Right blogs fume over 'virgin' ad

Conservatives in the blogosphere are expressing outrage over a new Obama commercial featuring “Girls” star Lena Dunham talking about how her “first time” was with President Barack Obama while those on the left took to Twitter to ridicule the backlash.

“Lena Dunham allows herself to be used in this cheap, last minute attempt to be the first for young women,” wrote Breeanne Howe in a piece that led RedState.com. “Dunham, who was raised in a wealthy, over-sexualized household and who started therapy at age 7 must somewhat be forgiven for her role; she seems to have a thing for talking about her first time, the Obama administration was just happy to oblige. The problem is, this is an adult man, with two young daughters, who should know better.”


Conservative radio host Monica Crowley also offered a harsh assessment of the ad, which features Dunham speaking suggestively about her “first time.” It only becomes evident later in the ad that she’s referring to her first time voting.

“1 of the many sick things about this degrading Lena Dunham ‘lose your virginity to Barack’ ad? The Left thinks it’s ‘empowering’ to women,” she tweeted.

Erick Erickson, the editor of RedState, called the ad “further proof about just how much the President has cheapened the Presidency” — but he said it also offers insight into Obama’s campaign strategy.

“The reason Barack Obama is running this ad is because he is done trying to get independent voters,” Erickson wrote. “He’s given up. Despite campaign rhetoric about fighting for evangelicals, he’s given up there. He’s given up on Catholic voters. He’s given up on the South. He’s given up on men who have daughters. He’s given up on moms. He’s given up on everyone expect his core base of singles, gays, and minorities, including college kids he is desperate to get back to the polls.”

Allahpundit at Hot Air said that if Republicans ran an ad along those lines, they would be lambasted for reducing women to sexual objects.

“Worth watching if only as fodder for a thought experiment on how a similar ad would be received if it came from the right,” he wrote. “Light-hearted or no, it would bring about the “war on women” End Times, a days-long tribulation of fake-outrage oneupsmanship culminating in a moronic, pandering series of tweets from The One himself. Isn’t it just like a wingnut to sexualize the right to vote that women fought so hard for? Do they think women are too stupid to appreciate a straightforward pitch on the issues? Why can’t they be more sensitive, like Barack Obama?”

Allahpundit added, “The most striking thing about it isn’t the lame virginity gag, which feels stale after 10 seconds (only 53 more to go!), but the precision with which they’re trying to reach their target demographic. If you know who Lena Dunham is, you know exactly who they’re after.”

Jay Cost of The Weekly Standard seconded that assessment: “Allahpundit nails it. “If you know who Lena Dunham is, you know exactly who they’re after.” He’s worried about the base,” Cost tweeted.

John Tabin of The American Spectator wrote that “Lena Dunham turned 18 in May 2004.”

“I guess she was practicing abstinence that November,” he snarked on Twitter.

”Give the Obama campaign credit for reaching across demographic, geographic divides, from Red Hook to Fort Greene and even to Park Slope,” added Texas Republican Josh Treviño.

Others drew parallels between the Dunham spot and an ad for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“#MyFirstTime ad by #Obama is similar to an ad #Putin did. They must share the same advisor: #Satan #RussianStyleTactics #tcot” read a tweet from a GOP official in Minnesota, according to a screen shot captured by BuzzFeed.

“Earlier this year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin released two ads urging young women to make sure their first time is with someone they love,” continued Howe of RedState. “The mainstream media labeled the ads creepy and were clearly turned off by the inappropriate propaganda. Now the question is what excuse will the media and the left find to justify their president mimicking the leader of Russia.”

Some on the left hit back at the backlash with mockery and jokes of their own.

“Conservative bloggers, of course, were already cranking up a reflexively outraged response just hours after the video was released on Thursday,” wrote The Nation’s Ari Melber. “Well, they never claimed to have a sense of humor.”

“Do the people freaking out about the Lena Dunham video also get shocked at like Cole Porter songs or old Match Game episodes,” tweeted Salon’s Alex Pareene.

“Cute Lena Dunham vid may be hit w/young voters. But will it be a hit after kids hear the pushback from 55 and over whiteguys on Twitter?” mocked Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo.

Josh Greenman of the New York Daily News offered a multi-layered political joke: “Rumor: Lena Dunham will play Julia in Kathryn Bigelow’s film adaptation of ‘Life of Julia.’”

Balloon Juice hit Crowley for her anti-Dunham comments by offering a sampling of some of her more controversial statements.

Slate’s Matt Yglesias linked, with no comment, to one eyebrow-raising sentence from a RedState write-up of the video: “First he asked for your wedding gifts, then your yard sales and now he has asked for your daughters,” read the line he tweeted.