History Main / AttackOfThePoliticalAd

* In ''ArrestedDevelopment'', when George Michael lets Gob do an ad for his school president campaign, Gob pretty much attacks George's rival, Steve Holt, on the grounds that he doesn't even know who his father is.

* This is how John Stewart ran the Oscars when he was the host.

[[NoRealLifeExamplesPlease No need to add Real Life examples.]]

Very much a fact of life in any democratic process, since the advent of television, political campaigns have taken to the airwaves every election cycle just to point out the flaws and negative characteristics of their opponents in the most unsavory ways. They contrast the most unattractive pictures they can find of their opponent with [[BeautyEqualsGoodness the most appealing photos of their own candidate]], they QuoteMine, they [[AppealToFear scare you]] into thinking that if their opponent is elected [[SlipperySlopeFallacy they'll send your world straight to Hell]].

* Played with in a fake campaign ad on ''TheState'': An announcer details dangerous, controversial, or just plain weird policies a candidate allegedly supports over ominous music... Then it turns out it's actually an ad ''for'' said candidate, concluding that while he's crazy, he at least doesn't need a colostomy bag like his opponent does.

{{Demonization}} is a more general case, less restrained by the necessity to keep at least formal decency.

No need to add RealLife examples.

-->'''Announcer''': ''[sinister music]'' Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins has never publicly stated his opinion on child pornography. [[FalseDichotomy Is it because he's hiding something?]] [[AdHominem Would you want a child pornographer voting on this nation's laws?]] [[ThinkOftheChildren Would you trust your children's future to someone like that?]] ''[upbeat music]'' Vote Republican Senator Robert Thorne, who is committed to locking up child pornographers!

[[AC: RealLife]]
* Look up some of the campaign rhetoric from the early US elections. It's impressive, and a bit disturbing.

* In ''FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', Bloo and Herriman prepare an attack ad against Frankie (who is running for house administrator), complete with catchy jingle.

* On ''CloneHigh'', when Abe and JFK are running for student body president, JFK makes an attack ad against Abe. First the ad claims Abe is a liar because his answer was different to what it was a year before, and then footage of Abe eating spaghetti is very poorly edited to make it look like he's eating a baby.

* ''DeathToTheExtremist'': Two attempts this tactic [[http://dtecomic.com/?n=287 "My esteemed candidate is unqualified, and also a convicted felon maybe]] when he thinks One is running against him for mayor.

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/feature-articles/freddy-krueger-mayor.php this]] featured article from SomethingAwful. It is written up as an attack piece on a candidate [[ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] for Mayor of Springwood. While the attacks on Krueger are incredibly outlandish and surreal, '''none''' of them have anything to do with him being a child murderer--claims which the author of the piece dismisses as "rumors" and a ploy to spark "mudslinging" which the author [[HypocriticalHumor refuses to take part in]].

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/feature-articles/freddy-krueger-mayor.php this]] featured article from SomethingAwful. It is written up as an attack piece on a candidate [[ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] for Mayor of Springwood. While the attacks on Krueger are incredibly outlandish and surreal, '''none''' of them have anything to do with him being a child murderer--claims which the author of the piece dismisses as "rumors" and a ploy to spark "mudslinging" which the author refuses to take part in.

* Played with in a fake campaign ad on ''TheState'': An announcer details dangerous, controversial, or just plain weird policies a candidate allegedly supports over ominous music... Then it turns out it's actually an ad ''for'' said candidate, concluding that while he's crazy, he at least doesn't need a colostomy bag, unlike his opponent.

As such, whenever a work of fiction with political themes focuses on public campaigning, attack ads tend to show up in exaggerated forms, occasionally even [[{{Parody}} parodying]] RealLife attack ads. Oftentimes, a political opponent is smeared to an extraordinary degree not just to be portrayed as the wrong person for political office but also as being downright evil. For example, the opposition candidate can be suggested to have been involved in causing any number of world disasters, accused of [[EatsBabies eating babies]], or outright claimed to want to be [[GodwinsLaw the next Hitler]]. This will likely be contrasted with the endorsed candidate being portrayed in an unbelievably saintly light. Naturally, this is usually PlayedForLaughs.

