Talk:Wag the Dog

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is part of WikiProject Films, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to films and film characters on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.

Start

This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.

Unknown

This article has not been rated on the importance assessment scale.

Editing Guidelines

Please remember these guidelines when editing a film article:

If a non-film article already exists with the name of the film that you are trying to create an article for, disambiguate and use (film) in the title: Film Title (film)
- For more information see: Wikipedia:Naming conventions (films)
When writing an article about a particular film, the general format should be a concise lead section, followed by a plot summary of no more than 900 words, production details, a cast list, a reception section, and references.
Create an Infobox that tells all pertinent information about the film.

Is the "quotes" section really necessary? Also, what novel is Wag the Dog supposed to be based on? 200.55.95.232 19:38, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

1 There is no irony in the "Irony" section.
2 Expression
3 Operation Desert Fox
4 George Bush's 'Coincidence'?
5 Duplicative information

[edit] There is no irony in the "Irony" section.

Hate to be a stickler, but I'm going to have to insist that we use words only in accordance wit htheir meanings: IRONY NOUN: pl. i·ro·nies

1. a. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. b. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning. c. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect.

2. a. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: "Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated" (Richard Kain). b. An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity. See Usage Note at ironic.

The usage note mentioned in the definition points out that using "Irony" or any of its forms to describe theings which are merely humorous, coincidental, or even humorously coincidental is a misuse of the word.

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/irony

Nothing on WIki's entry for irony seems to cover this use, not even descriptivist appologies for its misuse.--Smallwhitelight 13:22, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Expression

What does the expression "wag the dog" mean, politically? --1000Faces 03:36, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Operation Desert Fox

We, in CENTCOM, called this operation Wag the Fox due to the movie. We thought we were so clever. :-) --BenWoodruff 18:14, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] George Bush's 'Coincidence'?

I do not see warrant for the following sentence in the 'Coincidence' section: "Similar criticisms were later leveled against President George W. Bush, whose invasion of Iraq and saber-rattling discourse with Iran were also viewed by some, including New York Times columnist Frank Rich, as being a foreign distraction to avert domestic unpopularity."

I don't know if this is simply trying to be NPOV by making sure a Republican is mentioned, but it really is irrelevant. The 'Coincidence' section doesn't detail presidents fighting wars to stave off unpopularity, but rather the coincidence of Clinton running military operations right as his sex scandal was hitting the nation -- only months after this movie was released. I could see it if George Bush had been hit with a sex scandal around 2003-2004, OR if he had been president and conducted (or threatened to use) military operations right after the movie came out, but this sentence as it stands doesn't add to one's understanding of the 'coincidence' between the movie and real life events. I'm removing it. 208.178.18.185 16:23, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Duplicative information

I have removed a paragraph from the "Coincidence" section that duplicated information about Operation Infinite Reach from the first paragraph. I also removed an irrelevant (to this article) paragraph regarding President Clinton's alleged justification for that operation. — 67.36.234.70, 14:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC).

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../w/a/g/Talk%7EWag_the_Dog_d98b.html"

Categories: Start-Class film articles | Unassessed importance film articles