Parodies

1. The Matrix of Factors That Shaped the Communications in the wake of the BP Deep-Water Horizon Spill: Parodies

2. Parodies • Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart • Political satire • South Park • There’s no logic anywhere • Top Youtube Videos • BP Spills Coffee • The BP Oil Spill Re-Enacted by Cats in 1 Minute

3. What do Parodies do in the wake of the spill? • Draws attention to the situation • Lets the public know what is happening • Overview or specifics • Expresses and creates anger • Downplays actuality of situation or downplays peoples’ efforts? • Allows people to formulate ideas by portraying some ideas as totally unintelligent KEEPS OUR ATTENTION!!!!!!

4. Stephen Colbert’s Take on theDeep-water Horizon Spill • Had a series on the events in the gulf • Total of 30 episodes had clips involving the spill • The Oil is Missing • Mr. Colbert has one of the largest fan followings (1.9 million followers on Twitter) • Most reTweeted post of 2010 BP Stock Sinks The Nuclear Option Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

5. The Oil Is Missing • News • 200 million gallons spilled? Workers picked up 250 thousand barrels of oily water in the week preceding the show. That day, only 200 barrels were picked up. • Because the oil spill in not a surface slick, workers are having a hard time locating the oil • Michigan pipeline bursts after Deep-water horizon spill is capped • New, minor gulf leak after Michigan pipeline is capped

6. Mr. Colbert’s Theories and Plans • Oil has achieved Whac-A-Mole Technology • Petroleum Engineers must be armed with giant foam mallets • Continue to whack down leaks until the oil leaks its way into a refinery • “Hopefully, by that time, we’ll have won enough prize tickets to trade in for some biodiesel.”

7. Jon Stewart’s BP Oil Spill Series • Mr. Stewart’s most effective means of communication • Making target sound as dumb as possible to influence his viewers’ opinions • Stock price movement • BP’s commercials • Spokesmen interview about oil plumes • President Obama and government response ideas

8. Stock Price Movement • Both Mr. Colbert and Mr. Stewart talked about it • BP quote – “The company is not aware of any reason which justifies the share price movement.” • BP’s stock lost more than half its value in 52 days • Mr. Stewart believes “that apparently BP’s greatest clean up efforts are aimed at preventing ‘factballs’ from washing up on the beaches.” • Mr. Colbert – “82 billion dollars lost. God. It’d be such a tragedy if any pelicans had BP stocks.”

9. BP’s Poor Job Informing the Scientists…and Public • Released a murky video 3 weeks after the spill • Had an “HD” version the whole time that scientists could have used to understand the leak • Spokesmen Mr. Suttles • BP denying the existent of oil plumes underwater • Mr. Stewart had 5 different news clips citing the existence of oil plume underwater • Government confirmed that there is more than one plume and could be up to the size of six miles

10. Oil Plumes • “Government scientists have confirmed that there are large plumes of oil under the surface of the Gulf. On May 31st your CEO, Tony Hayward, said ‘The oil is on the surface. There aren’t any plumes. Is BP willing to admit it was wrong?” – Katie Couric (ABC) • Mr. Suttles – “We haven’t found any large concentrations of oil under the sea. It may be down to how you define a plume is here.” • Mr. Stewart – “IT’S SIX f*%$!ING MILES LONG. IT’S NOT EVEN A PLUME ANYMORE ITS LIKE AN OILY…..SIX MILE THING.

11. Who Will Save Us? • Skips over Mr. Obama saying “You had your chance.” • Kevin Costner believes he has a technology that will centrifuge oil and water (testifies in front of Congress). • Senator of Iowa, Mr. Grassley, believes in pouring “beer brewing ingredients” into the Gulf • “He said that if you put the yeast from making beer into this water, it will in fact, collect molecules and produce methane. That’s actually not true. We double checked that with a scientist.” – Reporter (MSNBC) • Mr. Stewart – “Really? You had to double check that with a scientist? You couldn’t know right away that was the stupidest thing you ever heard?”

