stAllio!'s way

team bush recently started airing its first big tv ads for the 2004 campaign. a lot of people are pretty upset at the ads' cynical use of shots of firefighters & other 9/11 imagery for cheap emotional effect.

the fact that bushco would use such imagery is hardly surprising. after all, they've been taking advantage of the 9/11 tragedy ever since it happened. the interesting twist here is that the firefighters in the ads were paid actors, not real firemen.

"There's many reasons not to use real firemen," retorted one Bush media adviser. "Mainly, its cheaper and quicker."

so it's cheaper to hire actors & orchestrate a shoot than to fish around in the archives & find some actual stock footage of firefighters? somehow i doubt that.