David, I think you just started your search in the wrong place. I went to Google, put in "hillary clinton red phone ad" and the third hit on the list was this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddX7LqgCvc.

I haven't seen the ad on TV (I don't watch a lot of TV), but assume that this is what you're looking for. I, too, have found that it's sometimes hard to find what I'm looking for when I search directly in YouTube; on the other hand, had I not been searching there for Monty Python skits, I would never have found the hilarious lego spoofs and a bunch of wonderful Star Wars vs. Holy Grail stuff. YouTube is for a rainy afternoon when you just want to be amused.

Anyway, I think it all boils down to effective search techniques, not any sort of age factor. After all, I'm 51--I could be your mama, baby! (Well, your babysitter anyway.)

I did notice, back to the ad, that this seems to have generated a lot of controversy, and my impression, after watching it twice, was that it was melodramatic fluff. It didn't say anything substantive, just had a guy with a scary voice over top of sleeping babies. No wonder it's buried under parodies. Now I want to go back, when I have one of those rainy afternoons, and watch the parodies!

Just as well I don't watch much TV, eh?

Here's your problem David - Don't try to find YouTube stuff IN YouTube. I know that sounds ridiculous, but immediately after I read your post, I did what I always do when I'm trying to find something online - I went to Google.

When I entered "Hillary Clinton+Ad+Red Phone" in the search field and hit enter, the second item that came up was this (I've copied the link of the video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddX7LqgCvc

I'm assuming this is what you were looking for? Finding it using Google took me 0.24 seconds (according to Google).

If you've got nothing better to do all day than troll around YouTube great. But for those of us who need to find stuff quickly, I'm sticking with my beloved Google.

Kristen, are we twins?

Joan - It seems that way doesn't it?

Actually, to steal a comment from Ron Shewchuk on a recent blog, I personally like to think we are part of the David Murray "forum for curmudgeons, cranks and complainers, of which I am a proud and active member."

;-)

David - yes it's an emoticon - and yes, I know you hate them - Too bad. just DEAL with it!!

You know what's even worse? My first thought was, well, David, why didn't you go to Hillary's web site? The ads have to be there. So I Googled "Hillary Clinton" and on the first page of results there were LOTS of links but they all went to "splash" pages where THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS DONATE MONEY. They contain absolutely no information about the candidate. It's the same with Obama. With McCain, the third link on the results page got me to a donation page that had a very FAINT "click here for more info about McCain" link, but that turned out to be one of those supremely irritating links that WON'T LET YOU LEAVE. So I guess the message is, "Just send us your damn money. You already know enough about us."

I guess I'm ust not good with emoticons.

But thanks, guys, for the tips on finding the video, and for actually finding it for me. The main point, though, is that the original ad was instantly and hopelessly outnumbered by a zillion parodies. That is pretty freaky.

Well, it begs to be parodied. I mean, seriously, that guy and his somber scary voice, the sleeping children, the darkness--good grief. I can hardly wait to go look at them. Thanks for letting me know about this!

David - you're right, and this brings us full circle as it links back to the original title of your post because:

1) if the "younger generation" has any one common trait, I believe it is their utter contempt and suspicion of anything disingenuous or "massaged" when it comes to messages; and

2) They have the willingness and, more importantly the wherewithal to expose, ridicule and lampoon such high-falutin' nonsense widely.

Those are things that I both envy and applaud in the communicators coming up the ladder behind us, and why I think this election will be one of the most interesting in decades between the candidates, the voters and the environment it's all happening in. Neato!

Or...maybe I'm just a political junkie, and any old election would fascinate me!

Joan, you make a good point. Perhaps that which deserves to be parodied will get parodied more, and more cleverly than that which does not.

Yes, Kristen, Neato indeed. Neato with a chance at teetering toward Disgust-o.

One of those parodies suggests that Obama snores too loudly to answer that ringing phone in the White House. I know you're in the tank for him, David, but I'm sure you'll reconsider after finding this out. I mean, it's on the Internet, so it must be true, right?

One of the comments notes that Clinton apparently sleeps in a pantsuit as she's fully dressed at 3:00 a.m.

And what's so strange about sleeping in a woman's pantsuit?