Randomonium

ATM nudity sparks new campaign strategies, American Idol futures

By: Ruben Casas

Posted: 5/23/08

Some people refer to cat-calls as wolf-whistles - that goes in the Things That Are True pile. At least it's true in New Zealand, where Adrain Bathgate reported that an Israeli tourist stripped for a group of road workers who "wolf-whistled" at her.

The woman, who was in line to use an ATM, said that she was "fed up with the wolf-whistles," so she took all her clothes off, withdrew cash, then put her clothes back on, according to the New Zealand Press Association.

After the incident the woman was taken to the police station where she explained that New Zealand men had been pestering her, so she wanted to "show them what [she] had."

Police Sgt. Peter Masters commented that the woman was, in fact, "not an unattractive looking lady," but then admonished her against the behavior, saying that what she did was "inappropriate in New Zealand." However, Masters had nothing to say about making cat-calls/wolf-whistles/whatever at women walking along the street. Presumably that type of behavior is acceptable.

In the Things That Might Be True pile we find a new set of campaign strategies (as if we hadn't seen it all). There is, for example, a corpulent candidate for mayoral office in the Black Sea port of Constanta. People call him "The Elephant," so he got himself an elephant and paraded down the town's main thoroughfare.

"It eats peas," the candidate told reporters of the elephant when the two large creatures stopped to rest.

Another mayoral candidate, this time for the city of Arad, released a poster in which he and 11 of his colleagues sit behind a long table in imitation of the iconic "Last Supper" painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. The message that the portrait is supposed to convey? That he "believes" in his team.

Another candidate for mayor of the city of Bistrita has hung a number of banners around the city that show a finger with a condom wrapped around it. The candidate hopes that the banners will help show how his leadership will serve as a "protection against corruption."

Maybe one of these tactics could finally set one Democratic candidate from another should he/she adopt one of these ideas as we near a presidential nomination.

And in the Things That Aren't True At All stack we put the notion that "there is no life after 'Idol.'" There is life after "American Idol," at least for David Archuleta (and maybe the other final six contestants), though not necessarily for you if you don't successfully re-integrate yourself in society in the next couple of days.

Why can we say that there is life after 'Idol'? Well, never mind that Archuleta could have - should have, maybe - won as easily as David Cook did. That's what the judges indicated at the end of Wednesday's night show, and that regardless of not walking away with the title he will probably get a record deal and might even star in some commercials, maybe even a feature flick.

No one will be surprised if these happen. What makes us so certain that you don't just disappear after "Idol" is the inordinate number of returnees to the "American Idol" stage in Thursday's finale. Let me just name-drop in case you weren't watching (or weren't yet born) when some of the talent first made their "AI" appearances: David Hernandez, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Mikalah Gordon, Matt Rogers and closest to home, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks (in a gold lame dress!). Heck, even Sanjaya Malakar got some screen time… and he's only parking cars.

So what will you do after "Idol"?

Ruben Casas

diversions@dailybarometer.com