like the definition of the word "sophomoric."

Most of the CamPain2008 videos posted by Michael Stevens to his YouTube home page fit that category. Funny only if you're stoned or so resolutely partisan that any mockery instantly becomes high art.

But then there's Barack O'Bollywood, which mashes Obama up with Bollywood dancing and singing. As the caption goes, it's "East meets West on acid." It is remarkable, and somehow utterly brilliant, even if it's impossible to say whether it means anything, politically speaking. (Thanks to Ultrabrown for the tip.)


By Andrew Leonard

Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. On Twitter, @koxinga21.

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