* Back in 2004, MickFoley thought the big giant screens seen at political conventions looked like the {{WWE}}'s Titantron. Since politics was, to him, ripping off the WWE, he figured maybe the WWE could rip off politics. So he went to VinceMcMahon and pitched an angle where RandyOrton would be doing political attack ads against Mick Foley. "Mick Foley claims to be a hardcore legend, but is he really?" [=McMahon=] laughed and liked the idea, and it was used as an angle early in 2005.

-->'''Announcer''': ''[sinister music]'' Last year, Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins has purchased a Sports Utility Vehicle. Three months later there have been two separate incidences of hit-and-runs by unidentified SUVs in his area. [[FalseCause Is Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins to blame?]] [[AppealToFear Can you afford that chance?]] [[ThinkOfTheChildren Can your children?]] ''[upbeat music]'' Vote Republican Senator Robert Thorne, a candidate who has never committed vehicular homicide!

* During the US 2000 Presidential Election, ''The Chris Rock Show'' had the spoof "Mike Tyson for President" ads, which featured footage from Mike Tyson interviews [[AtLeastIAdmitIt admitting to things like being a convicted rapist and]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking "a semi-good husband".]]

-->'''Announcer''': ''[sinister music]'' Last year, Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins has purchased a Sports Utility Vehicle. Three months later there have been two separate incidences of hit-and-runs by unidentified SUVs in his area. Is Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins to blame? Can you afford that chance? Can your children? ''[upbeat music]'' Vote Republican Senator Robert Thorne, a candidate who has never committed vehicular homicide!

-->'''Announcer''': ''[sinister music]'' Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins has never publicly stated his opinion on child pornography. Is it because he's hiding something? Would you want a child pornographer voting on this nation's laws? Would you trust your children's future to someone like that? ''[upbeat music]'' Vote Republican Senator Robert Thorne, who is committed to locking up child pornographers!

-->'''Announcer''': ''[sinister music]'' Democratic Candidate Micheal Rebbins recently sued Senator Robert Thorne for accusing Rebbins of being a murderous child pornographer. But Rebbins had previously said he was against clogging up courts with frivolous lawsuits. Wouldn't this make him a hypocrite? Would you want a hypocrite as your next Congressman? Would you want your children to become hypocrites? ''[upbeat music]'' Vote for Republican Senator Robert Thorne! A candidate ''not'' accused of being a murderous child pornographer!

* ''[[AmericaTheBook America (The Book)]]'' has a page dedicated to satirizing negative political advertising as well as highlighting some of its most famous RealLife examples. Among the book's surreal claims, a year after Lyndon Johnson's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63h_v6uf0Ao "Daisy"]] ad from the 1964 US Presidential election suggested that his opponent Barry Goldwater would start a nuclear war, Barry Goldwater started a nuclear war; [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9KMSSEZ0Y Willie Horton]] was Michael Dukakis's running mate in 1988; and an underground smear campaign in ancient Rome depicted [[EmperorCaligula Caligula]] as "a pretty nice guy."

* ''[[AmericaTheBook America (The Book)]]'' has a page dedicated to satirizing negative political advertising as well as highlighting some of its most famous RealLife examples. Among the book's surreal claims, a year after Lyndon Johnson's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63h_v6uf0Ao "Daisy"]] ad from the 1964 US Presidential election suggested that his opponent Barry Goldwater would start a nuclear war, Barry Goldwater started a nuclear war; [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9KMSSEZ0Y Willie Horton]] was Michael Dukakis's running mate in 1988; and an underground smear campaign in ancient Rome depicted [[TheCaligula Caligula]] as "a pretty nice guy."

!Examples of PoliticalAttackAds in Fiction

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