12. Government Ideas Cont. • Nuclear option • Both Mr. Colbert and Mr. Stewart talk about this solution • (CNN) “The nuclear option. Actually using some kind of nuclear warhead that would go down like a bunker buster and deflate the oil reserves to the point that it would literally stop itself.” • Mr. Stewart – “What could go wrong? Ya know what? I’m in! Costner, saddle up. Cue the Aerosmith end credit song. LET’S DO THIS!” • In Mr. Colbert’s Crude and Unusual Episode he says “Sure its not guaranteed to work. And sure no one knows how the radiation would spread or effect wildlife. And sure it would violate international treaties but come on. It would turn the bottom of the ocean to glass (New York Times). How cool is that? And if we nuke the sea floor and turn it to glass, we wouldn’t have to do any more exploratory drilling. We could just see where it is. Push the button President Obama!

13. South Park’s Unrealistic Episodes • BP changes name to DP (dependable petroleum) • DP opens a portal to another dimension • “The oil company stated that it knew a portal to another dimension was there, but didn’t think drilling into it prove problematic.” • “Tearing a hole into another dimension is a that should have never happened” – CEO Tony Hayward • DP’s CEO meeting • More than another sorry campaign • Ocean ‘s current and swells are too much to put machinery • Drill on the moon to reduce ocean’s effects

14. South Park Continued • BP’s “I’m Sorry” videos • Hint that BP isn’t doing anything about the spill • Three in total: • 1 for spill in the gulf • 2 for opening a portal to another dimension • 3 for drilling on the moon and releasing the dark lord Cthulhu

15. What South Park Is Trying to Tell Us • 3 Episodes were watched by 2.27 million • Let’s the public know what happened • BP doesn’t care about the environment • Fixing disasters = “I’m Sorry” videos and more drilling • Downplays human response • Captain Hindsight • 3 Episodes allowed public to be reminded of spill thereby effectively keeping attention to the matter

16. Famous Youtube Videos:BP Spills Coffee • BP’s CEO spills coffee at meeting • “Don’t worry about it. It’s a small spill in a very large table.” • Attempts to fix: • Block with hands. • Brilliant idea written on bounty paper towels. • Cardboard box to cap that doesn’t work. • Pour garbage in cups so that is stops spilling. • Observe for 3 hours and reassess. • Blame Halliburton for providing cups.

17. BP Coffee continued • Attempts to fix continued: • Everyone freaks out. • Kevin Costner knows what to do: • “Do you have a golf ball?” CEO – “I have a ping pong ball.” Costner – “Good. Now throw it at the spill…...What happened?” CEO – “Nothing.” Costner – “You guys are f*@%ed.” *Room begins to scream and panic*

18. End of Coffee Spill • 47 Days later • No one is in the room • Mess isn’t cleaned • “Public” is looking through window shaking his head

19. What is the BP Spills Coffee Trying to Tell Us • Video downplays BP’s response • Overviews BP’s decisions to plug the hole • Expresses public’s anger with BP • Video was viewed 11.5 million times (3/6/11)

20. Famous Youtube Videos:The BP Oil Spill Re-Enacted By Cats • CEO, Advisor, and Caring worker are all Cats • CEO to Carking worker (Cooper) when told about spill • “Blast. We mustn’t waste our precious oil on otters and Mexicans Cooper.” • CEO’s three ideas to fix it • Topkil • Junkshot • Remind America that there are people we hate more than BP

21. Methods • Topkill – “Throw some mud on it.” • Junkshot – “Throw some crap on it. Rubbish. You know. Golf balls, hair, Lindsey Lohan, whatever.” • Remind America – “Probably the most detested figure on the planet, the guy that invented that facebook game, Farmville.”

