The power of Sarah Palin and Barack Obama dancing with the stars
October 23, 2008 at 3:38 pm by Wayne GarciaWhat is it about the incredible viral power of sticking McCain’s or Obama’s head on some dancers? One photo and one video are winging around the Internet, and one has a tie to Tampa Bay.
First, the photo. A few days ago, Tampa Bay musician, graphic designer and 2006 Best of the Bay winner Martin Rice sent over a Photoshopped shot showing Obama dancing with Sarah Palin (from a Dancing With the Stars photo) with the note, “Unfortunately, this is what the country wants.”
Dancing With the Candidates (credit: Martin Rice)
He sent it to three friends. Within days, the picture ended up all over the world, and on ABC News:
I asked Rice today how he created the image and what he thought about its reach:
It’s something I’ve done for a while. I take obvious recognizable photos of celebrities and put my friends faces on them. It’s a fairly easy process in Photoshop if you have the right images to start with. It’s all about the angle of the two images, matchable quality and a perspective I can’t explain. Sometimes it just doesn’t work, sometimes it does. It’s fun to match the lighting and skin tones and to try and get the motion blur the same. I just layer the new face over the big image and then edit it from there with the eraser and clone tools in Photoshop.
With the Dancing with the Candidates one, it sort of developed out of absorbing all the political news and the hype of Palin and Obama. It just seemed very Hollywood. I just thought, regardless of how sad it may be, this is what a lot of the country would rather see. It just seemed timely.
I’m amazed at how widespread it is. I had no idea. I’d sent it to 3 people and next thing I know Melanie [his wife, who works at Creative Loafing] is calling me telling me they’re talking about it on CNN radio. I Googled it after that and found it everywhere, including the link of the Dancing With the Stars people talking about it. It goes to show you the power of the Internet.
Then today comes this video that takes Rice’s idea one step further:
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October 23rd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Holy crap! Was that Lance Bass with it as his wallpaper? Whoever it is just called Martin “amazing.”
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Haha-that’s funny. I thought that was the best part too-that Lance Bass had it as his wallpaper. That means you’ve made it.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Yes, that is Lance Bass
October 24th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Joran, you know perfectly well that’s Lance Bass…I’ve seen those ‘N Sync CD’s on your desk. :)
October 24th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Here’s a story from today where Martin gets credit for the photo. Wayne, they must have seen your blog, it’s the only place he was mentioned as the real artist:
http://www.iphonesavior.com/2008/10/america-loves-obama-and-palin-dancing-with-the-stars-on-iphone.html
October 24th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
He should do more! A whole series of Obama Palin Morphomatics.
Martin, congrats on the baby and your newfound fame!
October 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Who’s bodies were used to make this Print. I love it. So Funny!!!
October 24th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Hi Sam,
Thanks for inviting us for the dinner.
Hope, you can open it now. I’m sending the picture from the website.
Warm regards,
October 24th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Sabina,
Yes! I can open the picture!
Wow! Was that photo taken at the Mons?
And you’re welcome for dinner, but please, next time don’t jerk off my dog.
Sam
October 29th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Martin Rice was, is, and always will be- PURE GENIUS.