Elkin brings ‘Gangnam Style’ to party primary

Coalition chairman and Latma producer team up to create viral hit ahead of vote.

By LAHAV HARKOV
“Gangnam Style” 370 (photo credit: YouTube screenshot)
“Gangnam Style” 370
(photo credit: YouTube screenshot)
“Gangnam Style,” a song by Korean singer and rapper Psy mocking a nouveau riche Seoul neighborhood, took the Internet by storm this summer, becoming the second most-watched video on YouTube with more than 780 million hits, and a dance sensation with people all over the world galloping and lassoing imaginary horses.
On Wednesday night, coalition chairman Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) started banking on that popularity, releasing “Elkin Style,” a campaign video ahead of Sunday’s Likud primary.
“Elkin Style” depicts animated versions of former prime minister Ehud Olmert, former Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, former Supreme Court president Dorit Beinisch, Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich, Peace Now secretary-general and Labor primary candidate Yariv Oppenheimer, MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) and MK Haneen Zoabi (Balad) complaining about Elkin foiling their plans, all to the tune of “Gangnam Style.”
“Anyone but Elkin, who causes us problems,” they sang. “Not only did the Likud win [the last] election, but it took over.”
The clip lists different bills Elkin helped pass, as well as his unprecedented success as coalition leader, foiling all of the opposition’s bills that were not adopted by the government.
The video has the makings of a viral hit, with over 14,000 views by press time, less than 24 hours after its release.
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Shlomo Blass, manager of Rogatka, a production company known for creating clips for Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick’s Latma media criticism site and animated explanatory videos featuring Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, produced Elkin’s video, which was released just as Operation Pillar of Defense ended.
“It was part of the cease-fire; [US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton approved it,” Blass joked.
“We prepared it a few days in advance, and waited for the right timing. We didn’t want to release it while soldiers were waiting to enter Gaza.”
Blass explained that the philosophy behind “Elkin Style” is to grab the viewers’ attention by giving a message in a fun, enjoyable way. He pointed to the humor of Elkin promoting himself via the people who oppose him.
While Blass said he did not hesitate to mock Olmert, Tibi, Yacimovich and the others, “we were careful to keep it in good taste. Politicians are used to being made fun of. They probably enjoy it, as long as their names are spelled right,” he quipped.
One cameo appearance in “Elkin Style” featured Matan Tzur as a flustered voter. Tzur is the writer, producer and star of “Underdos” a popular, humorous YouTube channel targeting the religious- Zionist community, whose name is a play on “dos,” a term for a religious person, and “underdog.” Tzur co-wrote the Likud primary clip and served as assistant director.