22. Ending • Parts I and II have reached over 780,000 views • Ends with print • “BP you’re not mad enough to not drive your car.” • “BP c’mon. There’s stuff out there worse than us.” “Ya know. Maybe we stop caring about money for once. Maybe we take every cent out of this company and try to help the fisherman, the poor people suffering. Maybe we fix this Cooper. Ah Sir, Really? CEO HAHAHAHAHA!! Cooper you’re so stupid. They’ll need us again, until then, whatever. Cooper

23. How do Parodies effect communications in the wake of a disaster? • Parodies display publics feelings • Great way of informing a lot of people • Parodies don’t tell you what to think • Let you draw your own conclusions • Study shows that Colbert’s and Stewart’s audiences rank in some of the most knowledgeable • Above Fox News in every category • Pew Research Study

24. Sources • http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/341500/july-29-2010/the-oil-is-missing • http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s14e11-coon-2-hindsight • http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s14e12-mysterion-rises • http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s14e13-coon-vs-coon-friends • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt617zYAbng • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bLQD7IhW88&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7ClM • http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/16/daily-show-fox-knowledge/ • http://ecopolitology.org/2010/12/14/twitter-king-stephen-colbert-celebrates-most-retweeted-tweet-of-2010/ • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/11/stewart-on-latest-bp-deve_n_608716.html • http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/312112/june-10-2010/bp-stock-sinks • http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/308087/april-28-2010/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill • http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/310039/june-03-2010/crude---unusual • http://www.ucbcomedy.com/videos/play/6472/bp-spills-coffee

25. Picture Sources • http://www.experience-it-all.com/?tag=bp • http://www.morenewmath.com/253/drill-baby-drill/http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/10/28/south-park-tackles-the-bp-oil-spill-video/ • http://www.cinemasoldier.com/articles/2010/6/17/finding-nemo-meets-bp-oil-spill-funny-sad.html • http://the17thman.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/06/breaking-news-bp-kills-aquaman.html • http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/dtnews/dtnews.html • http://agreenliving.org/tag/oil-industry/ • http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/jon-stewart-on-bp-now-theyre-just-waiting-for-aquaman-to-stop-the-spill-video.php • http://www.inquisitr.com/75528/video-bp-execs-spill-coffee/ • http://forum.belmont.edu/business/2010/08/how_concerned_should_we_be_reg.html • http://www.green.tv/tremendousnews_bp_oil_spill_cats?set_location=en • http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/06/cats-re-enact-bp-oil-spill-in-new-youtube-hit-video/ • http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/stephen-colbert-gulf-spill-oil.php • http://www.barrymelroserocks.com/2010-archives/november/were-sorry.html • http://www.southparkstudios.com/search/?keywords=Coon%202:%20Hindsight&contentTypes=Video • http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2xLHNV/xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/4320458/sn/98188779/name/bp%252Bspill%252Bsign.jpg • http://memegenerator.net/Tony-Hayward • http://fuelfix.com/blog/2010/11/10/got-an-oil-spill-south-park-says-call-captain-hindsight/ • http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/colbert-its-bps-well-so-the-only-person-to-blame-is-barack-obama-video.php • http://www.indecisionforever.com/2010/06/04/stephen-colbert-on-the-bp-oil-spill-nuclear-option-which-is-literally-a-nuclear-option/ • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/FINN76/colbert-finds-the-disappe_n_665092_55501847.html • http://www.good.is/post/what-bp-should-have-said/ • http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2010/06/bp_coffee_spill.php • http://www.autoevolution.com/news/bp-coffee-spill-crisis-management-video-21360.html • http://jalopnik.com/#!5560756/this-is-what-happens-when-bp-spills-coffee • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/living-in-the-past-working-in-the-past-how-not-to-get-brandjacked-like-bp-global-pr/ • http://www.thechicecologist.com/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill-disaster/ • http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/06/11/jon-stewart-exasperated-by-bp-oil-plume-denials-video/ • http://evans-politics.com/noaa-bp-outright-lies-about-the-very-real-oil-p.html

26. Conclusion • The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place ~George Bernard Shaw • How were we informed • Greenwashing? • Parodies? • New digitalization?