We're talking about oversimplifying complex issues in what's often called "bumper sticker politics." Listeners texted in some of the bumper stickers they see around them: Now we want you to unpack them a bit. Pick one from the list of listener-submitted slogans below and tell us: What's the more complex idea behind it? How well does the sticker communicate the idea?
(We made the image above from listener-submitted bumper stickers and a Creative-Commons image by flickr user "Napalm filled tires.")
Text messages we've gotten so far:
"Don't blame me...I voted Ron Paul"
"Vote Republican - it's easier than thinking."
"One that I saw that made me angry was "Impeach Obama". This was disturbing because I kept thinking under what grounds? He has done nothing illegal. I think it was more about hatred of the man than the reverence of the position."
"Funniest thing i have ever seen: 'Dont believe everything you think.'"
"That village in Texas got their idiot back"
"Gun control is being able to hit your target."
"At least the war on the environment is going well."
"For bumpersticker politics: "i love waterboarding," seen in cambridge mass!?"
"I'll keep my money, guns and freedom. You can keep the change."
"'i love waterboarding,' seen in Cambridge, Mass!"
"Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks you're a jerk."
"I saw this bumper sticker in Austin, TX: "abortions are like magic... they make babies disappear." It looked so silly that I couldn't decide for the longest time it it was pro-choice or pro-life. I later found it for sale on a pro-life website."
"Republicans. We work hard so you don't have to."
"'McLawrence for Judge - Balanced Judgment for Today's Broward'"
"I'm straight but not narrow -thats my bumper sticker"
"I once saw a truck w/ the bumper sticker, 'GOD, GUTS, and GUNS.' I was so disgusted that I rear-ended him at on purpose and ripped it right off."
"If bs was currency Obama could personally pay off the national debt"
Author and law professor Stephen Carter comments on the phenomenon of oversimplifying complex issues in an interview with the Martha's Vineyard Gazette.
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Comments [18]
One of my favs:
Get real like Jesus would ever own a gun or vote Republican.
There are so many --
WTF, MA?
Don't re-elect anyone.
Don't share my wealth; share my work ethic.
OOPS! (O's w/Obama logo)
Don't like abortion? Don't have one!
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
As for bumper stickers "Just Because I'm Paranoid Does Not Mean People Are Not Out To Get Me" I always got a chuckle out of.
This one is particularly shocking and controversial but thought-provoking nonetheless:
"May the fetus you save be a black, gay, wiccan Democrat"
Referring to and poking fun of the typecast conservative social values. Could be misconstrued, but taken in the intended context, makes quite a point, I think.
Seen some years ago in Brooklyn:
"Don't labor over a misconception."
Promote Thinking:
Ban Same-Sect Marriage!
Promote Thinking:
Ban Same-Sect Marriage!
My bumperstickers are:
"If only closed minds came with closed mouths"
"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional."
And the word "Coexist" made of various religious symbols.
One of the bumper stickers I saw recently that really annoyed me was "O-SH*T" with the 'O' as the Obama campaign symbol.
Heh. I like "The Truth is Out There (It's Just Not Very Well Indexed)" - good geek bumper sticker.
From my long dead cousin, Alphonse de Lamartine
"The more I see of the representatives of the people, the more I admire my dogs." Had this made for my car!
I live in Massachusetts and there is a great bumper sticker that says RetireBarney.com on it. It is one of the bumper stickers for Sean Bielat, who is running against Congressman Barney Frank here in the 4th Congressional District. Very creative bumper sticker and you have to love the website.
Best radical political bumper sticker ever: (Seen in 1973 at Cornell University.)
Reunite Gondwanaland!
Seen on HuffPo: "Tea Party: fighting deficits since Jan. 21, 2009"
I was once given a bumper sticker by a young lady that worked for me. It read, "Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions". I later found out it was a quote from a man named G.K. Chesterton. Both G.K. and my employee were Christian and maybe that is why she gave it to me because I was too. I found the quote terribly offensive and completely opposed to my personal understanding of Jesus. I never commented on the bumper sticker directly to my employee but I did send her a bumper I sticker I made on photo shop. It read, "Tolerance is the first virtue of a wise man with convictions".
This one always cracked me up:
"Republicans for Voldemort"
My neighbors in Minnesota had a bumper sticker that said "My president is Charlton Heston". It was next to the NRA sticker... duh.
Bumper stickers:
"Consciousness: Those annoying times between naps."
"I DO: Support Marriage Equality."
I bought my father the bumper sticker:"Leave no billionare left behind", and he used it til the car died.
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