Hillary Clinton as GLaDOS from "Portal"?

Fans of the groundbreaking videogame Portal know that the game reaches its climax when you face and destroy GLaDOS--a patronizing, condescending, sarcastic and potentially deadly supercomputer with a female voice and a penchant for cake.

I know the game only for its exquisitely catchy ending credits song, "Still Alive," sung by a defeated but nevertheless defiant GLaDOS.  Songwriter Jonathan Coulton's tune is infectiously catchy and a wondrous display of passive-aggression by GLaDOS.  (Coulton's talents go far beyond videogame scoring, and his quirky tunes are a hit with the college scene).  

Listening to the song last night I was struck with the notion that Hillary Clinton is the GLaDOS of those closing credits.

Check it out.

A few tweaks of the lyrics, and it's Hillary all over.  To wit:

Hillary: Still Alive

This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate
my satisfaction.

Hillary Clinton
We say what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the voters for Him.

But there's no sense crying
over every mistake.
You just trust in Mark Penn
till you run out of cake.
There were elections that were run.
And occasionally we won.
Politically, I am
still alive.

I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And beat me.
And took all my Supers.
And thrust a big knife deep in my back.
As it twist it hurt because
I was so happy for you!

All our polling data
made a microtrend line.
But we're out of money.
Terry's counting each dime.
So I'm glad I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
I'm politically
still alive.

Go ahead to Denver.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you'll find someone else
for Vee-Pee.
Maybe Ferraro...
THAT WAS A JOKE, HA HA, FAT CHANCE.
Anyway the Senate's great.
It's so prestigious and stuff.

Look at me still talking when there's so much to do
When I look to November
it makes me glad I'm not you.
And I've better things to run,
And I'm paying off my loans
to some vendors, but I'm
still alive.

And believe me I am still alive.
West Virginians think I'm still alive.
I feel fantastic and and I'm still alive.
While your losing I'll be still alive.
And when you lost I will be still alive.
Still alive.
Still alive.

•  The Cake is a Lie

  by LarsThorwald on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:33:40 AM PDT

  •  Tipped and Recced For

    ...best song in the history of all soundtracks, and the clever lyrics.

    I'm a "Clinton Respecting Obama Supporter" but this is still four stars.

    by TooFolkGR on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:34:59 AM PDT

  •  The video game theroy of politics.

    I understand many of the diaries and comments now.

    by TomP on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:36:01 AM PDT

    •  (eyeroll) n/t

      by Pegasus on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:50:47 AM PDT

      •  (Smile.)

        Glad you liked it.

        It really does explain a lot.  When political candidates are reudced to video creatures, it is easier to think one is all good and the other all bad.  Reality, however, is far more complicated than a video game. (and I suspect it is a subtle influence.  No one really believes that the opposing candidate is a video creature, but attitudes are transferred.  

        Pinche tejano has an interesting theory a few months ago that he shaared in a comment on Docudharma:

        Unfortunately, I was on no side, which lead to me being lead out of town and shot like a Burma monk. But whatever, I think people treat it like a MUD ( http://en.wikipedia.org/... which in fact even Peeder says he sorta based the rec system on.

        Troll hunters became Player Killers, which exist in the MUD universe as well. It was amazing to see a game culture applied to a political blog. Very interesting cultural anthropology

        I'm not sure he is totally right, but it's clear that some aspects of video game culture influence some commenters here.  It's not a direct influence, though.  

        Someone should do an academic study on the psychology of identification with a political candidate and how it plays out on blogs. What psychological need/desire, if any, does it serve to identify strongly with one candidate and demonize the opponent. How does it compare to sports fans?  Other analogous things.

        Meteor Blades had an interesting comment yesterday:

        Yes ... (26+ / 0-)
        Recommended by:shayera, resa, panicbean, jimreyn, benny05, jsamuel, Junior Bug, NearlyNormal, CA Nana, Statusquomustgo, SharonColeman, TomP, planetclaire4, okamichan13, bettync, OrdinaryGal, dewley notid, TokenLiberal, temptxan, waiting for hope, tsunami, StrangeAnimals, Quilldriver, BoiseBlue, wovenbirds, jandress

        One thing I hate about the media generally is that they constantly attribute policy concerns to some political motive.

        Sadly, the blogs are, if anything, worse about this in the most partisan manner possible. If it's one's chosen candidate, s/he's purely motivated. If it's some other candidate, s/he's obviously venal, brimful of conflicts of interest and driven by unfettered ambition or opportunism.

        Good Diary, as always. I hope somebody here actually clicks onto the national strategy you link. I've bookmarked it for later tonight.

        Like a cyclone, imperialism spins across the globe; militarism crushes peoples and sucks their blood like a vampire. K. Liebknecht

        by Meteor Blades on Tue May 13, 2008 at 01:46:07 PM PDT

        He's right, in my view.

        To a degree, the Democratic Party blogs are the compliment to right wing radio.  The question is whether they can be different from or whether conformity as influenced by recommedations, troll ratings, and positive and negative comments will wash out any dissent and create our own ditto heads. Ditto heads are fine for lower order tasks, so they serve a purpose.  But self starting activists they do not make.

        Time will tell the direction it goes in.

        Since Obama is centralizing "progrssive" efforst in his campaign, it wil be interesting to see the future of the blogs and how it all plays out.

        So, yes, I find the comparison to video games quite interesting.  

        You may roll your eyes again.  :-)  

        by TomP on Wed May 14, 2008 at 09:50:00 AM PDT

        •  Astute stuff, but I just can't stretch it

          to apply to a silly little diary spoofing a song from a cult-classic-to-be video game.*  That's all.

          *Don't know if you've played/heard of Portal, but it was an incredibly sly and intelligent, not to mention funny, game that made a nice commentary on video games themselves.  A cool cultural artifact, at the very least.

          by Pegasus on Wed May 14, 2008 at 10:21:27 AM PDT

          •  Perhaps a stretch for this diary.

            It's something I've been thinking about and the diary subject triggered it.  

            You make a good point.

            Take care.

            by TomP on Wed May 14, 2008 at 10:25:59 AM PDT

  •  The cake is real

    I have seen it!

    Of course, as with all things, you have to break the game or beat the game to see it.

    by Anderson Republican on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:42:54 AM PDT

•  You got tips for... cake?

  by redvolution on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:37:15 AM PDT

•  Things I didn't expect to see today on dkos:

  1. GLaDOS

  I think "even though you broke my heart and killed me / and tore me to pieces / and threw every piece into a fire" is in the all time hall of fame for post-breakup pop music lyrics.

  by pylonsound on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:37:57 AM PDT

•  And i'll add, your lyrics are perfect!

  Hilarious!

  by redvolution on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:40:10 AM PDT

•  I saw this video over at myDD a few days ago

  and it is wonderful...

  by Student Guy on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:44:56 AM PDT

•  That is

  a pretty darn clever reworking of those lyrics.

  And I thank you (sarcastically) for getting that song stuck in my head, where I'm sure it'll be all day.

  ...and you make a neat gun... damnit.

  by Pegasus on Wed May 14, 2008 at 08:52:57 AM PDT

•  I just beat the game last night

  so this is very timely for me! lol

  by qazplm on Wed May 14, 2008 at 09:01:04 AM PDT

•  My boys love that song - I've heard it a lot...

  and it has always reminded me of Sen Clinton - but your reworked lyrics are perfect!!!  Love it!

  by blue armadillo on Wed May 14, 2008 at 09:27:17 AM PDT