HUNTSVILLE, AL—
In the eyes of some, they're controversial. For others, they're comedic inspiration.Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim James' commercials are popular on the Internet, with this particular commercial receiving over 700,000 hits on YouTube.
Now people are putting their own creative spin on the campaign ads and posting them on YouTube.
One of the satire stars from right here in huntsville. Huntsville resident Dustin Timbrook spoofed the Tim James ad with this video to promote an upcoming concert by his band, Three Happenin Guys. (A quick warning, this would probably be rated PG-13. There are a couple mischievious spots.)
"I thought it was a comedy goldmine and I couldn't wait to make fun of it," Timbrook said about James' commercials.
But why make fun of such a serious issue as illegal immigration, and with state leadership at stake?
"I just thought it was really funny, and I thought that making fun of the ad, it just made sense."
He paused to look down, and then looked back up.
"Does it to you?"
It was an homage to candidate's slogan and signature sign-off, where James looks into the camera and says "It just makes sense."
James looks down for a moment and then inquires "Does it to you?"
A spokesperson for James' campaign said the idea came from their director of strategic perception. And all the spoofs have it.
"We did it shot-for-shot, exactly like the original Tim James ad," Timbrook said.
"We tried to make sure we were in a similar location and all the shots were the same pace. And we just wanted to make sure we made it as close to the original as possible because the original is just a brilliant commercial."
The James campaign thinks the spoofs are brilliant.
"It's hysterical," a spokesperson said.
"This is a standout among the many parodies. It's really clever and Tim enjoys it very much and some day we hope to meet the guys," the spokesperson said about Timbrook and his friends who helped make the video.
"Tim James's campaign actually contacted me and said that Tim James wanted to give me a shout out," Timbrook said.
"I'm not sure what that means, I gave them my phone number and he didn't call back, but we'll see what happens now that I'm on the news."
It's not just local.
Swords, an improv comedy team from New York City made this spoof, with more than 25,000 views on YouTube.
The duo of Bradford Jordan and Lucas Kavner suggest farcical changes that could take place to make things in Alabama "less foreign."
The James campaign spokesperson said "The spoofs only underscore the fact of how effective this ad has been. We've gotten calls from reporters and political commentators across the countries who have noted it's one of the most effective ads they've ever seen."
But Timbrook isn't hooked on the candidate.
"I"m not considering Tim James for governor," Timbrook said. "I'm a Libertarian so that's why I'm going to see--once it gets closer to the line--who I vote for."
He said he's working on a second video, which will spoof Roy Moore.
